Esther (Irene) Wolfe Stepahin, 87, of Fredericksburg, passed away on Sunday, January 19, 2020 at Mary Washington Hospital.
She was born in Baltimore, Maryland on February 16, 1932. Esther was a kind and devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. She worked the majority of her career at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) where she retired in 1990. Esther grew up in Greenbelt, Maryland where her family were original members of that community. She met her husband George there in the 1950’s and in the early 1960’s they moved (after a short stay in Washington DC) to Springfield. George and Esther raised four children in the Ravensworth Farms subdivision for most of their married life. They met many life-long friends while living in Ravensworth Farms and lived a very happy life. In 1999, George and Esther built a home in Spotsylvania to be near Jim, Connie and their children. They lived there until George’s passing in 2009 and Esther selling her home in 2019. Esther moved to Hilton Head, South Carolina to be close to her daughter Joanne Wescott and her son-in-law Joe. She had just bought a new home in Hilton Head and was very excited to start a new phase of her life prior to her unexpected passing. She was deeply loved and appreciated by her family and friends, and she will be greatly missed by everyone who had the pleasure of making her acquaintance.
She is survived by sisters, Grace Miller and Dolores Clift; sons, Jim Stepahin and Tom Stepahin; daughters, Joanne Wescott and Lois George; daughter-in-law, Constance Stepahin; sons-in-law, Joseph Wescott and John George; twelve grandchildren, and two great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her loving husband, George Stepahin; brother, James Donald Wolfe; and sister, Ruth Hebb.
The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday, January 24 at Covenant Funeral Service, Fredericksburg. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, January 25 at Zion United Methodist Church, 8700 Courthouse Road, Spotsylvania.
In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, 2361 Hylan Boulevard, Staten Island, New York 10306 or to Zion United Methodist Church, 8700 Courthouse Road, Spotsylvania, Virginia 22553.