A respected member of the community, who passed away last year was remembered fondly Tuesday evening by the Mauch Chunk Historical Society.

Friends and colleagues joined historical society members at the Broadway Grille and Pub in Jim Thorpe to honor Susan Sterling and celebrate her life.Historical society President Helen Van Pelt presented a plaque to Sterling's husband, Jack. It read "The Mauch Chunk Historical Society honors Susan Marie Gilkeson Sterling for her many years of service to the society and to the Jim Thorpe Community.""If I had to choose just one word to describe how our honoree faced life's challenges," said Van Pelt, "it would be 'courage.' "Sterling was born in Red Bank, New Jersey. She was raised in Texas and received her master's degree in library science from Texas Woman's University. She was the research librarian at Texas Woman's University from 1984-1986.Sterling moved to Nesquehoning in 1996 to care for her aunt. She joined the staff at the Dimmick Memorial Library in 1997 and was promoted to director in 2005.In 2002, she and Jack were married.Sterling performed with the Bach and Handel Chorale in Jim Thorpe. She was also a member of the Rotary Club, holding the positions of secretary, vice president and president. In 2010, she was named a Paul Harris Fellow of the Rotary Club in recognition of her hard work.In 2006 Sterling joined the Mauch Chunk Historical Society. She edited the society's Gazette for seven years and served as a board member.She also worked with the Victorian Weekend Committee in Jim Thorpe, which benefited Kemmerer Park and the Carriage House."We honor Susan tonight and thank her for all she has done for us over the years. We thank her for her hard work. We thank her for being a friendly colleague, co-worker and friend whose warmth and good humor have continually brightened all of our lives," said Van Pelt.Jack Sterling accepted the honor on her behalf and thanked the members of the historical society."What a bright star she was in all of our lives," he said.He spoke about her work with the library, Rotary Club, and historical society, and said "she was a meticulous planner and organizer.""She was dedicated to education and youth in our area, mainly through her work with the library and the rotary," he added.Guests had the opportunity to share their thoughts about Sterling.Bob Stevenson, president of the Jim Thorpe Rotary Club, talked about his time working with Sterling and how much he enjoyed it.Stevenson's wife, Mary Mulligan, shared her thoughts as well."Susan was an exceptionally special person," said Mulligan.Bill Allison spoke about his move to the area and how he joined the library and historical society. He said that Sterling was a wonderful introduction to the community and very welcoming."Coming to the last page of a book is like losing a friend," Van Pelt said."For Susan, we all enjoyed the parts we played in her life, whether they were main characters, supporting roles or comedic incidentals. This chapter may have come to a close, but we will leave the bookmark in this page so that Susan can pick up right where she left off the next time we see her."