Justine A. Steadley, 50

January 17, 2023

Steadley, Justine A., 50, entered into eternal peace on January 17, 2023, at home, surrounded by her three beautiful children and her devoted daughter-in-law, which was her last and final wish, and will lovingly be remembered and cherished by everyone who was fortunate to call her family or friend.

Born on March 23, 1972 to Edward J. and Jo-Ann Steadley, Sr. (née Elvena) in Fairview, Ohio, Justine moved to Florida as an infant living in Lake Forest, Miramar and then in Clewiston, which she considered to be her hometown. As an adult, she made Cleveland, OH; Baltimore, MD; Warner Robins, GA and, then, Lancaster, PA her homes as well.

Justine graduated from Clewiston High School in 1990 where she was proud to be a Clewiston Tiger. She loved to swim; ride her horses; was a cheerleader through the years and excelled at spelling, competing in tournaments all the way up to the state level. She went on to work in the food industry at IHOP, Cracker Barrel and Olive Garden and, then, went into management at Royal Farms and Turkey Hill. She will fondly be remembered for her strong work ethic as well as her warm and welcoming smile and the kind word she always had for everyone. She left a trail of glitter wherever she went and made lifelong friendships along the way; oftentimes, lovingly remembered long afterward by her co-workers and regular customers.

She came into the world early and left early, too; but she fully lived and fully loved every one of those years in-between. She literally and figuratively lived her life in full bloom and in full color and pink was her favorite. You could see it in her hair color, her eyeshadow palettes, her headbands and the rainbow she lovingly left us on the morning she passed — the brighter, the better and nothing and no one shined brighter than her.

Her heart of gold, selflessness, tenacity, genuineness and loyalty were unmatched. To know her was to love her and to be loved by her — well, that was something truly special. There was nothing and no one better.

Cooking was Justine’s love language and her family meant everything to her, so they never went a day without a belly full of home-cooked food or a heart full of unconditional love. Her children, including her bonus daughter, Amber, and her grandchildren were her world: everything she did, she did for them. She was sustained by her love of family and nurtured that gift in her children and their children as well.

Sometimes, superheroes come to us disguised as single moms who wake up and face each day fearlessly and fiercely for those who look to them to always have the answers, to climb the tallest mountains, to navigate the troubled waters and to slay the dragons — Justine was proof positive of that, she persevered and persisted no matter the challenge or obstacle….earning her the moniker, Justine Strong.

She did the hard things when it was necessary, never complaining and always enduring. In life, her unyielding will and dogged determination were admired and honored and, now, they will be her legacy — forever revered and remembered — the way she loved, the way she lived and the way she shined.

She was the epitome of courage and compassion and grit and grace and her hopeful spirit and child-like exuberance inspired her children, as well as others, to keep the faith and to be the light even on the darkest days. You could see it in her bright smile and inner sparkle — from the twinkle in her big, beautiful, green eyes to the cute way she’d scrunch up her nose to her wonderful sense of humor that could make you laugh from deep inside your belly. She loved Tweety Bird and Betty Boop and was a fantastic storyteller, reminiscing and sharing memories of days gone by.

Although she moved to the city, she was still a country girl at heart, always down-to-earth and embracing her roots. Even when she wasn’t well, you wouldn’t have known it — her smile still lit up her whole face with her magnetic eyelashes on, adorned in her color-coordinated head wraps and freshly-painted finger and toenails were always a must. She was sassy and sweet, steadfast and strong — the kind of person you wanted in your corner and in your life. And, if she was, you were one of the lucky ones.

She was adoringly known as Mom, Meena, Nana, Weenie, Justy and one-third, one of The Three Musketeers. When Justine made friends, they were friends for life — fully devoted and fiercely loyal, even getting her likeness tattooed on their arm. She was the kind of friend everyone wishes they had, the kind of person you only meet once in your lifetime and the kind of person you never forget.

She came to look forward to special visits this past year from her hometown friends, Amanda (Infinger) Sloan, Lori (Carithers) Patel and Kristi (Clinard) Durance who are family; her sweet and special friend, Tia Stafford; her beloved Aunt Candy (Wain) and Uncle Bill (Steadley); her brother, Eddie Steadley and her cousins, Edie Mendiha and Joette Hansen, who was like a sister to her, as well as the countless others who thoughtfully traveled to be by her side.

Justine was pre-deceased by her paternal grandparents, Edward L. and Mary Ellen Steadley (née O’Toole) and her maternal grandparents, Joseph and Edith Ann Elvena, Sr. (née Miller), her beloved father, Edward J. Steadley, Sr., and her younger sister, Mary Ellen Steadley. She is survived by her mother, Jo-Ann Steadley of Clewiston, FL, her three children, Eric Jeffress, his wife and Justine’s full-time caretaker, Amber, of Manheim, PA, Jasminda Jeffress of Lancaster, PA and Olanrewaju (Junior) Abiola, Jr. of Manheim, PA, her three precious granddaughters, Brooklyn, Riley and Harley, her brothers, Joseph Steadley (Paula) of Warner Robins, GA, Thomas Villanueva of Fort Lauderdale, FL, Manuel Labasan of Wailuku, HI, Ronald Labasan of Kahului, HI and Edward J. Steadley, Jr. of Boca Raton, FL, several beloved aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews and cousins, the Zimmerman family, as well as treasured friends and her beloved dog, Princess, who loyally stayed by her side.

Upon her request, a celebration of life will be held at a date to be decided in the near future. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to an education fund in her 16-year-old son’s name which can be found here:

https://gofund.me/a7c4affa

Your time here as a caterpillar has expired and your wings are ready now….fly high, pink butterfly, fly high, until we see you again.