Actress
(1921-1994)

Born September 4, 1921 in Port Arthur, Hazel Weber went to school in Griffing Park before graduating fromThomas Jefferson High. Emulating her mother, who sang in the church choir, Hazel was determined to be a performer onstage, admiring the styles of Mae West and Ethel Mermann. Finishing school a semester early in 1939, she continued her education at Texas State College for Women, where she received a B.S. in Music in 1943. After graduation, she attended the Juilliard School of Music in New York, where she earned a Master’s degree. Staying at the Barbizon Hotel for Women, she made significant contacts and soon began appearing in off-Broadway productions. Gradually, she made the move to Broadway, where worked with such performers as Ann Miller, Barbara Eden, and Mickey Rooney. Her stage appearances in stand-out productions of Oklahoma, Sound of Music, South Pacific and many others, made her a favorite among audiences. She made the circuit in traveling shows as well, appearing mostly in the mid-west market, before retiring in Coventry, Connecticut. Fittingly, Ms. Steck died in the theater, namely our own Julie Rogers Theater, while home for a visit, on October 27, 1994.

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