James Frederick Sterner

On February 28, 2024, at the age of 100, Jim Sterner died peacefully at home with loving family.  Jim was born in Philadelphia in 1923.  His parents were Eva Moyer Sterner and Luther Sterner.  His wife of 75 years, Stella (Sis) Ward Sterner died in 2020. Jim adored Sis, never ceasing to proclaim his love for her. He is survived by 5 daughters, Patricia Johnson (Glenn), Juliette Sterner, Tamasin Sterner (Colleen), Ginger Hunter, and Amy Gould (Curtis); 5 grandchildren, 3 step-grandchildren, and 5 great-grandchildren.

During his childhood, Jim lived in Philadelphia and Allentown, PA, where he enjoyed Boy Scouting, moving to Wilmington, DE in 1939.  He was graduated from Alexis I DuPont high school in 1941.  He attended the University of Delaware (Engineering) until May, 1943 when called to WWII active duty in the US Army after enlisting December, 1942.Basic training was in Camp Wolters in Texas.  In 1943, Jim qualified for the Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP) and was sent to Drexel Institute of Technology in Philadelphia.  After ASTP was discontinued, he was sent to Camp Claiborne in Louisiana on April 1, 1944.  Jim was assigned to Company K, 3^rd Battalion, of the 333^rd Infantry Regiment, in the 84^th Infantry Division, as a Private.  Jim thought it was an April Fools joke to be assigned as a Private since he was in ASTP.  But it wasn’t a joke. Before going to actual war in Europe, Jim married Sis on July 1, 1944 in Wilmington, DE.  Their honeymoon was quick.  He sailed from New York to Scotland on September 1, 1944, being trained in southern England through October 1944, when he crossed the Channel and landed on Omaha Beach, Normandy, on November 1, 1944.November 1944 brought vicious fighting in Geilenkirchen, Germany and in Belgium. Jim was heroic and was promoted to Sergeant. On December 26, 1944, he was wounded during the Battle of the Bulge and was in hospitals for 4 months.  On May 8, 1945 (VE Day), he joined his fellow soldiers for Occupation Duty in Weinheim, Germany.  Jim received the Combat Infantry Badge, Purple Heart, and Bronze Star.  His Campaigns were Rhineland, Central Europe, and Ardennes. Jim was discharged from the US Army January, 1946 and moved to Troy, NY with Sis where he graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute January, 1949.

He worked for the DuPont company, Textile Fibers Department (Nylon, Dacron, spun bonded fibers such as Tyvek, Reemay), while living in Waynesboro, VA; East Greenwich, RI; Madison, NJ; Kennett Square, PA; and Chesapeake City, MD.  He retired in 1985 and he and Sis moved to Jenner’s Pond in Jennersville, (West Grove) PA in 2001. Retirement brought Jim time to reconnect with old friends, and watch vintage sitcoms on TV, (Hogan’s Heroes was a favorite).  Jim loved to do daily crossword puzzles, watch birds, and visit with neighbors.  He was entertained and delighted by his grandchildren and great grandchildren. Around 2020, Jim was essentially “discovered” when a daughter began posting his war stories on social media and on YouTube. Today, there are several videos on YouTube where Jim recalls his experiences while being interviewed by numerous international historians and students.  Remembering everything even until the end, Jim was a valuable resource and helped families process their loved ones’ war experiences during phone conversations up until his death.  Jim was the last of the original Company K group to die.

Services will be private.  In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations in Jim’s name to Florent Plana’s and Jenny Post’s GoFundMe.  They are WWII battlefield tour guides and historians who help WWII Veterans return to Normandy. The following link will send you directly to their GoFundMe page – to make a donation: https://gofund.me/ad4bcce5