Tricia E. Stuercke, 58, nee Fastabend, of Salt Lake City, Utah, passed away peacefully on May 26, 2025 after a long battle with Lupus. Tricia was born to Jeanne Maddox Fastabend Peterson and William P. Fastabend in Astoria, Oregon. She graduated from Astoria High School a year early in 1984 to pursue a career in dance.
Tricia was trained under the direction of dance masters Charles Bennett, Paul Sanasardo, and Frank Bays. At fourteen she performed with Ballet West, was accepted on scholarship to the Dance Theatre of Harlem, and was invited to study in Holland with modern great Charles Czarny. She was awarded scholarships and trained at Marin Ballet in California and Gus Giordano Dance Center in Chicago.
Tricia’s professional performing career spanned two decades, including touring internationally as a principal dancer with Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago and as a member of Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, where she worked with master choreographer Donald Byrd, among others. In 1986, she danced in the iconic movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off under the direction of famed choreographer Kenny Ortega. After her performing career ended, she founded and served as artistic director of Youth Ballet Colorado which quickly became one of the finest pre-professional dance organizations in Colorado.
Tricia met Bob Stuercke in Chicago, and they married in Estes Park, Colorado. They made their home in the Denver area where they raised two sons, Hunter and Derek, who brought her endless joy and pride.
The family moved to Salt Lake City where the boys continued their secondary education. Tricia is preceded in death by her father; and is survived by Bob, Hunter and Derek, her mother, and two sisters, Heidi (Jim) Christian of Springfield, Oregon and Amy (John) Gibson of Beaverton, Oregon.
Celebrations of life will be held in late summer in both Astoria and Denver. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Tricia’s memory to the Lupus Foundation.
