Elder Lee Vania Mayo Williams

July 30, 2015

Elder Lee Vania Mayo Williams is the second of six children born to Jessie Clifford and Martha Mayo of the Saratoga Section of Suffolk, Virginia. At an early age, she married Andrew Lee “Bay” Williams, who died of a military-related wound in 1958. She has one daughter, Shaneen Williams Lipscomb, who has given her three grandchildren (Sheryce Paschel Thompson, Oines “OJ” Edward Thompson, Jr., and Sachel Teryce Thompson), and these adult grandchildren have given her several great-grandchildren. She loved all of them. In her young adult years after the death of her husband, Lee Vania lived in several different states. Eventually, she settled in Providence, Rhode Island, where she worked in various positions, such as a caregiver for children. As a child growing up in Suffolk, she attended Lakeview Missionary Baptist Church. She was licensed to preach the gospel in 1985, and she was ordained to The Christian Ministry in 1992. Lee Vania was an Elder in New Life United Holy Church in Providence, Rhode Island, where she lived just prior to moving out of that state in 2014. She was the singer in the Mayo family. As a matter of fact, her singing voice was reminiscent of that of Shirley Caesar. Prior to Lee Vania having an operation to remove an aneurism from the top of her head, she sang at a number of different venues, such as churches in Virginia, Alabama, and several New England states. She was socially very active in her early years. As she grew older, she settled down and began spending a great deal of time in church, and she loved to read religious literature. As her health continued to decline, living alone was not an option for her. On January 1, 2015, she moved to Springfield, Virginia, to live with her sister. While living in Springfield, she and her sister would go “church hopping” on Sundays, but Lee Vania did not live long enough to choose a new church home. Life ended for her on July 30, 2015, in the INOVA Alexandria Hospital. When Lee Vania died, she left behind her daughter and grandchildren who were named previously, plus several great grandchildren. Her parents and grandparents died years ago. In 1993, her oldest sister—Ms. Audrey Mae Mayo Holley—died, leaving Lee Vania as the oldest of the Mayo siblings: Dr. Margaret Ellen Mayo Tolbert, Mr. Jessie Benjamin Mayo, Ms. Eleanor Olivia Mayo Minns, and Ms. Mary Lee Mayo Brown. Additionally, she left behind numerous cousins, aunts, uncles, other relatives, and friends. Funeral service will be held on Saturday, August 8, 2015 at 11 a.m. at Lakeview Missionary Baptist Church located at 635 Brook Avenue in Suffolk, Virginia. Viewing will begin at 10 a.m. in the same church. Instead of flowers, interested parties are requested to send donations in any amount to the Mayo Education Fund in tribute to Elder Williams. Checks or money orders should be made payable to the Mayo Education Fund and sent to the following address: Mayo Education Fund P.O. Box 23034 Alexandria, VA 22304 .