Andrea Leigh Anderson, 68, secretary and devoted family matriarch.

IF YOU GREW UP in Andrea Anderson's home, you were advised to develop a taste for raw juices and whole foods.

Taking a cue from her beloved late father, Andrea loved good healthy foods herself and made sure her children got the best in natural nourishment.

In fact, family was very important to Andrea Leigh Anderson. She was everyone's mother and grandmother.

In addition to her family, Andy, as she was known to family and friends, was devoted to several hobbies, including caligraphy, drawing and collecting coins. She was a Mrs. Fix-It around her former South Philadelphia home, where legend had it she could fix anything.

Andrea Anderson, a secretary who worked various jobs, including at the U.S. Naval Base, before settling down to care for her growing family, died Jan. 11. She was 68.

"Andrea lived a rich and fulfilling life," her family said. "She was a strong woman who faced life's many challenges and adversities with grace and compassion."

One of Andy's favorite pasttimes was going to the Uptown Theater, where Georgie Woods was the host of musical entertainment. She could also dance a mean Bop, Strand or Cha-Cha.

Andrea was born in Philadelphia to Clarissa W. Dunston and the late Charles Dallas Dunston. She attended Philadelphia High School for Girls and the John F. Kennedy Trade School, where she studied business and specialized in shorthand.

She is survived by her mother; four daughters, Jamilah Kennedy, Asmahan Luke, Zenzi Anderson Lilley and Angela Anderson; a sister, Cheryl A. Young; two brothers, Charles Dallas Dunston Jr. and William Bernard Dunston; 19 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. She was preceded in death by her longtime companion, Louis M. Tillson Sr.

Services: Were Jan. 18. Burial was in Fernwood Cemetery.