Andrea Hickman White, age 76, passed into the eternal grace of God surrounded by her family and loved ones on January 7, 2019. Andrea is survived by her husband, Ernest Kenneth White; daughter, Dr. Kathryn White Austin; brother, E. Cameron Hickman and sister-in-law, Kathy Kirbo Hickman; along with her grandchildren, Caitlin Lee Snelson, Matthew Cameron Austin and Ryan Sutherland Austin. She leaves behind a loving extended family of step-grandchildren, Ashley (Rick) Lombardo and their children Jillian and Michaele, Alyse (Brad) Simons and their children Beckham and Brooks, and Michaelene Austin (Colin Emerson) and their children Benjamin and Amelia. She is also grieved as family by Yulia Doctchennikov, Dmtiry Karpov and Elizabeth Karpov as well as a wide host of family and friends from various aspects of her richly blessed life.
Andrea was born in Jessup, GA on June 7, 1942 to Ann Cameron Hickman and James W. Hickman. After her brother, Cameron was born in Pensacola, Florida 5 years later, the family returned to their South Georgia roots and settled in Lakeland, Georgia. This is where she grew up and this is the place she called home. In her youth, she was an avid dancer, cheerleader, water skier, and pianist and often sang for weddings and funerals in her community. She graduated from Valdosta State College (now Valdosta State University) with a degree in Education and began her teaching career in the nearby town of Homerville, GA. She married (March 16, 1963) her husband of over 56 years and they both taught school in the early years of their marriage. They welcomed one child, an only daughter into their lives in October of 1964 and the three were inseparable until her final breath this past week.
Andrea was a devoted teacher of English Language, Literature and Composition. After the family moved to Jacksonville, in 1968, she taught at Robert E. Lee High School. She completed her Master’s Degree in Education at the University of North Florida as a Charter member of the program. After the death of her parents in 1975 (April and July), she and her brother took over the family business and she became the owner of a trucking company and a contractor with the United States Postal Service. For the next 36 years, she ran one of the most reputable businesses in the field of Star-Route Mail Contractors, a woman in a man’s world when it was unheard of. Her company motto, “doing right things right,” was not a surprise to anyone as she was a woman of integrity and perseverance throughout her life and even in her final days.
Andrea was an avid genealogist and valued her family history and her ancestral connections to Scotland. She was a long-time treasurer of the Central Florida Genealogical Society, and was their newsletter editor in addition to recording and publishing census records of cemeteries throughout Florida and in South Georgia. Along with her husband and a bevy of friends, Andrea was a co-founder of the Scottish-American Society of Central Florida and the Central Florida Scottish Highland Games, for which she served on the Executive Board, and the Scholarship committee for many years in addition to many other roles for well over two decades. She was actively involved in building scholarship programs in other organizations such as Clan Sutherland of North America and was a member of Clan Cameron.
After retirement, she devoted her time and energy to her church service as a Bible Study Leader, teacher of Methodist discipline, member of Church Council in various positions of leadership, and Sunday School Superintendent for many years. Her devotion to the United Methodist Church and the discipline of the Methodist Doctrine was known to many. Her belief in the theology of John Wesley, her interest in Methodist history and her commitment to her church was unwavering and something she shared voraciously with everyone she knew.
Always the educator, Andrea made every day into a lesson. Whether in the classroom, building her marriage, navigating her family relationships, raising her daughter, instructing her grandchildren, mentoring the hundreds of young people she placed her interest in over the years, leading her employees, collaborating with church members or even the medical professionals to whom she entrusted her care, there were lessons to be learned and she provided them. She touched hundreds of lives over the course of her own and many will attest to some of the best advice they ever received being given around her kitchen table. She was bright and witty with a great knowledge of many things; well-read and informed, she gave her opinions as appropriate and with a succinctness that made you know, she was right. She rarely knew a stranger and saw no lines between social class, race, education or religion when it came to be charitable with her resources. She was everyone’s “Nana,” and all were welcome in her heart and in her home.
She was a best friend and confidant to her husband, Ken for over 57 years and she was a devoted, friend and sister to her brother Cam. She adored Cam’s wife, her sister-in-law and dear friend, Kathy as well as their children Mary Ann and Katy. She delighted in her grandchildren, their every accomplishment and rarely, if ever, missed a sporting, dance or school-related event. She loved her childhood friends and maintained these friendships with steadfast love; she held her late in life friends in her heart with a loyalty that cannot be compared. When she saw something in someone, she would give of herself unselfishly to see that they had all that they needed to be successful. Andrea was clever and used her ingrained resourcefulness to make wonderful things happen for the people she loved, even if resources seemed scarce. She was a remarkable space manager and had an intuition that defied reason. She was a woman of faith, of much courage and mostly of Grace!
Andrea loved her church and loved the ringing of the tower bells which need to be restored. Memorial Donations may be made in her name to the First United Methodist Church of Winter Garden towards this project. Arrangements are entrusted to Baldwin-Fairchild Funeral Home at 428 E. Plant Street in Winter Garden, Florida. Visitation will be held at the First United Methodist Church of Winter Garden 125 N Lakeview Ave Winter Garden, Florida 34787 on Thursday, January 10th from 6pm to 8pm. A Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, January 11th at the church at 2pm with a reception to follow in the Fellowship Hall.
FAMILIA
Andrea is survived by her husband, Ernest Kenneth White; daughter, Dr. Kathryn White Austin; brother, E. Cameron Hickman and sister-in-law, Kathy Kirbo Hickman; along with her grandchildren, Caitlin Lee Snelson, Matthew Cameron Austin and Ryan Sutherland Austin. She leaves behind a loving extended family of step-grandchildren, Ashley (Rick) Lombardo and their children Jillian and Michaele, Alyse (Brad) Simons and their children Beckham and Brooks, and Michaelene Austin (Colin Emerson) and their children Benjamin and Amelia. She is also grieved as family by Yulia Doctchennikov, Dmtiry Karpov and Elizabeth Karpov as well as a wide host of family and friends from various aspects of her richly blessed life.
COMPARTA UN OBITUARIO
v.1.9.5