Wanda Joyce McAfee's Obituary
Wanda Joyce McAfee was born in Texarkana, Arkansas on September 2, 1952 to the union of Doretha A. Lester and Leo C. McAfee, Sr. She was the youngest of seven siblings: five girls and two boys.
Wanda received her Christian education at Hopewell Temple C. M. E. Church in Texarkana, Texas. She maintained her membership there throughout her life. She would always find a church to attend where she lived, but never gave up her membership at her family church. She was very spiritual and had a deep love for God which was exemplified in her life and love for people.
Her formative years were spent in Maud, Texas, surrounded by her parents and siblings with frequent visits from grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins. She attended the Arkadelphia Elementary School. Her father was the principal of the school and her mother was one of the teachers. At the completion of her 8th grade, her parents were employed by the Texarkana Independent School District. As education was imperative to the McAfee family, the family maintained their home in Maud and a place in Texarkana so the three younger McAfee children could attend high school in Texarkana.
Wanda attended Dunbar High School for two years until it was closed due to desegregation at the end of her 10th grade. She attended and graduated from Texas High School in 1970. In high school, she was a member of the National Honor Society and played clarinet in the marching band. Upon completion of high school, she attended and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Prairie View A & M University in 1974 where her major was mathematics. She was a member of the Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society and Pi Mu Epsilon Mathematics Honor Society. Wanda was a proud graduate of Prairie View A & M University and would often encourage others to attend her alma mater.
While at Prairie View A & M University, Wanda pledged and became a member of the Eta Beta Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. in Spring 1973. Wanda loved her sorority and her sorority sisters. She was an active member throughout her adult life, joining the Anniston Alumnae Chapter and actively serving there for many years prior to moving to DeSoto, Texas in 2019. She was able to maintain her Anniston Alumnae Chapter membership and involvement virtually.
When Wanda graduated from Prairie View A & M University, she was employed as a civilian for the United States Army as a computer analyst. She did her internship in Rock Island, Illinois and was assigned to the Anniston Army Depot. She was later assigned to the New Cumberland Army Depot in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. (It was at Harrisburg where she met and married Robert Graham in 1979.) In 1984, she was given the opportunity to return to the Anniston Army Depot which she gladly accepted. She remained at Anniston Army Depot until her retirement in 2011.
Wanda was full of personality. She was witty, loving, and fun. She stood firm in her beliefs and lived her life on her terms. She loved her family and enjoyed participating in family gatherings. She would always support her family no matter where they lived. She would drive from Alabama to Texas and other states and fly to other cities to be a part of family events. She attended graduations, retirement parties, birthdays, adoptions ceremonies, baptisms, weddings, and family holiday gatherings. She genuinely loved celebrating with her family. She had a huge heart, generous spirit and was always giving of herself. She volunteered at the gift shop in the Regional Medical Center in Anniston and would often find gifts to purchase to give to family and friends. She had a room where she stored gifts. She would identify each gift so that on your special occasions, you would receive a gift in the mail from Wanda.
Wanda was adventurous and loved to travel. It was on one of her trips to Cancun, Mexico that she convinced her sister, Patricia McAfee Owens, to go parasailing with her (her brother, Leo, did not accept the parasailing challenge). She was calm, cool, and collected as she soared high above the Gulf of Mexico. On a family trip through the Panama Canal, there was a port stop in Costa Rica and Wanda was the only one of her siblings who chose to zip line through the jungles of Central America. She was elated upon her return to the ship and gladly shared her experience. She took many cruises to various places like Bahamas, Alaska, Greek Isles, Panama Canal, Hawaii, Australian and New Zealand, just to name a few. Other places of travel included France, England, Spain, and Italy. One of her most memorable trips was a trip to South Africa with her beloved Aunt Velma McAfee Williams.
Wanda was an avid tennis fan, and rarely missed watching a tennis match. Due to her love for tennis, she traveled to New York to attend the U. S. Open and to England to attend the matches at Wimbledon. At Wimbledon, as two people were leaving the match, she and her niece, Debra Curry, were given tickets to Center Court. That was a high point of her trip.
Wanda enjoyed playing cards and especially loved a good hand of Bid Whist. She had a group of friends at work who would find time to play on their lunch hour. She never turned down the opportunity to play a game of cards while talking “smack.” She continued her love of playing cards in her retirement community in DeSoto. Wanda enjoyed bowling and participated in several leagues and tournaments throughout her life.
Wanda made her transition from her earthly home to her heavenly home on March 29, 2021. Wanda was preceded in death by her parents, her brother, Garland L. McAfee, her niece, Andrea J. McAfee, and her brother in-law, Wayne Q. Owens. She leaves to cherish her memory four sisters, Cecilia McAfee Taylor (Benjamin) of Tucson, Arizona, Carolyn McAfee Curry (Travis, Sr.) of Mukilteo, Washington, LaRue McAfee Smith (Lee) of Beaumont, Texas, Patricia McAfee Owens of Detroit, Michigan, one brother, Dr. Leo C. McAfee Jr of Ann Arbor, Michigan, one aunt, Dr. Velma McAfee Williams of Houston, Texas, a sister-friend and traveling companion, Dr. Deveta Peoples of Birmingham, Alabama and a special cousin, Martrae Lester Poindexter of Arlington, Texas. Wanda will be missed by her nieces and nephews, whom she adored: Benita Taylor Copeland (Jeffery), Benjamin P. Taylor II, Esq. (Jaclyn), Debra Curry, Tanya Curry Watkins (Craig), Travis Curry Jr (Michelle), Lesia Smith Linton (Stephen), Renee McAfee, Dr. Mildred McAfee, Kathrina McAfee, Cheryl McAfee, Leo C. McAfee III (Alicia), Dr. LaRuth McAfee, Dr. Lawrence McAfee (Vanessa), Cana Owens, and Wayne Q. Owens II. She leaves a host of other cousins, relatives, friends, and members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage. (Psalm 16:6 KJV)
In lieu of flowers please send donations to:
Hopewell Temple C.M.E. Church
P. O. Box 5171
Texarkana, TX 75503
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