Vaya Wissman

Milford – On December 18, 2021, Vaya Wissman entered her eternal life peacefully and surrounded by family on Saturday, December 18, 2021. Vaya was born in Athens, Greece on March 31, 1934 to the late Panagiotis and Kalypsous Skiadaressi. Growing up in Athens during Germany’s WWII occupation of Greece, she learned the value of family and community at an early age.

As the youngest of three children, Vaya’s free spirit and mischievousness kept her family on their toes. She found an outlet for her energy through artwork, displaying her natural talent in her paintings and drawings as a young child. Following her graduation from high school, Vaya attended a university in Athens where she earned a degree in architecture.

In the mid-1950s, Vaya met her husband Charles E. Wissman while he was stationed in Athens with the U.S. Air Force. Shortly after their marriage in 1957, Vaya and Charles moved to Dover, Delaware where they began their family. CMSgt Charles Wissman’s military career took Vaya and her family all over the world as they were later stationed in Brazil, Japan, Germany, Arkansas, New Mexico, and Delaware.

Vaya was an active member of the NCO Wives Club and served as the Vice President of the American Women’s Activities Germany (AWAG). She was also a member of the Milford Garden Club. Vaya was a skilled barebow archer and member of the National Field Archeries Association. She participated in local and international archery tournaments in Japan, Germany, and the United States. She earned the title of Arkansas’ female state champion of outdoor barebow in 1973 and 1974 and later competed Ramstein, Germany where she was the Archery Association Europe’s female barebow indoor and field champion in 1977 and 1978.

Vaya’s artistic talents and creativity knew no bounds. She earned several awards for her needlepoint, beadwork, crochet art, and painting. Vaya excelled in pen and ink drawings, oil painting, watercolor, charcoals, Japanese Sumi-e style ink painting, and even practiced wood duck decoy carving. One of her favorite hobbies was to design and decorate elaborate birthday cakes for her children and grandchildren. Vaya’s love of nature and animals is often reflected in her artwork. Her paintings and drawings can be seen on display in the Wilmington and Sussex County Courthouses and the West Side Diner in Milford.

Mrs. Wissman was preceded in death by her husband Charles E. Wissman, Jr., her sister, Maria Skiadaressi, and her brother Sakis Skiadaressi.

Vaya’s spirit is carried on by her daughter, Maria Sadler and her husband Stewart, her son, Charles P. Wissman, her grandchildren, Travis Sadler and his family, Cassandra Sadler, Sydney Wissman, and Charles A. Wissman, as well as many nieces and nephews both here in the United States and in Greece.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Andrew the Apostle Orthodox Church, 33384 Mackenzie Way, Lewes, DE 19958, on Wednesday 12/29 at 12PM, with visitation starting at 11AM.

Interment is Millsboro Veterans Cemetery.