Andrea Egan Didden's Obituary
Andrea Egan Didden
A beautiful person, showering love wherever she went.
Andrea was an inspirational educator, wonderful wife, loving mom, proud grandmother, and friend to all. She passed away on April 8, 2025 at her Lewes, Delaware home after a heroic battle with Alzheimer’s Disease.
Andrea was born on February 16, 1942 in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, daughter of George and Louise Egan. She attended Saint Charles Borromeo Elementary School in Woonsocket and Saint Xavier Academy High School in Providence, Rhode Island. Childhood stories suggest she had quite a spirited streak! She graduated from Rhode Island College with a degree in elementary education and in 1975 earned her Master’s degree in education administration from George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
She taught at John F. Kennedy Elementary School in Blackstone, Massachusetts for three years and then moved to Maryland where she taught in Montgomery County Public Schools from 1968 to retirement in 1998. Andrea was an early technology enthusiast beginning with the Commodore PET and dedicated the final decade of her career to integrating computer technology into the classroom at Pine Crest Elementary School in Silver Spring, Maryland. Always ready for an adventure, in 1998 she participated in a USAID project to expand computer literacy abroad that included a trip to Uganda with her principal Pam Sobel, and a visit by President Clinton to Pine Crest Elementary. She was proud of her 34 years in Alpha Delta Kappa (ADK), Epsilon Chapter, an international honorary organization for women educators, which is dedicated to educational excellence. She held many leadership positions and organized many fundraisers for ADK Epsilon’s altruistic purposes.
Andrea was a true Renaissance Person, with skills and interests in painting, carving, piano, skating, diving, equestrian, reading, gardening, birding, fishing, boating, sailing, and the theatre. She encouraged similar exploration of life for her son and then grandchildren, orchestrating a “Grammy Camp” for many summers of nature and museums.
She loved sharing time with friends and family at the beach in Lewes, Delaware. She could (and would!) make friends anywhere with anyone. She also enjoyed quiet time alone and most of all, cherished time with her adored and adoring husband of over 50 years, Albert.
Preceded in death by her mother and father Louise and George Egan and her brother George M. Egan. She is survived by her husband Albert Joseph Didden Jr, son Jason Thomas Didden and wife Amy, two grandsons Justin Thomas Didden and Peter Joseph Didden, sister Joanne Egan Shea (also her immediate neighbor of 40+ years), brothers Reverend Thomas Egan and Jay Egan, nieces Andrea Shea Cirbee and Joanna Shea O’Brien, and nephews Christopher Shea and Daniel Shea.
A visitation will be held on Saturday April 19, 2025, from 4:00 - 6:00 PM at Parsell Funeral Homes & Crematorium, Atkins-Lodge Chapel, 16961 Kings Highway, Lewes, DE 19958.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 AM Tuesday April 22, 2025, at Holy Cross Catholic Church, 4900 Strathmore Avenue, Garrett Park, MD 20896, where friends and family may begin visiting at 10:00 AM. Burial will be held after Mass, at 1:00 PM at Parklawn Memorial Park, 12800 Veirs Mill Road, Rockville, MD 20853.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in her honor to the Children’s Beach House, Lewes, DE, https://www.cbhinc.org/donate/, an organization Andrea supported for many years.
Please sign the virtual guestbook located on the tribute page.
FLORIST NOTE: PLEASE DELIVER ALL ARRANGEMENTS BY 1:00 PM ON FRIDAY, APRIL 18, 2025, TO OUR LEWES LOCATION.
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