On Friday, Dec. 21, 2012, the Lord stopped by Sentara Obici Hospital and carried home His daughter, Essie Mae Stephenson Andrews.  She was born on Feb. 13, 1936, in Murfreesboro, N.C. to the late Eddie and Julia Vann Stephenson.

At an early age, she accepted Christ and was a member of East End Baptist Church, where she served as a deaconess and participated in the Women’s Sharing Group. She was a former member of First Baptist Church Pleasant Hill, Suffolk, Va.

Essie was educated in the Suffolk school system and graduated from East Suffolk High School, Class of 1954, and later extended her education at Norfolk State University.

She retired from Norfolk Naval Supply Center in 1998.

She was preceded in death by her daughter, Sylvia A. Jones; son, Leroy Andrews Jr.; and stepdaughter, Anne Green.

Essie leaves to cherish her memory her husband, Leroy Andrews; son, Lt. Col. (Retired) Paul Garriet Andrews (Cynthia), of Atlanta, Ga.; daughter, Karen Yvette Andrews Thompson (Steven), of Bowie, Md.; sister, Janet S. Parker, of Suffolk, Va.; one brother-in-law, James Andrews, of Alexandria, Va.; two sisters-in-law, Louise Andrews, of Alexandria, Va., and Deloris P. Little, of Irvington, N.J.; seven grandchildren, Tawana Green, Monica Jones; David, Darius and Daniel Thompson; Matthew and Jonathan Andrews; two great-grandchildren, Kyrei and Khalil Jones-Vann; and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Mrs. Andrews will be on view at the funeral home on Friday from noon to 7 p.m., and the family will greet visitors from 5 to 7 p.m. A funeral will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday at East End Baptist Church, 523 E. Washington St. She will be laid to rest at Meadowbrook Memorial Gardens Cemetery.

Professional services entrusted to T.E. Cooke-Overton Funeral Home Inc. Condolences may be extended to the family at www.cookeovertonfuneralhome.com.