Elizabeth Ann "E.A." Stonesifer

1939 - 2025

Elizabeth Ann "E.A." Cairns Stonesifer, age 86, of Rockville, died Sunday, March 9, 2025 at her home. Born February 2, 1939, in Washington, D.C., she was the daughter of the late Robert S. Cairns Jr. and Julia Ann Roop Cairns. She was the wife of G. Richard Stonesifer who passed away in 2011. E.A. was a 1957 graduate of New Windsor High School and a 1961 graduate of Western Maryland College (McDaniel College). She began her teaching career at Gaithersburg High School and moved on to Gaithersburg Middle School a couple of years later, where she spent the remainder of her 30-year career. In addition to her dedication in the classroom, E.A. was a leader in the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Gifted and Talented program and she volunteered with the Odyssey of the Mind, a creative problem-solving program for students. She received multiple Successful Practices Awards, a Certificate of Achievement from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and the 1989 Greenblatt Excellence in Teaching Award. After retiring from MCPS, E.A. founded the "Reading is Terrific" literacy program in 2004, as part of the Woodworkers for Children Charity, to provide free books to children learning to read. She recruited and scheduled volunteers to read to over 1,000 first graders in Montgomery County throughout each school year. The program received the 2011 Nancy Dworkin Outstanding Service to Youth award from the Montgomery County Commission on Children and Youth. E.A. was an avid reader, a traveler, and enjoyed arts, crafts, antiques, entertaining, watching basketball, and her pets. She served as a docent at the Smithsonian-National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC, was a member of the New Windsor Heritage Committee and the Questers. She is survived by her son, Scott R. Stonesifer and wife Jennifer of Germantown, MD; grandsons, Brendan R. and Aidan G. Stonesifer; brother, Robert S. Cairns and wife Alyce of Denton, NC; nephew, Matthew Cairns, niece, Elizabeth Imperiale and husband Jack, nephew Jody Lambert, niece Jana Lambert, and several grand nephews and nieces. A memorial service will be held on Saturday May 31st at 11:00 AM at Pipe Creek Church, 26 Pipe Creek Rd, Union Bridge, MD 21791. Pastor Steve Lowe will officiate. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to the Woodworkers For Children Charity, Inc., 21 Wild Hunt Court, Laytonsville, MD 20882. A message or memory may be placed on her "tribute wall" at www.hartzlerfuneralhome.com.