In Memory of ...
Terri L. Stricker, Ph.D.
A Tribute to Terri Lynn (Smith) Stricker, the Love of My Life
by Eric C. Stricker, Ed.D.
Terri Lynn Smith was born on April 4, 1949 in St. Louis, Missouri where she and I grew up, almost together. We met at Hazelwood High School, from which we both graduated - I in 1965 - and she in 1967. Shortly after her graduation, God gave Terri to me as His special gift in marriage. When I think of all that she meant to me, I am overwhelmed by the richness and fulness of beauty and the depth of completeness that she brought to me in life. Truly, “He who finds a wife [especially one like Terri] finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD” (Proverbs 18:22). In giving Terri to me, God poured out His immeasurable love and blessings and His incredible favor on me in ways that I never deserved — a visible demonstration of God’s mercy and grace. On December 10, 2021, Terri succumbed to COVID-19, and she went to her eternal home — resting now in the loving arms of her Lord Jesus Christ. I know that she is not only experiencing the joy of her salvation, but also she is blessing and making an impact on all of heaven.
In this life, Terri firmly believed in "the blessed hope" of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and His promise of eternal salvation. Terri took God’s Word at face value. She freely accepted and believed unapologetically what God promises in the Scriptures. She recognized the finished work of Jesus Christ, and she publicly declared to others what the gospel teaches — that God has undeniably made a way for man to know Him, to overcome his sin, his despair, and his ultimate death through God's divine offer of forgiveness, hope, salvation, and everlasting life. According to the Scriptures, Terri believed that mercy, grace, and love have triumphed over sin. Life has triumphed over death. Justification has triumphed over condemnation. Her entire life was a testimony to these truths which also represent my deepest gratitude, my greatest admiration, and my highest tribute to the one who meant so much to me for 55 years and has now passed into glory. This page of the-blessed-hope.com is dedicated to her memory.