Legacy.com
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Gretchen A. Stoffel, age 61 of Lansdale, PA, died peacefully on Tuesday, June 28, 2022, in the Einstein Medical Center Montgomery in East Norriton, PA, after a lifelong challenge with a very rare condition known as Riboflavin Transporter Deficiency (RTD).
Born in Moses Lake, WA, she was the daughter of the late Frank Stoffel and his wife Wanda (nee Atchison) Stoffel, of Lansdale, PA.
She worked as a computer programmer for over 27 years and retired in 2019 from her position as a Senior Application Developer with Aetna/CVS in Blue Bell, PA.
Ms. Stoffel was a member of DeafCAN!, an organization that provides services to Deaf, DeafBlind, Late-Deafened, and Hard of Hearing individuals and their families living in Southeastern Pennsylvania, and occasionally attended Calvary Baptist Church in Lansdale, PA.
Gretchen enjoyed shopping, dining out, and spending time with friends. In the past, she took ballroom dancing lessons and loved attending Broadway shows. She was an avid reader, despite having low-vision, and spent much of her free time watching HGTV, romantic comedies, action/adventure movies, and anything with a happy ending. Her favorite activity was party planning and she is credited with keeping her close friends and coworkers in regular contact through the holiday events and almost monthly get togethers she coordinated. She enjoyed vacationing at Disney World with her family and friends. She delighted in giving gifts and sharing meals with others and always seemed to know the perfect thing to cheer a friend who needed it. Her optimistic spirit was important to her, and she continued to share daily via email a funny, encouraging or inspiring Quote of the Day with her coworkers and friends long after she retired. She gave generously to many causes, loved animals and the American military. On both hard and joy-filled days she expressed herself through singing. Loudly. Her stubbornness served her well as she fought multiple disabilities, and she never let the challenges stand in the way of what she wanted. Early in her life, she joined a dance class, and even though she was deaf, she and her partner won several awards and contests. She loved to travel. She and her friend September regularly traveled throughout Europe. She welcomed constructive criticism, always wanted to improve herself, and desired to truly live by “the Golden Rule.” She believed that Jesus was the answer to any problem, followed very closely by chocolate, and even in her most difficult times chose to look for the silver-lining. She looked forward to Heaven, to one day be with her Savior, and most recently, to be reunited with her daddy, who predeceased her by just a few months. Though she will be terribly missed, her loved ones rejoice that she is enjoying a new body and perfect vision, hearing, and health in her eternal home.
She is survived by her mother, Wanda L. Stoffel of Lansdale, PA, her loving brothers Larry J. Stoffel and his wife Kathryn of Kissimmee, FL, and Scott Stoffel of Lansdale, PA., and aunts, uncles, and cousins. She is also survived by her devoted friend and caregiver, Jody Groff of Telford, PA.
Relatives and friends are invited to call after 1:00 PM at Calvary Baptist Church, 1380 South Valley Forge Road, Lansdale, PA. The Funeral Service will begin at 2:00 PM with Rev. Peter Radford officiating. Interment will follow at St. Stephen's UCC Cemetery, Perkasie, PA.
Memorial Donations in Gretchen's name to DeafCAN! http://curertd.org/donate/ (http://curertd.org/donate/) are appreciated by the family.
Tributes and Photos may be shared at www.UrbanFuneralHome.com (http://www.UrbanFuneralHome.com)
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