Mamie Iretha Stewart's Obituary
On November 26, 1930, Mamie I. Willis was born to the late Johnny and Phoebe Willis, in rural Orange County, Virginia. She was raised by her paternal grandmother, Mildred Willis, a pillar of faith in the community, who introduced her to the Lord at an early age. She helped care for her younger siblings, cooking and cleaning, while keeping up with her studies. She graduated from George Washington Carver Regional High School.
On July 22, 1950, Mamie married her prince charming, John G. Stewart. Patricia, Aleta, John, and Carolyn were born to this union. Mamie willingly worked with her hands and arose while it was yet night to provide food for her household. She was employed as a domestic worker, a Head Start teacher, a childcare provider, and a nursing home volunteer. She was a faithful member of Bible Way Church of Louisa, now First Bible Way, serving as a missionary, choir director, and a Sunday School teacher, for homebound congregants. After the passing of her prince charming, she moved to Manassas, Virginia, and later to Woodbridge, Virginia. She was the Church Mother of Word of Life Church, the name was later changed to The Well Ministries, where she also served as the Honorary Mother of the Bel Perazim Church Conference.
As a child, Mamie was affectionately called “Red Wasp,” because she too would only “sting” when provoked. As an adult, she was a passionate and outspoken advocate for the people and causes close to her heart. She was a spiritual advisor to many, offering wisdom ranging from maintaining a godly marriage to managing a household. She could often be heard saying, “Don’t let your good be evil spoken of.” One of her memorable messages was titled, “Swimming Upstream in a Downstream World.” Mamie was a wonderful seamstress, and she could craft a story as easily as she could construct a garment. In her spare time, she played hymns and original songs on the family piano and sang herself happy on the old songs of Zion.
Mamie was preceded in death by her husband, John; siblings, Bernice McQueen, Anthony Willis, Mildred Hines, Julia Quarles, John Willis, Lucille Scaife, and Elizabeth Ransdell; and her grandson, Daric Joseph Key.
Left to celebrate her memory is her sister, Gertrude Pratt-Perez; her children, Patricia (Al Sr.), Aleta (Edred), John (Joanne), and Carolyn (Terry); her grandchildren, Shiwanda, Latrice, Al Jr. (Erica), Enjoli, Ariel (Jontae), LaDara (Chris), Shondra, Ebony, Somalia, Edred II (Joanna), Lamar, Katrina, Salihah (Joseph), Kendel, Ashley, and Shavon (Kelvin); her great-grandchildren, Brena, Jada, David, Myles, Liam, Levi, Luke, Hezekiah, Genesis, Taylor, Micah, Emmanuel, Josiah, Edred III, Elise, Gabriel, Marco, Guillermo, Josiah, Ryan, Khylin, Kapri, Khayr, and Karter; her great-great-granddaughter, Kamryn; and a host of nieces, nephews, and cousins.
A funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, October 11, 2025 at Temple of Deliverance Holy Church of God, 5756 Zachary Taylor Highway, Mineral. Mamie will be laid to rest with her husband at 10:00 a.m. Monday, October 13, 2025 in Culpeper National Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that expressions of sympathy take the form of donations to StreetLight Community Outreach Ministries, an organization which helps the homeless in Woodbridge, Virginia. Donations can be made online at thestreetlight.org
What’s your fondest memory of Mamie?
What’s a lesson you learned from Mamie?
Share a story where Mamie's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Mamie you’ll never forget.
How did Mamie make you smile?
