Terry Ann (Hochberg) Stasny, 91, of Morgantown, died May 31, 2020, at Danbury Senior Living, Columbus, Ohio. Terry was born in Glen Cove, N.Y., to Vincent A. Hochberg and Laura C. (Harris) Hochberg. She married John F. Stasny in 1951, and they moved to Morgantown in 1955.
Terry graduated from College Misericordia and earned a master’s degree in speech and drama from Marquette University. Thirty years later, Terry earned a second master’s at WVU in entomology. She was a multi-talented and energetic woman with many interests who reinvented herself several times. Perhaps her most widely known career was as the teacher of Journeyland Kindergarten, which she founded and which was highly successful for its 16 years. Due to her excellent reputation, some children were placed on the JK waiting list before they were even born. Terry’s second major career was as an assistant and researcher in the entomology department at WVU, from which she retired at age 79. She, along with her co-researchers, named 21 insect species, and some of her 16 publications continue to be cited worldwide.
Terry both directed and acted in many plays as a member of the Town and Country Players, and directed Gilbert and Sullivan’s Patience under the sponsorship of the WVU scholarly journal Victorian Poetry. She was a member of the Morgantown Music Club. In addition to singing tenor with the Mountain Harmony chapter of Sweet Adelines, she wrote scripts for their performances and served as master of ceremonies. She was a beekeeper; as “the Bug Lady” she visited elementary schools to introduce children to the world of insects. She was a long-time member of a book club and was certified as a Master Gardener. Adventures with her beloved seven grandchildren took her across the country from the southwest to the northeast and to Germany.
Terry is survived by her sister, Anita M. Hochberg; daughters, Elizabeth Stasny, of Columbus, Ohio, Kathy (Bob) Cummins, of Bloomington, Ind., Elaine Stasny (Joe Comeno), of Concord, Vt., Trisha Petitte (Chris Budig), of Morgantown, and Mary (Chip) Windle, of Knoxville, Tenn; grandchildren, Lori, Ali, Johnna, Stephanie, Brad, Rebecca and Margaret; and great-grandchildren Cole, Riley, Andre, Madison and Lorelei. She was predeceased by her husband, her parents and her brother, Vincent A. Hochberg II.
Because of COVID-19 safety concerns, the family is delaying a celebration of life. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you take some time in Terry’s honor to talk with a family member or friend of your own who has dementia. We thank the staff at Danbury Senior Living and Cap City Hospice for the loving care they provided to mother at the end of her life, and for their kindness to her family. Terry A. Stasny was a loving mother for 65 years, a wife for 58 years and a loyal friend her entire life. For only 17 days was her life defined by COVID-19. The inability to be with her at this time was painful for her family, but the personal contact we were denied at the end of her life may save someone else’s family from experiencing the same pain. In her memory, please wear a face mask to help protect others’ health.
