Maureen Stickel

Maureen Sheila Gaughan was born on 19 July 1951 to Elizabeth M. Gaughan and husband Thomas A. Gaughan in Philadelphia, PA. While a joyous event, her arrival was fraught with difficulty and she wasn’t expected to live very long. But, of course, she proved everyone wrong, demonstrating an innate resilience that persisted throughout the rest of her life.  

Born into a large Irish family, which included six siblings (three brothers and three sisters), Maureen spent the bulk of her childhood in the projects of West Philadelphia. Despite the many challenges the family faced in the projects, Maureen thrived in company of her siblings, with whom she had many adventures. Through the 1950’s and early 60’s, she honed her survival skills, becoming known around the neighborhood as a force to be reckoned with. Especially when it came to protecting the ones she loved. 

In the fall of 1967, the family relocated from the projects to Germantown, Philadelphia, where Maureen attended Cardinal Dougherty High School. In the summer of 1968, just before her senior year, Maureen began dating her future husband, William “Bill” Stickel, Jr.  

Upon graduating in the spring of 1969, Maureen went to work as a secretary for the newly formed Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Division of the IRS. Bill, meanwhile, enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, attending Basic Training at Lackland AFB, TX and Technical School at Chanute AFB, IL, after which he was shipped off to Bitburg Air Base, Germany. Though separated by the Atlantic Ocean, Bill and Maureen continue dating and got engaged in the summer of 1970. Bill returned stateside in August of that year and on 12 September 1970 they tied the knot at the Immaculate Concept Catholic Church in Germantown.   

A month later, the newlyweds moved back to Germany. For the next year-and-a-half they simply enjoyed one another’s company and traveled Europe in their off time. On 3 February 1972 they welcomed their first child, Angela Michelle Stickel. 

The following year they were reassigned to Charleston, AFB, SC, and on 3 September 1974 they welcomed their second child, William Brian Stickel. From there, their little family went on a whirlwind tour of various cities and bases, including Sumter, SC; Philadelphia, PA; Rome, NY; Omaha, NE; Abilene, TX and Ramstein, Germany. 

During their second tour of Germany, Maureen got to experience firsthand the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Soviet Union—although she very nearly prevented it from happening while visiting Berlin in 1991. During that historic trip with her mother and son, her aggressive American driving brought her face to face with the DDR (the USSR’s proxy representation in East Germany.) It was only through a deft combination of quick thinking, broken German and heartful tears that she managed to avoid an international incident.  

Upon returning from Germany, the family settled in Wichita, KS, where Bill soon retired from the Air Force and eventually went to work for Raytheon. Maureen, meanwhile, took a job with the Department of Environmental Health, where she forged incredible friendships with several of her co-workers. More than a decade later, both left the workforce for good and decided to relocate to Starke, FL to be closer to Angie’s family. It was in Starke that they settled for good, creating a homebase where Maureen was surrounded by around kids, grandkids and great grandkids—truly her heart and soul.   

On 8 May 2022, following a long, arduous battle with multiple illnesses, Maureen joined her brother Steven and mother Betty in Heaven. At the time of her passing, she was in the company of loved ones. 

She is survived by brothers Tommy and Ritchie; sisters Kathy, Debbie and Donna; husband Bill and children Angie and Brian. 

Crevasse's Simple Cremation is honored to serve the Stickel Family.