Memorial fund- Dr. Sherry Stein APN, RN

On Friday, 11/18/2022, Sherry Stein, DNP, RN, beloved wife, mother, sister, aunt, friend, mentor and colleague, passed away after a long battle with cancer.

Sherry and her husband Jay built a beautiful family together, and their love for their children Mikey-12, Ryan-7, Sarah & Sofia 4, is truly humbling. Shortly after Sarah and Sofia were born, Sherry received the most devastating news that a mother could hear, she had metastatic breast cancer. But as scary as that was, as much as she needed to care for herself, she never slowed down. Despite needing chemotherapy and surgery, she was ever present in the hospital, caring for her team with guidance and mentorship. So much so, that in the middle of her therapy, she was one of the first clinicians in our organization to get COVID. We all thought that we would lose her, but she fought. She fought for her kids, she fought for Jay, and she fought because she had so much more to do for her community.

After weeks spent in the medical intensive care unit when we had almost lost hope, God gave her back to us. Even though she was unable to walk without an oxygen canister at her side, as soon as she was discharged, she was back on her computer, working, guiding, and mentoring her team. We begged her to rest and recuperate. But Sherry couldn’t stop giving to her RWJUH family, all the while being a mom to her little ones who missed her terribly, and a family devastated by COVID. Little did we know how Sherry would be challenged again.

Her hair had just grown back when she was diagnosed with leukemia. But whatever life handed her, Sherry just looked ahead. When she needed to be hospitalized for chemotherapy, she insisted that her computer be set up by her hospital bed. No matter how much we begged her, Sherry wouldn’t rest. There was more for her to do, more to give.

Word spread as Sherry struggled in her final days. Those who she had touched years before came to see her and share their love. The night before she passed, she was still making us laugh. Despite the outpouring of prayer and love from so many, Sherry lost her battle to cancer in the early morning hours surrounded by so many who loved her. She passed with dignity, sharing one final lesson in love, grace, kindness and tenacity.

Sherry dedicated her life to caring for others, starting as an EMT and CCT, becoming an RN and ending her twenty-two-year career with a Doctor of Nursing Practice. She leaves behind an enduring legacy of clinical excellence and a Division of over 120 Advanced Practice Providers and Registered Nurses that will continue to save lives for generations to come.

Sherry was known for her passion, persistence, and fighting spirit. But she will forever be remembered for caring unconditionally for those around her. Those who felt or experienced her unconditional love and caring knew from the moment they met her that she wanted the best for them. She never worried about herself or what it would take to help. She lived exactly how she taught her team, constantly humbly reminding them, “We never do what’s easy; we do what’s right.”. If there were a problem to solve, she would whip out her magic cellphones which were always clipped to her belt. In 20 seconds, she had solved the problem, booked you an appointment, gotten someone to call you, or whatever else you needed! And so it happened to so many around her; you were pulled into her ever-growing web of kindness in the blink of an eye. We have lost a true angel from our midst.

Jay, Mikey, Ryan, Sarah, Sophia and family have lost a selfless Wife, Mother, Daughter, Niece, and Cousin. Our hospital family has lost a true Friend, First Responder, Clinician, Mentor and Cancer Warrior.

Please help us give back to Sherry by supporting the beautiful family she has left behind.

All donations will go directly to her husband Jay Tiongson, and their four children.