SFC Andrew L. Powers, Sr.

It is with deep sadness that we announce Sergeant First Class Andrew Lee Powers, Sr., 72, departed this life on October 6, 2026. Andrew was born in Chicago, Illinois, on July 7, 1954. His life was a reflection of hard work, dedication, and service to others. He was preceded in death by his parents, Walter Powers and Annie Powers Garcia. In 1972, Andrew graduated from John Marshall High School. Soon after graduation, he joined the United States Army, where he was trained as an Army Nurse. His first active-duty relocation was to Germany.

During his early years in the military, Andrew also made time to attend college. In 1984, he completed his studies, earning a B.I.S. degree from Virginia State University. Seven years later, in 1990-91, Andrew participated in the Gulf War, also known as “Desert Storm.” When the war ended, Andrew spent a number of years serving as a nurse to soldiers admitted to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC. Later, he relocated home to Petersburg, Virginia, continuing to use his nursing skills at various hospitals in the Tri-Cities area, including Southside Regional Medical Center, which has been renamed Bon Secours Southside Medical Center. When Andrew officially retired after a thirty-year military career, including the National Guard, he spent his much-appreciated free time doing many things he enjoyed. He served as a substitute teacher, a police officer, and a skilled carpenter.

Andrew is survived by his first wife, Julia Kerslake Lynch (Rick); his second wife, Hallie Llewellyn Powers; and his four children, Andrew Powers II, Brandon Powers, Jerome Powers (Judith) of Fairburn, Georgia, and Angelica Powers Goolsby (Lonta). Andrew’s surviving nuclear family includes Eugene Powers of Odessa, Texas, Pier Powers, Michelle Powers, and Juan Garcia (Rocio) of Cicero, Illinois. Andrew was the proud grandfather of Andrew Powers III, Alexia Powers, Andre Barnes, and Xavier Goolsby. He was also the great grandfather to baby girl Kennedy. Andrew has a host of nieces and nephews living in Illinois, Texas, North Carolina, and Virginia. He never met a stranger that he could not make a friend, and he was a joy to many individuals in the community. At the time of Andrew’s passing, he was in the care of the Virginian Independent Living Facility. The family would like to thank the Virginian Staff for their love and support and for a host of friends that Andrew made there.

Services will be held 11:00 A.M., Friday, October 23, 2026, at Open Door Ministries, 301 E. South Boulevard, Petersburg, VA, Pastor Paulette D. Friday, eulogist. The interment will be held 2:00 P.M., at Virginia Veterans Cemetery at Amelia.

A wake will be held from 7:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M., Thursday, October 22, 2026, at the funeral establishment.

J. M. Wilkerson Funeral Establishment, Inc., 102 South Avenue, Petersburg, VA, (804) 732-8911, www.jmwilkersonsince1874.com. Watch the funeral services live online on our J. M. Wilkerson Funeral Establishment, Inc. Facebook page or click here to view: https://vimeo.com/event/6286794?fl=so&fe=fs