Chris Sterious, Jr.

Christ “Chris” Sterious, Jr., went home to his Savior this past Sunday, November 16, 2025. Born in Chicago, IL in 1939, he leaves behind a family who feels both heartbroken and profoundly grateful for the years they shared with him. Chris lived his 86 years of life with a kind of wide-eyed wonder that turned ordinary moments into memories worth retelling.

Chris and his parents— the late Christ, Sr. and Melpo (Symond) Sterious, left Chicago when he was 14 and moved to Albany, NY. From there he attended Hampton Dubose Academy in Zellwood, FL and then attended Calvin College. After graduation, he began his 20-year career working at the family insurance business, National Liberty Corporation in Valley Forge, PA.

Beyond the job, Chris was a hunter, fisher and an outdoorsman in the truest, most joyful sense. He loved his lake and land in the Pocono mountains, surrounded by woods, hidden trails, and the quiet places where history seemed to hum beneath the surface. He also collected Native American artifacts not as trophies, but as treasures—arrowheads, pottery shards, tribal headdresses—each one a doorway into a story he couldn’t wait to tell. And tell them he did, usually over a fresh cup of coffee, with a spark in his eyes that made you feel like you were traveling back in time with him.

It made perfect sense that after he left the family business, Chris spent seven years teaching history at Valley Forge Christian School—years he poured his heart into. His students didn’t just learn dates and battles; they learned to see the world with wonder. He wove history into life, and life into history, the same way he did around the dinner table. He later sold real estate where he carried the same integrity, enthusiasm, and contagious warmth that marked his personal life.

Chris was a storyteller—one with a banjo on his knee, a piano nearby, and a head full of stories he was more than willing to share. He played with soul, mischief, and a rhythm entirely his own as he led the homespun “Pinetown Band” featuring the family favorite song, “No U-turn.” He taught himself to play music the same way he learned most things: by diving in. Often, he sang, played, and spun tales beneath his prized possession—a 20-foot “Harpers Ferry” railroad sign from the 1800s mounted above the fireplace. That sign, rescued from a strategic Civil War site, became the focal point of his home, the backdrop to decades of songs, stories, and family gatherings.

And every year, without fail, his home transformed into something legendary. For nearly 50 years, Thanksgiving at the Sterious house became “Candy Island”—a magical, joy-filled world that rivaled Disney World as the happiest place on earth. His kids, grandkids, and more than 60 extended family members will never forget the annual Turkey Bowl. The festivities carried into rooms filled with desserts, decorations, games, laughter, and the unmistakable sparkle in Chris’s eyes as he welcomed everyone into the celebration. Candy Island wasn’t just a tradition; it was an opportunity for Chris to pass his faith down the family line with a time of reflection on Scripture and the meaning of having a thankful heart.

Chris loved the land, but he also loved the road. He traveled the country in an RV, crisscrossing the map to support his five sons on the BMX racing circuit, turning long drives into adventures and small campgrounds into their home away from home.

Of all his titles—outdoorsman, historian, musician, storyteller—the role he cherished most was husband to his wife and best friend, Despe (Gianopulos). Married in 1965, Chris adored his wife with a devotion that was Greek to the bone—deep, protective, fierce, and tender all at once. He thrived on keeping his bride happy for sixty years, often writing and performing love songs to her on the piano. Their love and commitment to each other was the kind people noticed without being told.

Together they raised five boys, each one carrying a different piece of their dad’s spirit: CJ Sterious (Maria), Bill Sterious (Deanna), Ted Sterious (Lindsay), Mark Sterious (Kimberly), and Steven Sterious (Sarah). He was also grandfather of Chris, Eleni, Nysia, Billy, Alex, Anna, Eden, Canaan, Samaria, Judea, Sam, Seth, Matthew, Stavi, Vasilios, and the late Ella.

Chris leaves behind a legacy of stories, songs, faith, and the kind of love that will echo through his family for generations. Chris lived fully, loved deeply, and left the world richer than he found it. He is with his Savior now—whole, joyful, and likely sharing a story or two beneath a new sign even grander than the one what once hung above his hearth.

Relatives and friends are invited to his visitation Saturday, November 22, 2025, from 9:30 to 11:00 AM at The Donohue Funeral Home, 1627 West Chester Pike, West Chester, PA 19382, 610-431-9000, followed by his funeral service at 11:00 AM.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that gifts be made C/O David Channing, 211 Hill Avenue, Horsham, PA. 19044, written to “Word in Deed Ministries”—a tax deductible charity which supports the ongoing missions work in Uganda.

In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
-John 14:2-3