Kerri Ann Stephen, 34, died July 3, at her home in Dale City, VA. She was born in Burlington, VT, to Gayle Stephen Sanders and Craig Lee Stephen, and she continued to live with that Vermont independent spirit after the family moved to Virginia.
Kerri was extraordinarily smart, wickedly funny and beautiful, but it was her compassion that everyone admired most of all. She was an ally for any victim of injustice. She marched for affordable housing alongside homeless advocates Mitch Snyder and Philip Berrigan when she was just six years old, and was an ardent supporter of her former mayor, Sen. Bernie Sanders.
She volunteered for 18 years with her mother and stepdad, who operated the Hilda Barg Homeless Prevention Center, where Kerri started an award-winning program called âAfterShare Kids.â She was honored with a JCPenney National Golden Rule Award, and, in 2000, she was awarded Points of Light #1706 by the national foundation for her service (www.pointsoflight.org).
Kerri worked in various social service jobs, but always worked tirelessly for homeless animals, particularly feral cats, on her own. She raised money to spay and neuter as many cats as she could, got veterinary care for those who needed it, and found homes for those who were adoptable.
She is survived by her son Lucas Samuel Whitney (the absolute light of her life); her parents; stepdad Daniel Sanders of Woodbridge; stepmother Phuong Vocao of Austin, TX; brother Michael Stephen of Alexandria; grandfather Torey Southwick of Fredericksburg; aunt Terri Southwick of Bethesda, MD; and partner Timm and all of their many cats, both inside and feral. She was predeceased by her grandmother Patricia Southwick of Fredericksburg.
Her wishes were to be cremated without a funeral. In her honor, she would want friends to help any animal in need, through adoption or donations for medical care, spaying or neutering.
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