Obituary of Jeffrey Sterly

Jeffrey Robert Sterly, 63, of Syracuse, passed away peacefully on Tuesday October 11, 2022, surrounded by his family members.

Jeff was born in Petoskey, Michigan, to Lawrence and Violet Grace Sterly on February 10, 1959. He attended Michigan School for the Deaf and graduated from Petoskey High School in 1978. He went on to NTID at RIT in the SVP class of 1978 and earned a degree in Civil Engineering. He worked as a Civil Engineer for the New York State Department of Transportation for 29 years. He also worked as an adjunct professor at Le Moyne College teaching ASL classes for over 20 years. He enjoyed sharing stories about his family - especially his grandchildren, collecting Petoskey stones at his family’s farm, hunting, gardening, farming, traveling with his wife, and watching the University of Michigan football team win. Jeff was an active member within the Deaf community hosting and helping at various events like pig roasts and clambakes. He was an honorary board member at Camp Mark Seven and loved spending weekends there volunteering and fixing up the camp with his crew.

Jeff is survived by his beautiful wife, Catherine, two daughters: Clarissa (Justin) Clark and Isabella Sterly, bonus children: Myles (TraciAnn) Goldberg, Lauren (Tyler) Goldberg, and Mia Goldberg, and his pride and joy, his three grandchildren: Troy Cayson, Jovaline June, and Welles Robert.  Jeff is also survived by his six siblings, many cousins, nieces and nephews and other loved family members. He is preceded in death by his parents, Lawrence, and Violet Grace Sterly and his sister-in-law, Marla Sterly.

Funeral service will be held at Holy Family Church in Syracuse, NY on Monday October 17 at 10:00 AM. A private, family burial will follow at St. Mary’s Cemetery, in Dewitt, NY. Hollis Funeral Home will be handling the funeral arrangements.

Memorial donations may be made to the Mark 7 Deaf Foundation for Camp Mark Seven, 144 Mohawk Hotel Road, Old Forge, NY 13420.  The family wishes to extend their gratitude to the nurses, doctors, and hospital staff of the Neurology ICU on 9E at Upstate University Hospital. You are all superheroes!

As a final message, GO BLUE!