Sue E. Sterling

Sue E. Sterling, 76, of Mount Joy, PA went home to be with the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on February 18, 2024 at Masonic Village in Elizabethtown, PA.  Born in Maysville, KY on November 23, 1947, she was the eldest child of Harold and Mary (Pumpelly) Beckelhymer.  Sue grew up in Amelia, OH and was salutatorian for the class of 1965 at Amelia High School.  She earned a Master of Arts degree in French from Bowling Green State University in Ohio, where she met her husband, Ned E. Sterling II of Lancaster, PA.  They celebrated 53 years of marriage on September 12, 2023.

Sue’s full-time career began as a proofreader for Armstrong World Industries located in downtown Lancaster.  The family moved to Mount Joy Borough in 1992.  Sue left Armstrong to work as an administrative assistant for the Borough Office.  Later she worked for Elizabethtown College in the Financial Aid Office where she eventually retired as the Assistant Director of Financial Aid in 2012.

Sue was always active in her community, serving on the Mount Joy Borough Council, volunteering for Meals on Wheels, and supporting the Mount Joy Area Historical Society.  As a faithful member of the Mount Joy Church of God, Sue served as a deacon on the church council for two terms, volunteered as a money counter, and helped with other church events and activities.

As a young mother Sue enjoyed sewing and needlework.  She also loved vacationing with her family at both the South Jersey Shore and the coast of Maine, and even more cruising to Bermuda, the Caribbean, and New England.  In her retirement years she was as an avid reader and looked forward to breakfasts with friends and exploring the local parks and playgrounds with her granddaughter.

In addition to her husband, Sue is survived by her centenarian mother, Mary Beckelhymer, Loveland, OH; her son, Nathaniel, husband of Laura (Murphy), Camp Hill; her daughter, Vanessa, wife of Benjamin Fisher, Elizabethtown; and her beloved granddaughter, Amelia Sterling.  Sue is also survived by her brother James Beckelhymer (Judy), Sidney, OH; sister Kathy Beckelhymer (Robert Mabry), Milford, OH; and sister Mary Jane Jones (Jeff), Morrow, OH.

A memorial service honoring Sue’s life will be held on Saturday, April 27, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. at the Mount Joy Church of God, 30 E. Main Street, Mount Joy, PA 17552.  Friends will be received at the church from 10:30 a.m. until the time of the service. A private interment at Conestoga Memorial Park will occur at the convenience of the family.  In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Water Street Mission www.wsm.org or Meals on Wheels www.mealsonwheelsoflancaster.org.