Stacie Yvonne Guerin's Obituary
It is with great sadness that the family of Stacie Yvonne Guerin, 57, of Rehoboth Beach Delaware announce her peaceful passing surrounded by family on June 14, 2024.
Stacie was an esteemed historian, retired teacher, mentor, prolific storyteller, and she was a dedicated philanthropist. Her passing follows a long and courageous battle with diabetes and end stage renal failure. Stacie faced her illness as she did all things in life with grit and determination. Stacie was a devoted wife to husband William “Billy” J Guerin, a devoted daughter to her parents, and an amazing sister to Karrie Leigh Boswell. She was a beacon of light, inspiration, laughter, bridge builder, and hope to everyone who knew her. She has left an indelible legacy touching her family, community, and specifically her student’s and the Irish community in Baltimore Maryland.
Stacie was born on December the 6th, 1966 in Baltimore, Maryland to Elmer Eugene Butler and Darla Elizabeth Butler, both of whom predeceased her along with her younger brother Joshua Webb.
She is survived by her husband Billy Guerin, her sister Karrie Leigh Boswell, her niece Samantha Boswell, her brother-in-law Michael Boswell and her Godmother Mitzi Revels. Stacie had a very large family that extends to Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, New Jersey, Delaware, California, Texas, Arizona, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, North Carolina, and Ireland. She has numerous childhood friends with whom she loved and remained close to until her last day to include a few Michael Ziegler, Dedee Summerville, and Janet Bloom Wade. Stacie is also survived by an enormous amount of friends in Maryland Irish Community.
Stacie grew up in Beckley, WVA and attended Saint Francis de Sales Elementary school and graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1985. She excelled at music and was in the marching band. Stacie graduated from West Virginia University with a Master of Arts Degree. This was a lifetime source of pride for her. These early years and education coupled with her Catholic upbringing would pave the way for her teaching career and philanthropic work. It would forge her unwavering commitment to help those who were less fortunate.
Stacie moved to Baltimore in 1994 where she worked for the Maryland State Highway Administration as a Bridge Historian. She documented bridges all over Maryland including once being in the underbelly of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. She married Billy on May 3, 1997, this would lead to her pursuing becoming a teacher in Baltimore City. In 1997 she would start her teaching career. Stacie was a committed teacher. She planted seeds that will grow forever. She saw things in children that others did not. The proof is in the outpouring of support from her former students. Stacie taught middle school; how many can say they remember a middle school teacher’s name, let alone that they remain friends with them into adulthood. These comments reflect her status as an inspirational teacher. As a teacher she had passion, intuitiveness, patience, perseverance, and a teaching format that extended beyond the classroom. Stacie once raised money to take 40 children to a Baltimore Orioles game. They lived in the shadow of the beautiful stadium yet had never attended a game. She once convinced Gunnings Crab house to donate 6 bushels of crabs to share with the Cherry Hill students, most of whom had never tasted steamed crab. She went from classroom to classroom teaching them how to crack their 2 crabs. She loved her students; she loved helping children find their way, especially those who were disadvantaged.
Baltimore is where she would really begin her philanthropic work with the Irish Community. She would meet an entire group of people who would breathe life into her in a way that would fill her heart until the day she passed. So many have commented about how incredible Stacie was and how she touched their lives. She was incredible, she had an infectious smile, she was giving, she was smart, she would not take no for an answer, she was creative and loyal. She took a lot of our secrets, as promised, to her grave. The Irish Community gave more to her than anyone will ever understand. You each lifted her soul and helped her to achieve her lifelong goal of helping others, especially children. She always wanted her life legacy to be that she gave more to this world than she took. She achieved that in abundance. She would do this shoulder to shoulder with her sisters of the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians (LAOH). She would serve as the Maryland State LAOH president. She loved you all and she valued deeply your friendship, unity, and Christian charity. She shard your common commitment to the Roman Catholic Church and your American patriotism. It brought her great comfort and pride to stand with you as you sought to fight and protect the aspirations and endeavors of the Irish People, and foster the ideas, history, traditions, and culture of your Irish Heritage. You are her sisters; she was your sister. Stacie had many achievements and successes she would not want to have them opined over, except one. Stacie was elected by her peers to be the Grand Marshall of the 2015 Baltimore Saint Patrick’s Day Parade. She looked like a queen on top of that Cadillac.
Billy AKA, the Prince, and Stacie enjoyed traveling and taking day trips. She was able to do a day trip to Wye Island and St. Michaels Marina a mere four days before she passed. Stacie visited 49 states (missing only Hawaii) and traveled the world. She visited all the Canadian provinces and the Yukon Territory. She also visited Egypt, Scotland, and Ireland (three times). Though she traveled extensively and experienced so much, she always preferred the beauty of her declared home state of West Virginia. It was not almost heaven to her, it was heaven. Driving through West Virginia in Autumn to get a slaw dog or a pepperoni roll was a tradition for her and Billy. One of her most favorite places in West Virginia was Coopers Rock in Coopers Rock State Forest, right outside of Morgantown. I hope you never made the mistake of starting a debate with her about which state had the most beautiful Autumn leaves. Blackwater Falls and Canaan Valley were two of her most favorites’ places to visit anytime. When you added the majestic beauty of the Autumn hues it was more breathtaking to her than anywhere else on earth. Stacie believed if you had not visited West Virginia in Autumn and sampled the official state food of a good pepperoni roll then you truly had not experienced one of the very best things in life. She was a lover of a West Virginia ramp dinner as well. She would tell you two thirds of America is less than a day’s drive from West Virginia. Please try to make that journey and think about her when you do it, Mountaineers are Always Free.
Stacie was never one for an Irish goodbye, she was here as Billy, and I typed every word. Billy and Stacie were married for 27 years. Their marriage was to this world what Maverick and Goose were to the cinematic world. They were best friends and inseparable. Billy is grounded right now but will fly again because that is what Stacie wanted for him. Please keep him in your prayers. We hope you will consider donating to her favorite charity in lieu of flowers. We hope you will join us for her funeral and traditional Irish Wake in September. Until we meet again may the light of heaven shine upon your soul. May the peace of God surround you and make you whole. May the grace of Christ be with you now and always. May you rest in peace forever and ever always.
William J Guerin and Karrie Leigh Boswell
A funeral service will be held on Saturday, Sept 14, 2024, at 11 AM, at St. Joseph’s Monastery Parish, 3801 Old Frederick Road, Baltimore Maryland 21229. There will be an Irish Wake immediately following hosted by Irish Charites of Maryland at An Poitin Stil 2323 York Road Timonium, MD 21093. A Facebook event will be posted.
To honor two things she loved, the Great state of West Virginia and her Irish heritage, please consider wearing attire to honor either one of those things. To see a sea of green, white, orange, blue and gold will warm her soul.
Stacie was beyond grateful that she was able to stay in her own home until the very end. She sat in her sunroom with her husband and dog on the morning of the day she passed. It was this gratitude that made her ask me to ask you instead of flowers please consider making a memorial donation in her name to a charity that maintains an assisted living home for impoverished people. She visited St. Martins' home in Baltimore many times. The Little Sisters of the Poor relies on donations and fundraisers. The nuns live in the facility and help run and care for the patients. She knew the hardships of failing health and could not imagine having to face it with little or no means or family. The donations will be made specifically to the Baltimore Chapter.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in loving memory of Stacie Guerin to USPS or Little Sisters of the Poor, St. Martin’s Home, 601 Maiden Choice Lane, Baltimore, MD 21228-3698, OR Online at https://www.littlesistersofthepoorbaltimore.org/donate-now/.
Please sign the virtual guestbook located on the tribute page,
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