Stefanie Serba Seifts, 68, of Naperville, IL, passed away peacefully on February 01, 2023. Born in Hartford, CT on September 14, 1954, Stefanie was raised in Windsor, CT and had lived in several other locations, including West Hartford, CT, and Kennebunkport, ME, before settling in Naperville 27 years ago. She was the daughter of the late Jane Louise Serba (Matatall) and Stefan Serba.

Stefanie was a proud graduate of Hartford University, where she earned a BFA in Sculpture in 1982 with Magna Cum Laude honors. She also attended Manchester College where she completed an associate degree as a Surgical Technician to help enhance her figurative sculpture. Stefanie honed her skills and developed her abstract expressionism style in multiple mediums, including bronze, wood carving, stone carving, oil on canvas and watercolor techniques. Throughout her career, she worked in Hartford Hospital as a surficial technician and for Coleco Industries, where she provided sculpture design in the Research and Development Team, working on popular brands such as Cabbage Patch Kids, Flintstones figurines, MashEms, and many other well-known Coleco products produced in the 1980s.

In her free time, Stefanie had a passion for antique shopping, searching for old chairs and scouring consignment and second-hand stores for good deals. She also had a love for animals and enjoyed feeding the birds and squirrels, as well as caring for her beloved Japanese Chins, Sumo and Yoshi. Her love for animals extended to her rescuing and nursing back to health a duck with frozen feet, which she later released back into the wild through a bird wildlife rehabilitator. Stefanie's unique creativity, combined with her kind and caring nature, made her a one-of-a-kind individual with a sparkling spirit and a great sense of humor.

Stefanie was immensely proud of her family heritage. Her mother’s Mic Mac Native American roots, of the northeastern region of Maine; one of Stefanie’s favorite places, had a big influence on her life. She wore her Native American connection as a badge of honor, looking to their lifestyle and beliefs for spiritual guidance. In recent years, her father’s Ukrainian roots and escape from the Germans during WWII motivated her to reach out to extended family currently residing in Ukraine in support of their current struggles.

Stefanie was the beloved wife of Joseph Lydon Seifts for 35 years, and was a devoted mother to Natasha Smith and her husband Nigel of Powers Lake, ND, and Brent Seifts of Chicago, IL. She also leaves behind four cherished grandchildren, Quentin, Leighlan, Valetta, and Lochlan. She was preceded in death by her brother, George Villa.

A celebration of life is being planned to honor Stefanie's memory and legacy. The family would like to express their gratitude to the nurses and staff at Edward Hospital for their compassionate care during Stefanie's final days.