MADISON- Dr. Stanley J. Sterling, age 100, passed away peacefully in his sleep in his residence at Oak Park Place Assisted Living in Madison, Wis., on Friday, Jan. 13, 2023.

Stanley was born in Argentina to Seventh-day Adventist missionary parents and moved with them to Madison, Wis., when he was 18 months of age. He attended Bethel Academy in Arpin, Wis., followed by undergraduate studies at Emmanuel Missionary College in Berrien Springs, Mich. He then was accepted into the U.S. Army accelerated program at the University of Nebraska College of Dentistry. Stanley married Lenore Hearn, his academy sweetheart, in 1945 and completed his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree in 1947. Early in his dental career, he was called up for active service in the U.S. Army and served in the 82nd Airborne Division as a medical officer and paratrooper during the Korean War.

During his professional life, Dr. Sterling practiced dentistry in a variety of locations and clinical settings. These included dental offices in Lodi, Oregon, Reedsburg, Madison, and Monona, Wisconsin. He also provided care at Central Wisconsin Colony, taught dental hygienists at Albany Junior College in Albany, Georgia, and, finally, practiced at the Georgia State Health Department for 10 years prior to retiring to Panama City Beach, Florida.

In his spare time, Stanley was an avid woodworker who developed a passion for creating and gifting woodcarvings during his retirement. He and Lenore enjoyed traveling and over the years took many long trips across the United States, visiting family, friends and national parks. Stanley also had a knack for remembering and telling jokes and was known and loved for his sense of humor and his spontaneous, witty comments.

Stanley is survived by his three children, Linda Sterling Hardham (John), Steven Sterling (Sherri), and Lisa Sterling (Greg Olson); two grandchildren, Rhiannon Sterling Zivin (Mike), and Ryan Sterling (Natalie); and four great-grandchildren, Derek and Alex Zivin, and David and Lily Sterling. He was preceded in death by his wife of 73 years, Lenore B. (Hearn) Sterling.

A private graveside service with military honors is planned for this summer.

Gifts in memoriam may be sent to Agrace HospiceCare in Madison, Wis., or the Worthy Student Fund at Wisconsin Academy in Columbus, Wisc. Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com.

Gunderson East

Funeral & Cremation Care

5203 Monona Drive

(608) 221-5420

Stanley J. Sterling

January 13, 2023

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