(TNS) — The family of Gerald and Nancy Stadterman takes comfort in believing the New Kensington husband and wife are together again.
In a tragic turn of events, both died on the same day last week after being removed from life support at separate hospitals.
Gerald Robert Stadterman and Nancy Jean Stadterman, both 70, died Dec. 13, he at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh and she at UPMC Passavant hospital in McCandless.
Their son, Tom Davis of West Deer, said his mother was suffering from complications after surgery. He and his stepfather, Gerald, took turns visiting her. They were not permitted to see her at the same time.
Davis said his stepfather was on his way to visit his wife Dec. 12 when he got into a crash about five minutes from Passavant hospital.
The crash scene, on McKnight Road at Perrymont Road, is barely more than a mile from the hospital.
The day after the crash, with each on life support at different hospitals, Davis had to make the difficult decision to say goodbye to both.
Gerry Neal, Nancy Stadterman’s younger sister, said she was with her nephew when her sister and brother-in-law died.
“It was like it was just one heart,” said Neal, 61, of Arnold. “They’re together now.”
Neal said her sister had a big heart and would do anything for anybody.
“She was just the joy of my life. She was my whole heart. I used to call her my ‘sister mom’ because she mothered me,” she said. “You could go to her with anything and, if she could help you, she would help you.
“She was very kindhearted, and Jerry was the same way.”
Davis said doctors at Passavant, who were expecting his stepfather for his visit, called him after he did not arrive. Davis then got a call from Allegheny General that his stepfather was there.
The day after the crash, Davis and other family members went first to see his mother.
“We got the news that there’s not much they can do,” he said. “I had a decision to make there. They gave me time. I knew what I had to do.”
He then went to his stepdad at Allegheny General.
“Basically, the exact same conversation I had at the first hospital, I had at the second,” he said. “I had to make a decision — to do what was right.”
Gerald Stadterman worked in the maintenance department at Walmart at the Pittsburgh Mills in Frazer, according to his obituary. Nancy Stadterman had worked in customer service for Comcast, her obituary states.
Davis said they were identical in many ways. He described them as caring, accepting and nonjudgmental.
A week after letting them go, Davis is still in shock.
“We’re all taking it very, very hard,” he said. “We’re getting through it together as a family.”
Combined visitation for the couple will be from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at Joseph J. Cardaro Funeral Home, 1125 Kenneth Ave., New Kensington. A blessing service will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday in the funeral home.
Burial will be private.
“In the end,” Davis said, “it was a beautiful love story.”
