Elisabeth Amanda Alexander Stoner, local poet is dead
Elisabeth Amanda Alexander Stoner died Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. She was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, May 8, 1934, to her parents Amanda Hays Alexander and Walter Harry Alexander.
Elisabeth graduated from the Hillsdale School and attended Smith College. She graduated from West Chester University summa cum laude. At that time, she won a poetry-writing contest sponsored by Wing’s Press, Belfast, Maine. Her prize was the publication of her first book, “Watermark.”
In 1952, she married John Thorp Stoner. They became the parents of Jane, Richard and Joel. The marriage ended in 1978.
While living in Sewickley, Pa., Elisabeth operated a freelance business, teaching and lecturing on design with plant material, arranging flowers for weddings, decorating events, exhibiting in art galleries, such as The Bird in Hand Gallery, and entering design classes at the Philadelphia Flower Show, where she won many awards, including Best in Show.
Elisabeth served as a volunteer and as president of the Child Health Association of Sewickley, for which she wrote, directed, and choreographed her original musical, “New Faces from Outer Spaces.” The show provided a happy evening of amusement for its audience of contributors. For one charitable event, she created massive glass panels covered with designs made of flat, multicolored stained-glass scrap. For the first time, the decor was not an expense, but the pieces were sold making a profit for the association’s various charities. Some of these brilliant glass panels still exist today as elegant room dividers or lighted wall hangings. At that time, Elisabeth was a federated judge of Artistic Design and Horticulture.
She was employed at Schubert Advertising, Exton, Pa., and with Shipley Associates, Wilmington. Finally, she worked as an editor for the publication Varia, produced by the Ardmoor Corporation in Chadds Ford, Pa.
Following a career as a teacher, poet, writer, editor, artist, and designer, Elisabeth retired to Milford. She was active with MERR Institute and as a poet and teacher. She taught poetry writing at University of Delaware’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute and while teaching, published four more books of her poetry, prose, and photography.
Elisabeth is survived by her brother, Richard Alexander; her sons, Richard Thorp Stoner (wife Jennifer), Joel Alexander Stoner (wife Trish); a daughter, Jane Hays Stoner; and her grandchildren, Justin Stoner, Keaton Stoner and Micayla Stoner Cissel; and two great-grandchildren, Sawyer and Annabelle Cissel. Elisabeth also leaves behind a bevy of enthusiastic and loving friends.
Walt Whitman inspired Elisabeth. She quoted the final lines of Leaves of Grass: “Great is life … and real and mystical … wherever and whoever. Great is death … Sure as life holds all parts together, death holds all parts together; sure as the stars return again after they merge in the night, death is as great as life.”
A gathering to celebrate Elisabeth’s life will be held at 11 a.m., Saturday, May 9, at the shelter on Slaughter Beach. All are welcome.
Elisabeth was committed to the cause of preserving the ocean and its inhabitants. Memorial donations may be made in her name to MERR Institute, 801 Pilottown Road, Lewes, DE 19958.
Arrangements are in the care of Berry-Short Funeral Home of Milford.
