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Remembering Erin Steinert, Quizmistress & Friend
We are incredibly saddened by the recent and sudden loss of Washington state Quizmistress—her preferred title—Erin Steinert. Erin joined Geeks in January of 2015, when she was hired as the QM for Stick + Stone in Richland. Erin was not only an influential and inspiring quizmaster, but a devoted friend, purveyor of knowledge, and lover of space, planets, and the brightest stars—just like she was.
Next week, we will be holding local Quiz for a Cause events in Washington, raising funds to create a STEM scholarship in Erin’s name. In the Tri-Cities area, a combination of above average poverty and nomadic work offerings have left a hole in equitable education. The scholarship seeks to reduce that impact on students in the region by supporting underprivileged students seeking educational opportunities in a STEM field.
We hope you can join us on Monday, September 9th at Moonshot Brewing, where Erin was a long-time host, and on Thursday, September 12th at Emerald of Siam. If you can’t participate, but would like to contribute, the community is accepting donations via Venmo (@Eliot-Black) and through PayPal (@EliotBlack). Please note in your comments that the funds are for Erin’s memorial QFAC.
Erin’s influence on and friendship with the QMs around her and across the country cannot be overstated. As such, we humbly give the floor to some of her closer friends at Geeks to share their memories and thoughts of Erin.
Erin Steinert was the lowest number on the Stellar Magnitude Scale. And if you know anything about space, you know that means she was among the brightest of stars. She had such a passion for all things space and would often state that “she was the planetarium,” a sentiment everyone who knew her agreed with. Tens of thousands of children were hosted by her at her CBC Planetarium, something she was so proud of, spreading knowledge to the next set of space lovers. I entered her orbit nine years ago when she trained me to be a quizmaster and my life has been all the better since. I would come to call her one of my best friends, and I learned after her passing just how many people would call her that. The thing is, she really was everyone’s best friend. She made you feel safe and seen. She was a fierce warrior for what was right. She was overjoyed to find out the house she moved into had a flagpole, so she could raise a pride flag on it and “find out who is a bad neighbor”. Her quizzers are fiercely loyal, a quality she brought out in anyone who entered her orbit. I would like to think that the universe will forever be a brighter place because she existed in it. – Andrew Pogue
Erin had a gravitational pull to rival Sol, and as such we are all planets, asteroids, and other space junk orbiting her brilliance. She was hilarious, charming, ingenious, curious, kind, and truly someone we could all look up to—even at 5’4”. She was a beloved daughter, wife, friend, Quizmistress, Bingo Maven, animal lover, THE planetarium, and friend to everyone that she ever met. Erin never met a stranger. She truly fought the good fight, standing up for those that couldn’t, and believed that all people should be treated with fairness, equality, and respect. Erin was the best of us and if we could all be just a little like her, the world would be a better place. Plus, she was a hell of a quizmaster, punny and quick. She could raise money for QFACs like it was nothing; it was truly inspiring. She will be deeply missed. I consider myself lucky to have been her friend and coworker for the past 10 years. – BJ Johnson
Erin was always someone who was so passionate about the things that she cared about, whether it was being an awesome QM or her job at the planetarium. She was never afraid to speak her mind in a room full of people whose opinions were different from hers. – Diana Milton
Erin was brilliant, passionate, and kind. She energized everyone in her presence. She loved to share her knowledge and did so in a way that nobody felt inadequate for previously lacking that knowledge. She was a beacon of love, hope, and inclusivity for the Tri-Cities community and will be dearly missed by so many. – Chris O’Clair
Erin was the Planetarium. An expert in astronomy and space science, on the thousands and thousands of stars that blink back at us at night. Maybe that’s why it was so natural for her to also be a light in the darkness. She was deeply devoted to her work in informal science education, to inclusivity, and making learning as accessible as possible. She had the incredible patience that only people who work with thousands of children every year develop. And she was just so f***ing cool.
She was a QM who was also a scientist and part owner of a brewery. A friend who would tell you when she was proud of you, or listen when you needed to complain. A brave, stylish woman who defended herself against a cavalcade of misogynistic dickwads during her run for Kennewick School Board. Erin Steinert was the f***ing best. – Kaitlyn McCarron