What I Enjoy – July 2023 – Bev Hudson Stupek
Bev Hudson Stupek
Community Advocate
What are you passionate about? My primary passions are travel, serving the community through Redding East Rotary, travel, supporting my health/fitness at Redding Jazzercise Center, travel, and nurturing my friendships that too often got neglected during the “crowded years” of juggling family and career. And did I mention travel? Having our only grandchildren 3,000 miles away has led us to eight cross-country road trips in six years of retirement. In our sedan. With our dog.
What advice would you give to someone new to the community? Our 37 years in Redding have proven time and again how uncommonly generous and welcoming the North State has always been. Jump in with both feet! There are countless nonprofit organizations and service groups that always need volunteers, as well as book clubs and other hobby groups.
Tell us about one of your most significant accomplishments. Like probably all parents, my proudest accomplishment would be raising three phenomenal humans, alongside the love of my life, my husband of 45 years. Professionally, I’m most proud of being part of the creation and growth of Turtle Bay Exploration Park. I spent the last 17 years of my career as the chief fundraiser there, helping it grow from Paul Bunyan’s Forest Camp in 1999 to the multi-faceted, premier local gathering place and tourist attraction that it is today.
What are your favorite North State activities? Redding East Rotary’s Sundial Riffle Raffle in the fall (formerly Ducky Derby) and Redding West Rotary’s Taste of Redding in June are two favorite events of ours. We’re also big fans of local music/theater productions, from Shasta High’s Madrigal Dinner and Spring Musical to Cascade Theatre offerings. And of course, nothing beats outdoor nature walks in the incomparable beauty of our North State.
How do you spend your free time? Every day we are in town, I make sure I get in either an hour of Jazzercise or a mile swim at the YMCA. I love spending time with friends on weekends, along with joining Rotary service projects and walking the River Trail with my husband and our beloved dog Bella.
Family: Husband: Sonny Stupek, retired Shasta College coach and instructor; daughter Megan, son-in-law Adam and granddaughters Claire and Charlotte Curry of New Jersey; daughter Lauren of San Francisco; son Brian of Shasta County.
Share a memorable travel experience. We spent five months basically living like locals in the seven countries of Europe we’d always wanted to see and hadn’t yet, from viewing the Northern Lights in the Arctic Circle of Sweden to the south of Spain and from Ireland to Italy. My favorite stay of all? Lisbon & Porto, Portugal.
If you could have dinner with any historical figure, who would it be? Why? Probably someone from the earliest days of our nation’s birth, such as George Washington. The vision, intelligence and courage it took to create our unique democratic republic fascinates me, and I’ve always admired how Washington led his troops and then our country, especially how he chose to step down as president knowing our nation would be better served by limiting the term – power – of any single individual.
