Stephanie "Steffi" Westerfeld (October 8, 1943 – February 15, 1961) was an American

figure skater Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport to be included in the Olympic Games, when contested at the 1908 Olympics in London. The Olympic disciplines are me ...

. She earned a place on the United States' world team for the

1961 World Figure Skating Championships Events January * January 3 ** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and consular relations with Cuba (Cuba–United States relations are restored in 2015). ** Aero Flight 311 (K ...

, after she finished second at 1961 U.S National Championships. She died on February 15, 1961, when

Sabena Flight 548 Sabena Flight 548 was a Boeing 707-329 flight operated by Sabena that crashed en route from New York City to Brussels, Belgium, on February 15, 1961. The flight, which had originated at Idlewild International Airport, crashed on approach to Bru ...

crashed on its way to the World Championships in Prague. She was buried in Evergreen Cemetery in

Colorado Springs, Colorado Colorado Springs is a home rule municipality in, and the county seat of, El Paso County, Colorado, United States. It is the largest city in El Paso County, with a population of 478,961 at the 2020 United States Census, a 15.02% increase since ...

. Her sister, Sharon, was also killed in the crash and is buried next to her in the family plot. Westerfeld was an

honor student An honors student or honor student is a student recognized for achieving high grading (education), grades or high marks in their coursework at school. United States In the US, honors students may refer to: # Students recognized for their academi ...

pianist A pianist ( , ) is an individual musician who plays the piano. Since most forms of Western music can make use of the piano, pianists have a wide repertoire and a wide variety of styles to choose from, among them traditional classical music, ja ...

, and

homecoming queen Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni or other former members of an organization to celebrate the organization's existence. It is a tradition in many high schools, colleges, and churches in the United States, Canada and Liberia. ...

Cheyenne Mountain High School Cheyenne Mountain High School (CMHS) is located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States. It is the only high school in Cheyenne Mountain School District 12. Its campus contains several buildings, including a recreation center, library, cafet ...

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References

* American female single skaters 1943 births 1961 deaths Figure skaters from Colorado Springs, Colorado Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in Belgium Burials at Evergreen Cemetery (Colorado Springs, Colorado) Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1961 20th-century American women {{US-figure-skating-bio-stub