Deanna Andrews

Deanna Jean Kremposky Andrews, age 83, of Stafford, Va., passed away Saturday, December 13, 2025, at VIVA Senior Living, Stafford, after suffering two strokes. She was born on Sunday, October 25, 1942, in Uniontown, Pa., to Michael and Rosella (Varitek) Kremposky.

She was of Slovakian heritage and a proud coal miner’s daughter, growing up in a small, tight-knit community in southwest Pennsylvania. As such she had a shot and beer occasionally, saying this one is for yinz. She was a coal miner’s daughter, which she inspired the song by Loretta Lynn. Deanna studied at Redstone High School where she earned a varsity letter playing clarinet in the school’s marching band. Upon her graduation in 1960, her family gifted her a one-way bus ticket to Washington, DC to start her next chapter in life which she accepted with a combination of trepidation and excitement.

Deanna was a devout Catholic, and her faith was evident in every aspect of her life. When she left Pennsylvania for the big city, her sister Joanne was waiting for her arrival but without her God backing her, she would have never set foot on that bus. Over the years, she gave back to her faith serving on numerous church advisory boards, acting as an ecumenical minister, singing in many choirs (she had a wonderful voice), teaching CCD, and beautifying the church with various flower guilds. At home, Deanna would wake and immediately begin to bless those on her extensive prayer list – a three-hour task – and ended her day by reciting the rosary, generally falling asleep before finishing.

During Deanna’s lifetime she was employed by Woolworths and Gallatin National Bank in Pennsylvania, and Computer Services Corp (CSC), Computer Learning Center, Stafford Animal Hospital, and American Life Lobby in Virginia. But it was that fateful bus ride that brought her DC where she began work at Group Hospitalization Inc, (a Blue Cross/Blue Shield affiliation), which made the biggest impact upon her life as it was where she met Jack, the love of her life for over 60 years.

In 1977, the family moved to Virginia and shortly thereafter, Deanna made the decision to leave the workforce as her three children grew and became more active outside the home. Deanna willingly chose to not only become the family bus driver, but the loudest and proudest baseball, soccer, swim team, softball, track, cross-country, dance, and an actor mom in history with cheers that could be heard three counties away. Her kids never had any doubt about her unwavering support of their endeavors.

When she was not off somewhere chauffeuring her children, Deanna could be found in her extensive garden. Her green thumb allowed her to harvest and display her beautiful specimens to those around her. She was a founding member of the Woodstock Garden Club in Aquia Harbour, as well as a member of the Beverly Hills Garden club in Alexandria, the Quantico Garden Club, and The Fredericksburg Iris Society. Through these organizations, she was able to develop her passion for floral designing, winning many awards for both her flowers and floral arrangements over the years, and even inspiring her to study for and become a judge for juried exhibits. Deanna and her daughter Michele were frequent attendants of the annual Virginia Garden Week making road trips across the state to take in the glorious blossoms.

Deanna was also a member in the Stafford Blue Star Mothers, the Aquia Harbour Yacht Club (without a boat), the Southern Fem Fatales Red Hat, and the Christians Women Club Prayer Connection groups.

Deanna had many varied pursuits that brought a smile to her face. Being from a musical family, she would often attend events where her father and brother’s band played music in order to dance the night away; as she was Slovak, she was especially fond of polka dancing and did so with gusto, never seeming to tire, spinning around the floor like a whirling dervish and laughing the whole time. And while she and Jack were two of the most graceful dancers ever to waltz across a dance floor, she would not hesitate to drop down and do the dead bug when the urge hit her. Deanna also developed a passion for all things Irish. No one knows how that came to be but when she showed up one St Patrick’s Day in a full- blown leprechaun outfit there was no turning back; she went to pubs, participated in sing-alongs, drank Smithwick’s with zeal and went to visit the Old Sod 3 times, once without Jack, with her dear Father James Mennis. And holidays…while she loved them all, Deanna truly believed that there were only three that mattered and, in her home, they became full blown seasons: Halloween, Christmas, and Easter. Her house was abundantly decorated year-round with the appropriate seasonal flair and poor Jack had to rent three storage units just to house all her decor.

Deanna was a great fan of Neil Diamond, attending four of his concerts. She loved watching any of his DVDs and listening to CDs. Besides being a Red Sox fan as her cousin was Jason Varitek, she sang Sweet Caroline, bum. bum, bum with zeal and enthusiasm.

Deanna and Jack also traveled extensively and together explored every state in the continental U.S. as well as Hawaii. Much of said travel occurred while they were headed to one of the many Varitek family reunions that they never missed or sharing in one of Jack’s greatest pastimes, National Park hopping with Yosemite, Yellowstone, Acadia, Mount Rushmore, Grand Canyon, Grand Tetons, Redwood, Devil’s Tower, and Shenandoah being just a few on their list. One year Deanna talked Jack into taking a cruise which, despite being hit by a hurricane and a nor ’easterner in the span of a week while onboard, didn’t stop them from visiting Puerto Rica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and St. Thomas. She also traveled to Italy and Okinawa relishing in the food, culture, and shopping each offered her. The little girl from southwest Pennsylvania really made the most of that bus ticket…

Deanna was preceded in death by her parents and her brother Jerry Kremposky.

She is survived by her husband, Jack Oliver Andrews; her children, Michele Flynn and her husband Jim, Heather Lehman and her husband Jon, and Michael Andrews; and her grandchildren, Kayleigh Koko and her husband Josh, Dakota Gutierrez and his wife Hope, Sierra Gutierrez, Killian Gutierrez and his wife Madison, Milena Gutierrez, Nico Gutierrez, Seamus Gutierrez, and Ayana Mizrachi-zak.

She is also survived by her sister, Joanne Ensminger and her husband King; her brother, Michael Kremposky and his wife Diane, and numerous nephews, nieces, and cousins.

We will miss her smile, her laughter, her voice, her decorating, and her deep and boundless love for everyone she held dear. Keep her in your hearts always.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to the American Heart Association or a tree in her name at https://www.plantmemorialtree.com/

A visitation will be held at Mullins & Thompson Funeral Service, located at 186 Shelton Shop Rd, Stafford, Virginia, 22554, on January 14, 2026, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. The Funeral Mass will take place at Saint Francis of Assisi, 18825 Fuller Heights Rd, Triangle, VA, on January 15, 2026, starting at 11:00 am. Burial will follow at Quantico National Cemetery, 18424 Joplin Rd, Triangle, Virginia, 22172, on January 15, 2026, at 12:30 pm.