- Date Of Birth: May 17, 1947
- Date Of Death: April 13, 2020
- State: Pennsylvania
Victoria A. “Vicki” (nee Sayers) Gerstenfeld, Age 72, of Broomall, PA, passed on April 13th, 2020 after a hard-fought battle with autoimmune disease. Vicki graduated from Penn State with a degree in Social Work in 1969 and started a life of service that stretched across decades, organizations, and causes. She believed so strongly in education that she became a secretary in her community’s elementary school. She moved up over the years to come full circle and finish her career as the administrative assistant to the Dean of Social Work at Bryn Mawr College. Her warm welcoming smile was the first thing seen by students in schools all over the county. That same smile and warm welcome became her calling card in all her relationships. She was always there with a beautiful smile, a comforting hug, a caring ear, a bit of advice, a funny story to make you laugh and to let you know that everything was going to be okay.Vicki met Lee in 1970 and in August 1971 they were married and started their life together. Their marriage was a 48-year example of love in action. It wasn’t perfect. They weren’t perfect. But their dedication to each other and continual work on themselves and their marriage proved that love wasn’t just a feeling for them, it was a decision every single day to support each other and their marriage. It was failure and forgiveness and a promise to do better. They did that for 48 years. They would say to each other, “Aren’t we lucky?” And they’d thank God for their blessings. Three of her blessings were her daughters, Meg, Beth, and Leanne. Born in 1974, 1977, and 1980 respectively, they created a fierce love in her heart. She never knew that she could love anyone so much and her capacity for that love only increased with each new child. Vicki raised her daughters to be strong independent individuals by supporting their varied interests and encouraging a lifetime of learning. That unwavering support lasted throughout their lives when it came to college and career decisions, even when that support led them to move away from her. Even across the distance, she maintained a strong presence in their lives. She instinctively knew when it had been too long since the last phone call or when one of her daughters needed to talk. And she visited whenever she could to be a part of her daughter’s new lives firsthand. She never let an opportunity pass to let her daughters know how proud of them she was and how much she loved support and love extended to her 6 younger siblings as well. As it is with oldest siblings, she served as a sounding board, shoulder to cry on, source of laughter, and provider of both good advice and tough love depending on the situation. She was a rock for all of them. An ardent supporter and advocate of the public library system, Vicki served on the board of the Marple Public Library for over 20 years. An avid reader, she always carried a book with her and could often be found reading; whether in her favorite chair in the den, in the backyard gazebo, or with her husband Lee, sitting on the beach as the late afternoon sun sank in the sky. She passed a love of reading on to her children and grandchildren as well and considered it a special day when any one of them got their library card. Vicki retired in the loosest sense of the word. Her volunteer efforts accelerated in “retirement” and she picked up a part-time career as the child safety coordinator for St. John Neumann Parish. This was a continuation of her service to the church as she had also served as a Eucharistic minister and as part of the Interfaith Hospitality Network. Her work truly was an expression of her faith and she viewed the corporal works of mercy as a personal mission. She inherited a love of gardening from her grandmother and mother and passed that love on to her daughters and granddaughter. She kept gardens along the front and side of their house, hanging baskets along the back, and numerous plants in sunny windows throughout the house. Vicki loved to travel. She and Lee traveled to several countries in Europe as well as made trips throughout the US, picking up stories and adventures along the way. She also cherished the day trips to New York City with a group of long-time girlfriends to catch lunch and a show. And one of her favorite destinations was down the Jersey Shore for a couple of weeks each summer to enjoy the sunshine and the friendships were deep and enduring, cultivated along her life’s journey, through college, within the neighborhood, from her various jobs and volunteer efforts. These women formed a cadre of support in the hard times, a source of fun and happiness in the good ones and were such a treasured part of Vicki’s life. However, the greatest joy in the latter part of her life was her involvement in the lives of her grandchildren. Whether picking them up from the bus stop or school, sharing a quiet conversation, reading a book together, or passing on the secrets of her apple pie, any moments that could be shared together were an opportunity for love and laughter. Her passing has left such a hole in the hearts of everyone she knew. Though we believe that she’d want us to all keep in mind these wise words from A. A. Milne.”If ever there is tomorrow when we’re not together…there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we’re apart, I’ll always be with you.”Vicki is survived and desperately missed by her beloved husband of 48 years, Leon F. “Lee” Gerstenfeld, Jr.; her beloved children Megan Duty (John), Beth Gerstenfeld, and Leanne Gallagher (Kevin); her cherished grandchildren Molly and Finn; her precious mother Cecelia Drum; and her devoted siblings Mary “Mickey” Sayers, Sheila Breen (Gary), Teresa Aldridge, Richard Sayers, Karen Czarnowski (Brian), and David Drum (Curtis), as well as numerous treasured nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her dear father Richard
