Edna Howard-Sleeper

Edna York Howard-Sleeper passed away on April 13, 2022, at the age of 95 years old. Edna was a resident of tri-cities area since 1964. Since 2019, Edna was an assisted living resident at Dunlop House in Colonial Heights, VA. She was born in Franklin, Massachusetts on November 28, 1926.

Edna was married to her high school sweetheart, Roger Elder Howard, from June 1946 until his death in November 1994. She remarried in 1997 to Stanley Charles Sleeper until his death in 2002. She is also preceded in death by her parents, Arthur L. York Sr. and Edna Nancy York, and siblings, Arthur L. York Jr., Jane E. Kennedy, and Frances E. Sleeper.

Her school years were spent in Lebanon NH where she graduated from Lebanon High School in 1944. While in high school, she worked as a secretary for the Geological Society of NH.

Edna worked as a secretary to the assistant dean of Colby College in Waterville, ME. She also worked at several realty companies in the tri-cities area as secretary, agent and broker: Alsage Realty, Lavenstein Realty, B. Z. Clark Realty, and Swearingin Realty in Colonial Heights. She also was licensed in real estate management (managing 7 properties-strip malls and the mall in Petersburg as well as the Woodmere apartment complex) and was an appraiser.

Edna was very active with many hobbies and activities including quilting, sewing, knitting, stenciling, tole painting, attending the theater at Fort Lee, attending the speaker series at the Hopewell Library and garden clubs. She enjoyed playing cards with friends including bridge and canasta. Edna was a member of the Order of the East Star Pioneer Chapter #11 in Lisbon Falls Maine and the past president for several years of the Federated Women’s Club of Petersburg.

She was active until her death and loved going to the Country of Club of Petersburg with Jayne, her daughter, to see friends and enjoy her favorite – crabcakes!

Edna is survived by her loving daughters, Christa H. Southall (Henry), Jayne H. Thacker, and Nancy H. Berry; grandchildren, Roger H. Southall (Tammy), David V. Southall (Ashley), Kristin E.S. Hunter (Daniel), Kathryn J. Mathias (David), and Sara E. Berry; great-grandchildren, Roger H. Southall II, Scott C. Southall, and Henry R. Southall; and many other extended family members.

A graveside service will be held on Thursday, April 21, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. in Southlawn Memorial Park, 1911 Birdsong Road S. Prince George, Virginia 23805. Arrangements by the Colonial Heights Chapel of E. Alvin Small Funeral Homes & Crematory, 2033 Boulevard Colonial Heights, Virginia 23834. Condolences may be registered at www.ealvinsmall.com.