Judith L. Sterling

Judith Louise Sterling was born March 02, 1943, in Elmhurst, IL, firstborn to Alva Phillips Sterling and Martha Alice Sterling (nee Pohl). Judith's sister Karen was only 11 months younger, so they often played together. Some of their favorite activities included gathering canned goods stored in their basement to play "grocery store", roller skating, ice skating on nearby ponds frozen in winter, and "playing school". In real life, Judith was an honors student. She was also an accomplished Girl Scout with many patches on her sash.
Having inherited a love of classical music from her father and being musically inclined, Judith decided in 3rd grade to learn to play violin. By junior high school, she was first chair of the orchestra, and later in life she supported classical public radio stations and scheduled practicing piano twice a day.
Judith's spiritual journey began in summer 1959, when she listened to The World Tomorrow radio program and urged her sister to send for the Plain Truth magazine. Judith used what she learned on the radio to write school papers but didn't act on it until years later, when she joined the Worldwide Church of God. Most recently, she was a devoted member of the Philadelphia Church of God, in which she served as a greeter.
Serving others was Judith's calling. After receiving her teaching degree in elementary education from Northern Illinois University, she taught at various schools in northern Illinois before serving for decades at Pennoyer School, from which she retired in 2007 after 41 years of teaching in all.
Judy, as her friends called her, was an avid gardener who loved her flowers and loved animals, including her beloved long-lived cats. In addition to being a student of the Bible, she was a life-long learner in many subjects, with an interest in homeopathic medicine and natural cures. Her curiosity led her to travel the world extensively, gathering many experiences, colorful handicrafts, and passport stamps.
Having moved back to her childhood home in Elmhurst to care for her mother after her father's passing, Judy lived there for 43 years until she passed away at peace there in mid-summer of 2025. She is survived by her sister Karen Fahnestock, brother-in-law Kenneth Fahnestock, niece Sharon Fahnestock, and nephew Gene Fahnestock.
A graveside service will be held on Wednesday, August 27, 2025 beginning at 12:00 p.m. at Elm Lawn Memorial Park, 401 E. Lake Street, Elmhurst, IL 60126.
For additional information, (630) 834-3515 or www.ElmhurstFH.com.