Emily H. Vandersteur, 87, of Pennsville, NJ passed away on December 14, 2023. Emily was preceded in death by her husband Pieter Vandersteur and 12 older siblings. She is survived by her children, Keith L. Vandersteur (Margaret), Derek A. Vandersteur (Rachael): her grandchildren, Tricia (Mike) Youngers, Meghan (Mike) Palvino, Noelle (Daniel) Silva, Jared Vandersteur; her great-grandchildren Jovie Youngers, Leo Palvino, Camie Youngers, Niko Palvino; and her sister, Betty Trim.
Shortly after meeting her first husband, Pieter Vandersteur, at Cornell University while working in food service, they were married. Keith was born in 1961 and Derek in 1968. They lived in several cities throughout Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York as Pieter pursued his career in restaurant management, however he came down with Multiple Sclerosis. A few years after Pieter’s untimely death in 1971, she met and married George Forsyth in 1974. They lived on a dairy farm in Oakfield, NY while the boys grew up. She enjoyed mowing the lawn, cooking Sunday dinners for the family, gardening, bowling, ceramics, golfing, Hutchinson family reunions, traveling to Hawaii and Florida and faithfully attended the Oakfield United Methodist Church. Emily and George were divorced in 1984. Emily returned to working in the food service industry, and did so for the next 23 years. She moved to central Florida in 1993 to escape the snow and ice and to be closer to two of her siblings and niece. She worked at the Tropicana plant in food service. While living at Terra Ceia manor trailer park in Palmetto, Florida she enjoyed playing dominos and Rumikub, crocheting, making chocolates, serving food at the First Baptist Church in Palmetto and playing bingo with friends.
In 2016, Emily fell and broke her kneecap, thereby requiring a walker to get around after that. She subsequently moved north to be near family, living in New York for a short time before moving to a senior apartment complex in Carney’s Point, NJ. Emily enjoyed doing word searches, coloring, attending Calvary Baptist Church, watching baseball, and attending various school athletic events and stage productions that her grandchildren participated in. During the last 3 years she lived at Golden/Autumn Lakes Nursing Home in Mannington, NJ as she needed extra help in managing her Alzheimer's disease.
A graveside burial is planned to be held on July 13, 2024 at Acacia Park Cemetery in North Tonawanda, NY, where her ashes will be placed beside her first husband, Pieter Vandersteur. Please join the family for a celebration of life for Emily that will be held in Oakfield, NY at the Oakfield United Methodist Church on July 13, 2024, starting at 3:00pm with a brief service at 4:00pm.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Alzheimer’s Association (alz.org).
