Lena Rae Steinhoff

Lena Rae Steinhoff, age 85, passed away peacefully on May 9, 2026 in Winchester, VA.

She is survived by three children: Dr. Lew Steinhoff (Karen) of Fresno, CA; Mr. Jeff Steinhoff (Patti) of Bristow, VA; and Mrs. Cindy Mitchell (Keith) of Strasburg, VA. She is also survived by one sister, Mrs. Jo Ann Loy of Sarasota, FL as well as four grandchildren – Mr. Lewis Steinhoff, Jr. (Ali) of Rohrersville, MD, Mr. Sam Steinhoff of Fresno, CA, Mrs. Kaitlyn Tolley (Alex) of Strasburg, VA, and Miss Shelby Mitchell of Stephens City, VA. She was also the proud Great-Grandma to great-granddaughter Jenna (age 4-1/2 yrs.) & great-grandson Briar (born Apr 26, 2026). She was preceded in death by her sister, Mrs. Vernette Roberts of Tampa, FL.

Lena Rae was born in Arcadia, FL on July 3, 1940. Her father, John Adkison, owned a fish market in town and her mother, LaMerle Ellis, was a nurse. She was taught good manners from a young age and discovered the joy of reading when she spent one summer as a young girl reading Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. She gained her strong work ethic and determination from her father and sense of elegance and service to others from her mother. These would be important qualities later in life as she served in the White House during the Reagan and Bush 41 Administrations and as an Executive Secretary in embassies around the world. As a voracious reader, she enjoyed learning about different cultures, American history, biographies of Presidents and other famous people, religion, science, but most of all she loved fiction and her library reflected a range of popular authors. She loved dining at Olive Garden and enjoyed her Pinot Grigio wine.

Lena Rae will be most remembered for her love of her family and of animals. Though she did not wear her religion on her sleeve, she believed in the power of prayer. She was very proud of her children and grandchildren and would pray for them often. Her pets were family to her and loved all of them dearly. She will be greatly missed by her large family and her many friends.

A visitation will take place on Saturday, June 27th from 1:00PM to 2:00PM followed by a traditional funeral service at the Blount & Curry Funeral Homes Oldsmar West Hillsborough Chapel, 6802 Silver Mill Dr., Tampa, FL 33635.

A private interment will follow later in the day at the Garden of Memories Cemetery, 4207 East Lake Avenue, Tampa, Florida.