Stephanie Rae DiGiorgio

On Wednesday, September 16, 2026, our beautiful mom passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her three daughters. She was 91.

Stephanie Starsman was born on December 25, 1934, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She graduated from Albert Einstein Medical Center Nursing School in Philadelphia in 1955, the same year that she married George DiGiorgio of Philadelphia.

After the births of their daughters, Stephanie became active in Jewish community affairs and philanthropy in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. She was instrumental in the founding of the Jewish Women's Professional Coalition of AJA Women's Division, and was a devoted president of Hadassah, Southern New Jersey chapter. She also served on the South Jersey Jewish Federation board and the Jewish Family Service board, 1970-1980.

In 1968 Stephanie decided to learn to fly a small plane. She took flying lessons and flew solo out of Bader Field in Atlantic City, New Jersey. We girls had been sworn to secrecy, and she surprised our dad by jumping in the plane and taking off!

In 1980, she returned to nursing and spearheaded the Jewish Family Service Home Healthcare Division in Cherry Hill. She hired and trained a team of aides who would serve the South Jersey community for years to come.

After George's death in 2004, Stephanie moved across country to San Francisco to be near her daughters. Inspired by the new, inclusive marriage laws here, she decided to become a marriage commissioner at City Hall. From 2005-2008, she married 335 couples under the dome in our majestic People's Palace.

Stephanie is survived by her daughters, Karyn DiGiorgio (Steven Sattler), Beth Brandon (Peter Brandon), Lisa DiGiorgio-Haag (Dirk DiGiorgio-Haag); her grandchildren, Caely Brandon (Sean Kirkpatrick), Andreas DiGiorgio-Haag, Robin Brandon and Sasha DiGiorgio-Haag; and her brothers Raymond Starsman (Marsha Starsman) and Larry Gross (Judy Gross).

In lieu of flowers, donations will be gratefully accepted by KQED in Stephanie's memory.