Susan F. Stern

Susan Frank Stern died peacefully at her home in Elkins Park on October 18, 2021. Her home
was her most special place and she held on until she returned there from a hospitalization the
day before she passed away. She turned 97 a week before her death. Susan leaves behind
and was very proud of her two sons Andrew (Melissa McGrain) of Pittsford, N.Y. and Steven
(Laura Kavesh) of Yarmouth, ME., three grand-children - Zachary Stern (Elizabeth Keane),
Abby Bennett (Doug) and Natalie Stern; three great-grandchildren - John Wolf Stern, Azalea
Bennett and Oakley Bennett - and her nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by a
sister Carol (Rosenberg) and brother Sandy (Carol). In her later years Susan's best friends
were her devoted and loving caregivers, who opened their hearts and homes to her.
Susan was born in Baltimore, the youngest child of Ruth (nee Greensfelder)
and Henry Frank, pillars of the Baltimore Reform Jewish community. She attended Park School
in Baltimore, after which her love of dance drew her to Sarah Lawrence College, where she
received a Bachelor's Degree. Susan maintained a love of dance throughout her life, teaching
modern dance classes at Swarthmore College and privately for children and adolescents in both
Philadelphia and Baltimore. Until Alzheimer's slowed her lifestyle, she loved attending dance
and theatre performances in Philadelphia. Tennis was Susan's other passion. She taught both
children and adults and was known as a gifted teacher with a sharp eye. Many of Sue's
students maintained contact with her over the years, considering her a friend as well as their
teacher of tennis, dance, or less formally, backgammon, card games and diving. She loved it
when young people dropped by years after their lessons were over.
Sue played a good game of Scrabble, completed crossword puzzles daily in the Philadelphia
Inquirer, and was famous in friend and family circles for her cheesecake, which continues to be
the favorite dessert whenever it is prepared. Her playful sense of humor, which runs in the
Frank family, stayed with her until the end.
A memorial service for Susan will be held at Joseph Levine Memorial Chapel, 4737 Street
Road, Trevose, PA on November 2, 2021 at 2:00PM. Facemasks are required. A Zoom celebration of Sue's
life will be planned for later in 2021. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Sue's memory may be made to the
Alzheimer's Foundation (alzfdn.org). Arrangements by Joseph Levine & Sons (www.levinefuneral.com).