Lorrie Ann Andrew-Spear

ANDREW-SPEAR, Lorrie Ann, of Woodbridge, Va., devoted wife, daughter, sister, aunt and dear friend, passed away on April 3, 2023. She was 53.

Lorrie was a passionate and dedicated public servant. She began her career as a public information/communications officer with the City of Hampton, later moving on to similar positions with Falls Church City Public Schools and Prince William County. While working with Hampton in 2000, she received the George Robert House Award from the American Society for Public Administration in recognition of her leadership, creativity and integrity. In 2013, she joined the Virginia Department of Health as its Northern Virginia Regional Public Information Officer and later became the statewide Risk Communications Manager. She obtained certification as a Master Public Information Officer from FEMA's Emergency Management Institute, where she earned the respect and admiration of her peers nationwide. She frequently served in leadership positions with national public health and information organizations and established herself as a valuable contributor and role model.

Lorrie was equally passionate about her interests outside the workplace, including volunteer work in her communities. She was proud to serve as a Master Gardener through the Virginia Cooperative Extension office, for which she spent countless hours over the years coordinating donations from local farmers markets and transporting them to local food banks in Prince William County. As a gardener, she had a special appreciation for Virginia's native plants. She was also an experienced outdoor adventurer, especially as a hiker and mountaineer. Among her many noteworthy accomplishments: summits of Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Rainier and a coveted winter summit of Mount Washington; a rim-to-rim-to-rim hike of the Grand Canyon; a hike to "the Visor" atop Yosemite's Half-Dome; hiking the Algarve and West Coasts of Portugal; completion of the W Circuit in Patagonia; and numerous summits of 13ers and 14ers in Colorado and New Mexico. As a runner, she completed five half-marathons. She loved to travel, especially to the National Parks of the U.S. and Canada. She was also a voracious reader with a love of everything from classic literature to contemporary mystery novels. She was dedicated to reading something and learning something every single day.

Lorrie is survived by her husband of 28 years, Curt G. Spear Jr. of Woodbridge, Va.; her parents, Ruben and Peggy Andrew of Chesterfield, Va.; her brother and sister-in-law, Keith and Shannon Andrew of Chesterfield, Va.; and four nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her brother, Mark Andrew of Lehigh Acres, Fla. She leaves behind countless friends and colleagues who will forever remember her grace, kindness, generosity, strength of character, sense of humor and relentless positivity.

The family will hold a small, private celebration of Lorrie's life. No public service is planned at this time. If you wish to honor her memory, the family asks you to consider donating to the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation, the National Park Foundation, or your regional wildlife rescue/rehabilitation center.