Anne Sterchi

Elizabeth Anne Sterchi went home to be with the Lord on Saturday, August 17, 2024. Anne was born in Sumter, SC, on December 13, 1954, to John and Happy Sterchi. The family moved to Orlando, FL, in 1958.

Anne graduated from Trinity Preparatory School and got her BA from the University of Virginia in 1976. After working with SunTrust for a year in Orlando she earned her MBA from Columbia University business school in NYC. She worked at Bankers Trust and Solomon Brothers on Wall Street for a number of years before deciding to move back to the south, where she made Atlanta her home. During those early years, Anne would remark that she was the only female on the floor.

After moving to Atlanta, Anne started volunteering with World T.E.A.M. Sports. One such challenge in 1995 found her biking through Mongolia and China, helping disabled bikers get through those countries. Conditions were difficult, riding often through monsoon rains, but it was then that philanthropy found a place in her heart.

The world of securities lost satisfaction for Anne, wanting instead to do something in the non- profit sector. She worked for Rialto Theater for Georgia State as their development officer. While she loved Rialto, asking for money was hard for her, it wasn’t natural. When she was offered the job in 2004 with the J.B. Fuqua Foundation, she finally felt whole, at home. Being able to research and give funds to so many organizations was her utter delight. Over the years, philanthropy became her mission in all she did.

Anne was the consummate volunteer, lending her heart and voice to the All Saints Refugee Ministry, All Saints Church Cornerstone Society, Emory Board of Visitors, Fuqua Center for Late Life Depression, Achievement Rewards for College Scientists, and the Society of International Business Fellows, to name a few.

She was at her prime when she knew she was making a difference, naturally giving of herself, having empathy for those in front of her at any given moment. She was a natural athlete, being the best on the tennis court without ever taking a lesson, walking more miles and hiking more trails than most. Her natural talent also extended to making people laugh, letting them feel that her day was better by being with them.

Anne had an indefatigable zest for life, finding joy all around her. She had an innate wonder, a curiosity, which made learning fun. She was smart, a genius, but never made one feel inferior in intellect. She was both charming and clever and had a fabulous sense of humor. There wasn’t a crossword puzzle she couldn’t nail, and she was a shrewd Scrabble competitor.

Anne was a genuine lover of words. Finding an unfamiliar word that she could text to someone was so much fun for her. She was especially a lover of the written word. Books enthralled her. In the days before email and texts, if you received a handwritten letter from Anne, you savored it and saved it. The way she wrote, the cleverness of her word choices, was nothing less than a gift.

Life was an adventure for Anne, and she jumped in with excitement. She loved to travel, traveling to all 7 continents, soaking up each country’s beauty. Whether traveling to the finest places on earth or to third world countries, whether being with children who had nothing or others who had plenty, Anne was comfortable and identified with both. Things simply weren't important to Anne.

What was important were her friends far and wide and her family. She always showed up, be it for fun or sad times. People mattered to Anne. She loved her Slumber Sisters in Orlando and rarely missed the chance to gather with them, and loved all those she grew up with and stayed connected with over the years. She made as many heart friends in Atlanta as she had growing up in Orlando, which was evident in her last months in the hospital. Even as her body was withering her room was filled with so many who loved her and whom she loved.

Anne’s true heartbeat was for her brothers, Allen, and Kent and his wife Michelle, and their children. Family was everything to her. Not having her own children, Anne delighted in her nieces and nephew and their children. She loved them deeply. It was her extreme pleasure to take each on a trip, one on one, when each turned 16. Whether it was within the US or internationally, the location was their choice. And off they went.

She loved her church, and she loved her God. God blessed us with 69 years of knowing, loving, and being loved by, Anne. To God be the glory.

Anne is predeceased by her parents. She is survived by her brothers Allen and Kent (Michelle); nieces and nephew Lindsay Drake (Elliott), John (Astrid), and Erin; as well as grand nieces and nephews Avery, Lucas, Linton, Aron and Ada.

A funeral service was held at All Saint’s Episcopal Church, Atlanta, on August 26, 2024. A family only interment will take place at First Presbyterian Church, Orlando at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Skyland Trail, 1961 N. Druid Hills Rd., Atlanta, Ga 30329.