Geraldine Frances Stedman

Geraldine Montgomery Stedman, 94, from Cairo GA, left this life peacefully and gracefully, on April 14, 2016. She was known as Gerry to her family and friends in Doraville, GA, where she lived for 54 years.
Gerry met her husband, John Clay “Ian” Stedman, an officer in The Royal Air Force, in Albany, GA. After their wedding in January 1943, they travelled to London, and eventually to the Lake District, where she gave birth to their son, John Clay Jr. After the war, the family moved to Georgia, where Janne, Carol, Suzanne and Alan were born.
When the family moved to Doraville in 1962, Gerry and Ian developed a wide circle of friends, many of whom stayed in touch for the rest of their lives. After Ian passed away in 1971, Gerry remained an avid and very competitive player in bridge clubs and tournaments until 2015. She loved to read, especially historical fiction, and she would share books with Carol and Suzanne on a regular basis. After 35 years at the CDC, Gerry retired, but continued to read the paper and do the crossword puzzle every morning. Gerry found romance in her 80’s, and had a long and loving friendship with Dr. Dan Sudia, a former colleague at the CDC.
Her life is celebrated by her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces, nephews and friends, many of whom gathered at holidays and life celebrations over the years, usually at her home. Gerry was passionate about keeping a strong family bond that will remain through generations. After initially resisting, she quickly embraced email and Facebook and kept close ties with her out-of-town family. She loved her IPad, and would spend hours keeping up with everyone.
She described herself as an introvert, but her sharp wit and quiet intelligence always showed through. She was loving, independent, honest and virtuous, and if asked her opinion, she would give a straightforward answer. She didn’t pull punches. She was a true Southern lady and the irreplaceable matriarch of our family. We will miss her dearly.