Obituary of Mary Emma Sorth

Mary Emma “Emmy” Kearns Sorth Mary E. “Emmy” Kearns Sorth, age 89, of Erie, passed away on Monday, February 1, 2021 at her residence. She was born on December 5, 1931 in Lewistown, PA, the daughter of the late Frank P. and Mary Jane Sanders Kearns. On August 7, 1954, she married Robert Leonard Sorth, who preceded her in death in 1999. Emmy graduated from Lewistown H.S. in 1949. She held a BS and a MEd in Education from Penn State and a MA in Speech Pathology from the Teachers’ College, Columbia University in NYC. She spent her professional career in teaching and speech pathology in the Ridgewood Public Schools, Ridgewood, NJ. Emmy was a life member of both the New Jersey Education Association and the National Education Association, a member of the American Speech and Hearing Association, and she held a certificate of Clinical Competence. Her special interests were photography, gardening, and travel. She and her husband spent 20 years exploring the southern and western US by RV. After his death, Emmy travelled to China, France, Germany, Switzerland, Holland, Belgium, Africa, South America, and the Galapagos. But her “heart’s home” was the cottage she and her husband built with hand tools on the north shore of Grindstone Island, in the 1000 Islands of the St. Lawrence River. There Emmy created beautiful gardens and enjoyed the glorious Canadian sunsets. Besides her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by a special nephew Paul Sorth. She is survived by nieces and nephews: Carolyn Bauer, Lisa Puckly, Sandra Favorite, Daniel Sorth, and William Sorth. Also surviving are great nieces and nephews: Lizzie Donikowski, Joseph and Kenny Puckly, Mindy Bibart, Eric Favorite, and Sam Sorth. She will be missed by her family and her many friends from coast to coast. A Memorial Service will be held at a later date at the convenience of the family by the Dusckas-Martin Funeral Home and Crematory, Inc., 4216 Sterrettania Rd. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to TILT (1000 Islands Land Trust), PO Box 238, Clayton, NY 13624.