Elizabeth E. Ostuni, beloved wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, passed away peacefully at her home in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, on Oct. 6, 2025.
Born on May 8, 1937, in Parsons, Kansas, Elizabeth was the daughter of Walter L. and Fern Jarboe. She was preceded in death by her sisters, Rosemary (Jarboe) Henderson and Catherine (Jarboe) Kinzie.
She married Lawrence J. Ostuni on Sept. 9, 1984. Together, they shared a life of love, faith, and service.
Elizabeth earned her master’s degree in speech-language pathology from the University of Kansas in 1972 and devoted more than 30 years to helping others find their voice. She served as Past President of the New Jersey Speech and Hearing Association from 1991-1992 and editor of the NJSHA Newsletter.
Known to her colleagues and clients alike as someone who was truly “good at speech,” she combined professional excellence with deep compassion.
Answering a call to spiritual service later in life, Elizabeth graduated from the General Theological Seminary in 2000 with a certificate in spiritual direction. She completed two years of vocational diaconal training at the Newark School of Theology and was ordained to the Sacred Order of Deacons on June 5, 2004. She was among the first five diaconal candidates ordained in the Episcopal Diocese of Newark.
Elizabeth’s ministry began at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Dover, New Jersey, where she learned Spanish to fully participate in liturgy and taught English as a Second Language. She later served as one of three Archdeacons of the Diocese and joined the staff of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Sparta, New Jersey.
Throughout her ministry, she embodied a deep commitment to human connection — whether reading scripture to prison inmates, offering blessings to strangers in train stations or simply listening with empathy.
Elizabeth and Larry retired to East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania in 2014, but their adventurous spirits never slowed. Together, they loved to travel, experience new cultures, and engage with the world’s languages, foods and religions. True students of life, they shared a deep curiosity, humor and joy that enriched not only their own lives, but the lives of everyone around them.
She is survived by her husband, Lawrence; daughters Laura Smoke (Peter), Jennifer Wilson, and Katy Allstaedt (William); stepchildren Carolyn O’Grady, John Ostuni (Sandra), and Patricia McCarthy (Dennis); grandchildren John Schoffstall, Amanda Hartnett, Timothy Hartnett, Elizabeth Allstaedt, Louie O’Grady, Carrianne O’Grady, Molly Claire McCarthy, Anna McCarthy, Steven Ostuni, Anthony Ostuni (Alia), and Grace Ostuni; and great-grandchildren Elise Schoffstall and John Rhett Schoffstall.
Elizabeth’s life was marked by faith, love, and service. She truly left her mark on this world.
Memorial Service will be held Saturday, Nov. 8 at noon at the Shawnee Ridge Adult Community Center in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.
