Emily Alexander Sterrett

Emily Alexander Sterrett Emily Kay (Alexander) Sterrett, 61, wife of Robert McChesney "Mac" Sterrett, passed away peacefully at her home at 304 Greenwood Rd, Staunton, on October 16, 2013, following a seven-year relationship with cancer. She was born in Staunton, VA, on July 17, 1952, the daughter of Lois W. and Nelson J. Alexander of Harrisonburg, VA, who survive. She grew up near Harrisonburg, VA, and was educated in Rockingham County public schools. She obtained her B.S. in Sociology from Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University and her M.E. in Counselor Education from James Madison University. She completed her Ph.D. in Social Psychology from The Union Institute of Cincinnati, OH in 1996. Emily had a successful and fulfilling career in the fields of higher education, leadership training, and career counseling. Her greatest professional love was teaching adult college students, and she taught classes at several area colleges and universities, including many years as Major Professor in the Adult Degree Completion Program at Eastern Mennonite University. In recent years she was a professor in the graduate program in Human Resources at the School of Business, Kaplan University. She also ran a consulting company, PerformanceWorks, LLC, specializing in leadership training and management and organizational development. She penned "The Manager's Pocket Guide to Emotional Intelligence," and she authored numerous online courses for Continuing Education Unit credits for supervisory personnel. Emily held certifications as a Senior Professional in Human Resources and as a Licensed Professional Counselor. She received numerous awards, including the Pam Gwin Leadership Award from the Blue Ridge Chapter of the American Society of Training and Development. She was a member of the Virginia Society of Human Resource Management and served on the Board of Directors of the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. She was a long-time member of Augusta Stone Presbyterian Church where she held positions as elder, Clerk of Session, Sunday School teacher, and youth group advisor. She participated in two mission trips to Baja California, Mexico, and she remained active in the church choir. She loved traveling, camping, writing, reading for professional development and personal enjoyment, sewing, and spending time with her children, grandsons, and extended family. On June 16, 1973, she married her husband Mac, and they shared 40 beautiful years together. In addition to her husband and parents, Emily is survived by a daughter, Allison E. Sterrett-Krause and husband, Joseph, of Charleston, SC; a son, Ian A. Sterrett and wife, Emily, of Cincinnati, OH; grandsons Gregory Krause, David Krause, and Andrew Sterrett; brothers Neil and wife, Kathy, of Bridgewater, VA, and Steven and wife, Judy, of Staunton; nieces Erin Alexander of Queens, NY, Lauren Alexander of Salem, VA, and Amanda Alexander of Charlottesville, VA; and nephews Matthew Alexander of Carrollton, VA, and Daniel Alexander of Norfolk, VA. She also is survived by a dear friend, Ann Axelson of Salem, SC, and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. The family will receive friends at Henry Funeral Home from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, October 17, 2013, and other times at the residence at 304 Greenwood Rd, Staunton. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, October 18, 2013 at Augusta Stone Presbyterian Church in Fort Defiance, officiated by the Reverend Beth McCrary and the Reverend Phil Sommer. Interment will follow immediately in the Augusta Stone Presbyterian Church cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions can be made to Augusta Stone Presbyterian Church, P.O. Box 118, Fort Defiance, VA 24437.