Sterling James Wilcox

Sterling James Wilcox passed away the morning of December 19, 2020 at 83 years old. He spent his last night on earth in the comforting and loving presence of his family.

Sterling was born to Gertrude and Frank Wilcox in South Gibson, Pennsylvania. He grew up working chores on the farm before attending classes at the local one room schoolhouse, and was constantly surrounded by aunts, uncles, and cousins. He went on to attend Pennsylvania State University, where he met Lynda Lingenfelter, the mother of his children and wife of 21 years, at a fraternity party. Not long after graduating from PSU with an engineering degree, Sterling began his long and distinguished career as a civil engineer for the United States Forest Service. He was conferred the rank of Meritorious Executive in the Senior Executive Service by President Bill Clinton in 1997, and received numerous management awards for regions within the U.S.F.S. Serving on The United States Board on Geographic Names was another one of his many accomplishments. Sterling was a proud member of the United Methodist Men’s group and of Oakton UMC.

Sterling loved his family, and kept himself busy during retirement by attending soccer and lacrosse games, volleyball, rugby, and wrestling matches, cello performances, and whatever else his grandchildren were involved in. He loved his wife Gloria, and together they created a warm, inviting home where the entire blended family would gather. He adored his children, and was often seen smiling (and shaking his head) at them from across the room as they enthusiastically shared stories from their youth about what growing up with him was like.

We will always remember how much pride he took in his lawn, and how hard he worked to maintain it. Sterling enjoyed sports and kept up with Penn State football, and attended many National’s games. He enjoyed Mexican food and margaritas with the family at his favorite place, Tequila Grande. He had a notorious sweet tooth, and could not be trusted around anything chocolate, especially Oreos. We will remember how generous and how willing to help he was. One of his grandchildren stated, “Grandpa helped others without having to be asked” which truly epitomizes his character.

Sterling is preceded in death by his wife Gloria Wilcox, his mother Gertrude, his father Frank, and his sister Joan Wilcox. He is survived by his three children Seth Wilcox, Poldi Dell, and Susan Cole and their spouses Sharon, Jeffrey, and Stanley, as well as grandchildren Janie and Joseph Dell, Rachel Conaway, JT Holley, and Tyler Cole. He is also survived by step children Cheryl (Dave) Robarge and Judith Winston, as well as step grandchildren Matthew, Andrew, Sarah, and Stephen. His memory will also be cherished by the spouses of his grandchildren, as well as numerous great-grandchildren.

The family invites close friends to Oakton United Methodist Church for Sterling’s funeral service Wednesday, December 30th at 11AM. The family wishes to encourage those who are high risk to stay home, and would like to remind those who plan to attend that a proper face mask must be worn at all times. Following the funeral, Sterling will be interred at Fairfax Memorial Park during a private graveside service. Friends and family may honor his memory by making a donation in his name to the local Fairfax charities the Lamb Center or FACETS.