Anna Mae (Watts) Estep

***ANNA MAE'S SERVICES WILL BE LIVE-STREAMED ON YOUTUBE. PLEASE SCROLL DOWN BELOW THE OBITUARY TEXT ON THIS PAGE TO FIND HER FUNERAL SERVICE INFORMATION. CLICK THE "WATCH EVENT" BUTTON TO BE A PART OF HER SERVICE. THE LINK WILL CONTINUE TO REMAIN ACTIVE BEYOND FRIDAY'S SERVICES. THANK YOU!***

Anna Mae (Watts) Estep, 87, of Fleetwood, passed away on Saturday, February 12, 2022 at home, surrounded by her family. She was the daughter of the late R. Vernon and Virginia (Smolizer) Watts, born on June 24, 1934 in Harrisburg.

Anna Mae was a 1953 graduate of Susquehanna Twp. High School, Harrisburg; she would meet her future husband, Jay, while he was working at a local gas station, and they’ve had each other’s hearts ever since. She worked for a short time at Community Medical Center as a unit secretary after her children left home. Beginning in the 1960s, Jay’s career would move the family to Williamsport, Allentown, and finally Scranton; after retirement, the two moved to Millsboro, DE, where Anna Mae could satisfy her love of crabbing. From there, they moved to their current home in Fleetwood, PA, also beginning their time as parishioners at Friedens UCC, Oley. She was a very giving woman, donating her time and money to worthy causes, and she was extremely passionate about supporting our veterans. She was a member of the Ladies Auxiliary at American Legion Post 217, Topton.

Traveling and exploring new places had always been a love of Anna Mae’s. She and Jay would go on many cruises over the years, with Alaska and the Mediterranean being two of her favorites, and their 25th Wedding Anniversary trip to Southeast Asia was particularly special because they visited their son while he was stationed in the Philippines. Trips to Chincoteague, Williamsburg and Arizona were frequent, she thought Hawaii was beautiful, and camping of any kind was exciting. The only thing that rivaled the thrill of traveling was pulling the lever on the slot machine; so naturally, Las Vegas became an all too convenient starting point for adventures. If you saw her in front of the TV, expect either Turner Classic Movies or FoxNews. Cooking came easily to her, and she had a soft spot for animals, especially Siamese cats. She always put family first, and her big heart was responsible for spoiling her kids and grandchildren. Her family is hopeful that she won’t have to find her own way to heaven, as her sense of direction was notoriously poor. Anna Mae could laugh at herself, but she was also quite capable of telling you exactly how she felt without thinking twice or mincing words.

Surviving Anna Mae is her best friend and husband of 67 years, Jay A. Estep; children, Douglas J. Estep (Betty) of Westfield, NC and Debra E. Helbert (Todd) of Boyertown; grandchildren, Amy Black (Travis), Josh Estep, Kate Lummus (Ben) and Allison DeInnocentiis (Chris); and three great-grandsons. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by a brother, Robert L. Watts.

A funeral service will be held at 11AM on Friday, February 18, 2022 at Parthemore Funeral Home & Cremation Services, New Cumberland. A public viewing will be held from 10AM until services begin at the funeral home. Burial will immediately follow in Rolling Green Cemetery, Camp Hill.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Anna Mae’s name to Veteran’s Making A Difference, Veteran Social Center, 645 North 6th Street, Reading, PA 19601.