Maryam Steffen, an islander recognized for her work on behalf of island teens, died Nov. 4 at age 74.

“She was such a force, a feisty woman always ready to criticize privilege and power,” said Stephen Silha, an island writer, activist and filmmaker, who worked with her for years on youth initiatives.

Maryam was born Mary Starr Landels  on Sept. 3, 1941, in Palo Alto, California, and went on to marry George Steffen and raise four children. She also had a 30-year career as a psychologist, working both for social service agencies and in private practice on the East and West Coasts. The bulk of her work was in helping families in crisis.

In 1992, Maryam and George moved their family to Vashon, and Maryam soon became involved with youth causes on the island.

Over the years, her volunteer efforts included work on behalf of several organizations, including Development of Island Teens, Vashon Youth Council and the Vashon Island Prevention and Intervention Team. With Silha, she was active in Vashon’s Youth-Adult Dialogues for several years.

“If she went to something she liked, she dove in and got really involved,” Silha said, recalling that time.

In 2010, Vashon Youth & Family Services and Vashon Healthy Community Network honored Steffen and her work, choosing her as the first recipient of  the Marian Fitch Volunteer of the Year Award.

Her commitment to island youth included supporting Vashon’s lesbian, gay and bisexual teens, and in 2004, she produced “The Laramie Project,” which tells the story of Matthew Shepard, a gay teen who was murdered in Laramie, Wyoming, in 1998. Maryam and her husband both acted in the play, which their child Eli directed.

Reached this week, he said that Maryam started her family somewhat later in her adult life, at 35, and while she was not initially comfortable with motherhood, she grew to love it. She enjoyed being a grandmother, Eli added, and had close relationships with her five grandchildren.

Both Maryam and George had a strong sense of service, Eli said, and imparted that to their children.

“She taught us that to live a good life in part means to live a life of service,” he said.

With her children grown, Maryam focused on youth-related service off the island, according to her friend and next door neighbor Cathy Fulton, who said that until recently Maryam volunteered with disadvantaged youth in Portland and Seattle and had a particular interest in working with young women of color.

Maryam was also a practicing Buddhist and in the last decade was active with a sangha in Edmonds and participated in several mediations and retreats, Fulton added.

One of Maryam’s many areas of interest extended to the Washington Correction Center for Women in Purdy, where she was  actively helping an inmate seeking clemency.

Maryam visited this woman, who had been sentenced to life in jail, nearly every week for 18 years, and the two became good friends, Fulton said.

Maryam was working with an attorney and students from Seattle University on the clemency request at the time of her death and had planned to testify at the clemency hearing scheduled for Dec. 8. While that was not to be, the attorney videotaped Maryam’s testimony from the hospital and will show it at the hearing.

“It was the last thing that was important to her to get done,” Fulton said.

Several friends will attend the hearing in her stead.

“It will take several of us to take Maryam’s place,” Fulton added.

Maryam was diagnosed with stage 4  lung cancer on her birthday this year, and Fulton said those close to her were surprised at how quickly the disease progressed, though she added that, too, was typical Maryam.

“Maryam always cut to the chase,” Fulton said, noting she retained her irreverent sense of humor until the end.

Survivors include her stepson Alex Steffen, her children Joseph, Benyamin and Eli Steffen and five grandchildren.

A celebration of Maryam’s life will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 28, at Vashon Island Books, the former VFW Hall, at  22100 Vashon Hwy. Guests are invited to bring food or drink to share.