Mrs. Ebba Anna Wilhelmine Stender TinWin, age 89, passed away peacefully on June 27, 2026, at Sentara Heart Hospital following complications from congestive heart failure.
Born in Kiel, Germany, on April 5, 1937, Ebba was the only child of Ernst and Frieda Stender. Her childhood was shaped by the hardships of World War II, including the heavy bombing of her hometown. Despite those difficult years, some of her happiest memories were spent in her grandparents’ farming village, where she played with cousins, cared for animals, enjoyed fresh fruits and vegetables from the garden, and experienced the simple joys of village life.
Ebba’s lifelong love of learning never diminished. Although she did not attend high school in Germany as she and her teachers had hoped, Ebba remained endlessly curious about the world and continued her education throughout her life.
At age 21, determined to build a new life, Ebba immigrated to the United States. She found work as a bank secretary in New York City and lived at the Manhattan YWCA. There, at an international gathering of residents, she met the love of her life, Robert “Bob” TinWin, a Burmese engineering student.
After a brief courtship, Bob was required to return to Burma to fulfill a work commitment. The couple became engaged, and after traveling through London and Kiel so that her parents could meet her fiancé, they boarded a ship bound for Burma.
Ebba and Bob married in Burma and spent seven years there, welcoming three children and building a life together. During that time, Ebba learned Burmese, adapted to a very different culture, cared for orphaned relatives, and embraced every challenge with determination and grace.
Following political upheaval in Burma, the family sought permission to immigrate to an English-speaking country. The United States welcomed them, and Bob accepted an engineering position with RCA in New York.
While raising her children, Ebba earned her GED, followed by both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in education. Her children fondly remember doing homework at the kitchen table alongside their mother as she pursued her own studies.
Over the years, Ebba and Bob moved from New York to New Jersey, Texas, Virginia, and Florida. Wherever she lived, Ebba formed lasting friendships with neighbors and work colleagues. She cherished her family and friends with remarkable devotion. Ebba never forgot a birthday, faithfully kept in touch with loved ones around the world, and made sure people knew they were remembered and loved.
In 1978, Bob and Ebba sponsored the immigration of Bob’s brother, Tin Maung Tong, and his family. Ebba devoted herself wholeheartedly to helping them build successful lives in America. She taught them English, helped with schooling, accompanied family members to job interviews, taught practical life skills, and provided endless encouragement.
Over the years, she and Bob also helped additional nieces, nephews, and extended family members establish themselves in the United States. They firmly believed in the American dream and the power of education, hard work, determination, and kindness.
After retirement, Ebba finally devoted herself fully to her greatest passion: art. Largely self-taught, she worked in acrylics and collages, developing a distinctive expressionist style. She often said that she needed to paint as much as she needed to breathe. Her artwork was exhibited throughout the region and brought joy to all who experienced it.
Retirement also brought Ebba and Bob to Cape Charles, where she found happiness living once again near the water. She loved breathing the salty bay air, walking along the beach, and watching the changing light over the Chesapeake Bay.
Another lifelong passion of Ebba’s was ballroom dancing. Even as her health declined, she continued to dance whenever she could, and when she no longer had the energy, she still tapped her feet to the music. She was dancing just weeks before her passing.
Ebba was preceded in death by her husband, Robert “Bob” TinWin, and her parents, Ernst and Frieda Stender.
She is survived by her children, Norbert TinWin (Xiomara), Monika Bridgforth (John), and Sarina Hrubesch; her grandchildren, Nick TinWin (Becky), Tyler TinWin, Brianna TinWin, Anna Olderman (Justin), and Julia Cope (Julian); and her great-grandchildren, Kailo TinWin, Zoe TinWin, and Severin Olderman; along with many beloved nieces, nephews, extended family members, and friends around the world.
A celebration of life reception will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 21, at Local-ISH Art at 22 Strawberry St. in Cape Charles, a place especially dear to Ebba as both a volunteer and exhibiting artist.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Eastern Shore of Virginia Community Foundation, P.O. Box 205, Onley, VA 23417, to support arts initiatives on Virginia’s Eastern Shore.
Arrangements are by the Williams-Onancock Funeral Home.
Ebba’s life journey carried her from war-torn Germany to Burma, from New York City to Virginia’s Eastern Shore.
Along the way she embraced new cultures, nurtured family, welcomed strangers, created beauty, and left a lasting mark on everyone fortunate enough to know her.
She will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered.
