Judith Zee Steinberg

Judith Zee Steinberg died peacefully in her sleep on March 1, 2025, not long after being diagnosed with a progressive brain disorder. Her husband, Paul Hoenmans, predeceased her last year. They divided their time between homes in Aspen and Denver.

Judith, the oldest of four siblings, was born and raised in the Philadelphia area. She graduated from the University of Michigan in 1968 with a degree in Political Science and subsequently studied at Columbia University. Traveling extensively during her junior year abroad at the London School of Economics imbued Judith with a lifelong desire to explore other cultures.

After several years at Burson-Marsteller Public Relations in New York City, Mobil Corporation (a Burson-Marsteller client) recruited Judith in 1974 to join its Corporate Public Affairs department. Until 1981, she worked primarily on government and public relations in Mobil’s Exploration and Producing Division. In the mid-1980’s, after having moved through a series of Mobil planning and economics positions in New York, The Hague, and Houston, Judith returned to The Hague for a lengthy stint as General Manager of Mobil’s Netherlands natural gas affiliate. In that capacity, she oversaw that entity’s onshore and offshore petroleum exploration and producing operations. She was the first woman and the first person without an engineering or geology degree to be appointed to such a position within Mobil. During her tenure as General Manager, Judith also served as chairman of the Dutch Oil and Gas Operators Association, involved in lobbying the Dutch Government and Parliament on political, economic, and environmental issues of importance to the oil and gas industry.

When she returned to the United States in the 1990’s, Judith took on an area operations assignment for Mobil in Oklahoma City, to oversee Mobil’s oil and natural gas production and gas plant operations in southern Oklahoma. In 1995, Judith joined Gemini Consulting as a vice president in the firm’s energy practice. After several years with Gemini, Judith made a significant career shift. She left the private sector to devote herself to administration, fund raising, and philanthropy for non-profit organizations. The organizations on whose boards Judith served include the Colorado School of Mines, J Street, the National Public Radio Foundation, the Aspen Music Festival & School, Aspen Public Radio (past Chair), Aspen Santa Fe Ballet (past President), Jazz Aspen Snowmass, the Aspen Community Foundation, and Youth Zone. She was also active in state and local politics.

In addition to travel, Judith was passionate about performing and visual arts, fashion and design, and her trademark bichon frisés. She and her husband shared wide smiles, a love of the outdoors, skiing, and biking, and a keen interest in national and international affairs. Their homes were filled with crafts, many of which were souvenirs of their far-flung trips.