Connie Sturm

Connie A. Sturm age 84, of Erie, passed away on April 19, 2018 at her daughters’ home in Johnstown, PA.
Connie was born in Pittsburgh on July 25, 1933, the daughter of the late Andrew and Rose Lysien.
Connie attended St. Cyprian Elementary School and was a graduate of Allegheny High School (Pgh).
In addition to her parents, Connie was preceded in death by her brother, George (Lefty) Lysien; her sisters, Veronica Kablack and Theresa Rauluk and sons-in-law, Bob Scharrer and Guy McMullen.
Connie is survived by her husband of 65 years, Bob Sturm; five daughters, Debbie Sturm, Cindy Scharrer, Laura Weismiller (Ralph), Wendy Berger (Mark), and Amy Pack (Sam); three sons, Barry (Adrianne), Jeff (Amy) and Jim (Julie) and grandson, Dave Novack (Kristen). She is also survived by 16 additional grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren.
Connie came to Erie with Bob in 1966 at the age of 33 and remained here for most of the rest of her life. She spent the last 3 ½ years under the loving care of her daughters Debbie and Cindy in Johnstown, PA for which her family will be forever grateful.
Within an hour of her death, her youngest daughter, Amy asked “Will anyone know how wonderful this woman was?” Let’s just say that to meet her was to like her and to know her was to love her. She was, life long, a constitutionally happy person without guile or pretense, a giving, loving, forgiving human being. She was the only person we knew without one single detractor or enemy.
Connie would have listed her greatest accomplishments as her eight children, plus the grandchildren and great grandchildren.
When her youngest started school, Connie enrolled at Mercyhurst College at the age of 39 and graduated at the age of 42 with a double major in elementary and special education. She was immediately hired by the Erie School District and taught for 26 years and retired in 2003. In May 1999, her peers honored her as the Jefferson Elementary School Teacher of the Year.
Connie had so many dear friends whom she loved, but we know that she would want to single out her very best friend, Liz Kubiak, who stood by her throughout her entire life after coming to Erie.
Connie, we will love and miss you always. The world is a much poorer place without you. Your kind will rarely pass this way again.
Friends are invited to visit the family at the Burton Westlake Funeral Home 3801 W. 26th Street (at Powell Ave) on Sunday, April 29th from 1:00 p.m. until the time of a Celebration of Life at 4:00 p.m. Inurnment will be in Whispering Pines Cremation Garden.