A 34-year resident of Portola Country Club in Palm Desert, California died October 13, 2017 at the age of 96. Grace was born on August 17, 1921 to vaudeville performers Chick and Josephine Stedman- and spent the first few years of her life in her family's home which is now on the site of the LosAngeles Convention Center. Following the untimely death of her mother as a small child, Grayce went to live with family friends, Frank and Mable Van Tress who raised and loved her as their own child. After graduating from LosAngeles' Manuel Arts High School she went on to earn her bachelor's degree from UCLA. For about 30 years she taught at elementary schools in the LaCanada Unified School District and the Long Beach Unified School District. In 1943 Grayce married Donald Irving Goodenow who eventually became Managing Editor of the Los Angeles Herald Examiner and then Assistant to the Publisher for that same newspaper. They made their home in LaCanada until they retired to Palm Desert in 1983. She was preceeded in death by her parents and her brother Jack Stedman. Grayce lost Don, her loving husband of 55 years in 1999. She wrote the following poem about her grief; The Fading Lips without kisses For many long years Appear to disappear Such seemed the plight. Of the widow at night Left only with her tears....Grayce lived a full life and travelled the world with her family. She loved to read and keep up with current events, visit with her children and grandchildren and garden. In fact you could find Grayce picking up leaves and climbing a ladder to clear the gutter on her roof well into her 90's. She was loved by her family who described the late matriarch as their 'Rock'. Grayce leaves behind two children, Guy Goodenow of Silver Lake, California and Georgi Edwards of Palm Desert, California, three grandchildren , RebeccaThomas of AustinTX, Ryan Edwards of Lahaina, MauiHI, Sandra Griswold of YuccaValleyCA, five greatgrandchildren KaylaThomas of MontclairCA, AshleyGriswold, HaleyGriswold, DanielGriswold and Ryder Griswold and several close friends and extended family members. Grayce believed strongly in 'giving back' and supported many charities during her lifetime. In honor of that, donations can be made in her memory to a charity of your choice or to one of favorites, The American Red Cross which helps people across the world....Published in the LosAngeles Times from Octobe 25-October 29, 2017...