Alicia Flaherty Stein

Alicia Flaherty Stein

Alicia Flaherty Stein died in her home on Saturday June 8, 2013 with her family by her side. Some believe she died of Disco Fever, however her battle with cancer for over four years was more likely the actual cause. She never complained and never questioned her disease, but instead lived and loved her life, family and friends. She was married three times to her best friend Jim and had three biological children and many unofficial children including nephews, nieces and friends.

Alicia was born on June 26, 1947 in New Castle, Pennsylvania to Edward and Mary Jayne Flaherty whom she claimed were both circus performers, but it's highly suspect. She met Jim Stein of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware when she was 14 while attending the auctions at Stuart Kingston on the boardwalk. They were secretly married at the county courthouse in Rockville, Maryland six years later. They were married a second time in front of their families five years after that and then renewed their vows in 2010. Third time's a charm.

Alicia wasn't a fan of cooking, but made a mean reservation. If she could, she would offer her condolences to the soon-to-be unemployed caterers she can no longer hire. She enjoyed a great practical joke and loved the element of surprise.

She was most at peace looking at the ocean with her toes in the sand and loved good conversations with friends about anything, from the profoundly prophetic to the sublimely irrelevant. She had an uncanny ability to connect with strangers, usually insisting that she knew their parents, and spending five minutes with Alicia was like finding a lifelong friend. She always put the comfort and well-being of others before her own. She was the shoulder to cry on, the ear that could listen and the voice that, more often than not, knew exactly what to say. There was no bigger heart than Alicia's. She was incredibly loyal and fiercely protective. She was a person who could easily forgive, but never forget. Her greatest joy was to laugh and her family and friends would do their best to try and bring a smile to her face. She had eyes of the bluest skies long before Axl Rose made it popular and was a master winker. Her beauty was unmatched, her smile was radiant and she will be forever missed.

She leaves behind her husband Jim, sons Edward (Kristin) and Jaimie (Shanna), daughter Courtney, nephew P.J. Flaherty (Kristine), nieces Alex Walsh (David) and Jacquelyn Penters (Scott), her sister Lyn and niece Lara and grandchildren Alexis and P.J. Flaherty, Isabelle and Sophie Penters, Drake, Sam and Evangeline Walsh, and one on the way, her consiglieri Francina Johnson and right-hand woman Corine Williams.

A celebration of her life will be held at Greenville Country Club, 201 Owls Nest Road, Wilmington, DE at 1:00 pm on Thursday, June 13th for anyone who wishes to attend.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Delaware Hospice at 3515 Silverside Road, Wilmington, DE 19810 or Dr. Andrew Cameron's Laboratory Research Fund at Johns Hopkins Medicine. In the memo line of the check, please reference Alicia Stein. Checks should be made payable to Johns Hopkins University and mailed to Attn: Michelle Golberg, Fund for Johns Hopkins Medicine, 100 North Charles Street, Suite 422-A, Baltimore, Maryland 21201.

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