Stafford, Ada Rose, 79, of Brandon, passed away on May 22, 2018. She is preceded in death by her husband, William 'Billy' Stafford; parents, Henry and Florence Pipe; and siblings, Reginald and Martin. Ada is survived by her loving family, daughter, Karin Hessemer; granddaughter, Laura; sister, Doris; Billy's daughters, Debbie, Sheryl, and Cathy and their children and grandchildren.

Born November 20, 1938 in London, England, as a young child, with her parents, she survived the London bombings by Germany, while her siblings were sent far away from the city during WWII. At 18 she married her first husband, an American, and moved to the U.S., where she gave birth to her only child, Karin. She would live most of her life in Miami. An accomplished secretary, she worked the very first day in the history of Carnival Cruise Lines, where she worked for many years before becoming a secretary to a prominent Miami psychologist. Upon his retirement, she continued to work for him at his antique store until his death.

In the 1960s she met the love of her life, Billy. She remained in Miami for several years after Bill's passing, and finally moved to Brandon in 2013 to live with her daughter, Karin and her husband  Eric, and granddaughter,  Laura.

Ada lived life to its fullest and leaves behind many friends who loved her in Miami and Brandon. There will a memorial service for Ada on June 22 at 11:00 at Serenity Meadows Funeral Home in Brandon, Florida. In lieu of flowers, please donate to LifePath Hospice.