Celeste Ruth Hadfield, of Stevens Point, passed away peacefully due to natural causes at Aspirus Stevens Point Hospital, on the afternoon of December 16, 2023, at the age of 64.

Celeste was born on July 31, 1959 in Alhambra, California; daughter of Ralph and GeorgeAnn Messick.

Upon graduation from high school, Celeste joined the United States Air Force and courageously served our country. She served in Bitburg, Germany, where she worked on the flight line. Additionally, she was the coordinator for all the churches on base. Although Celeste was a disabled veteran, she took great pride in her dedication to our military.

Along with Celeste’s fearlessness came a side of soft beauty; displayed through her artistic skills and her love for the outdoors. Celeste was a gifted musician and showcased this talent as the lead vocalist in an Irish-Celtic band. She even wrote and recorded several songs. Furthermore, she had a knack for making art with her hands, finding comfort in making jewelry with natural stones. She found great joy in giving her pieces to people, simply to see the joy it brought them. However, sometimes she would sell her jewelry and donate the money she raised. She did this to help support various causes such as Ukraine refugees and disabled veterans, among others. While Celeste found great comfort in helping others, she also found great comfort in the world around her. She had a deep love of the outdoors, all year round. In the winter, she enjoyed various winter activities, but excelled at skiing. She was a member of the National Ski Patrol and served the skiing public, providing medical care for those injured for 25 years. Last year, she was awarded the Outstanding Patroller for the North Central Region of the Central Division. Celeste also enjoyed warm weather activities which included her love of the ocean. Exploring the ocean became a passion of hers and she worked hard to become a certified scuba diver, even working her way up to Divemaster certification.

Celeste is survived by her husband, Richard; and her cousins, her closest family, Shawn (John) McBride, Wendy Johanek, Marilee (Mike) Collar, Tim (Betty) Granger, and Tambi (Brad) Prey. 

Celeste was preceded in death by her parents and her beloved Aunt Audrey.

For those who wish to express their sympathies, it was Celeste’s wish, that in lieu of flowers, memorials be made in some way to help disabled veterans.

A memorial service for Celeste will be held at 10:30AM on Wednesday, January 17, 2024, at Peace United Church of Christ - 1756 Dixon Street, Stevens Point. Friends and family are invited to gather to share memories from 9:30AM until the time of services. Following the service, interment with full Military Honors will be at the Central Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery in King, WI.

May she rest in peace.