Vivian Mae Morris

Vivian Mae Morris

Vivian Mae Morris, a loving and dedicated mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, went home to be with the Lord on Friday, April 16, 2010.

She was a retired employee of Comdial in Charlottesville and an active member of St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church in Ivy, where she served in various capacities as a member of the Altar Guild, Vestry and Episcopal Church Woman's Club. She will be most remembered for her years of service as director of the church Sunday school.

Vivian was born on January 4, 1930, to the union of the late Gracie Sprouse and Layton O. Wood Sr. She was the loving wife of the late James H. Morris Sr. She was also preceeded in death by her brothers, Alvin Carroll, Layton and Lloyd Wood; as well as her sisters, Fontella Spratley, Helen Gertrude Edmonds and Elise Church.

She leaves behind to cherish her memory her son, James H. Morris Jr. "Howard" of Charlottesville; two daughters, Pamela Bear of Newport News and Judy Hollopeter of Melbourne, Florida; seven grandchildren and their spouses, Shawn Bear of Gloucester, James H. Morris, III and Caroline of Charlottesville, Angela and Jeffrey Barnes of Newport News, Jennifer and Brian Hyde of Charlottesville, Mark and Tammy Bear of Newport News, Pamela J. and Michael Kwiatkowski of Newport News and Christopher and Megan Morris of Greenville, South Carolina; eight great-grandchildren, Tre Banks, Trevor Hyde, Zachary and Zoey Kwiatkowski, Meghan Barnes, James H. Morris IV, Cameron Bear and Kyliegh Bear. In addition, she also leaves behind two sisters and their husbands, Jessica and Pete Breeden of Charlottesville, Alease and Kenneth Bryant of Fruita, Colorado; three sisters-in-law, Carrie Farrish and Irene Morris, both of Charlottesvillle and Betty Wood of Buchanan; one brother-in-law, Ashby Spratley of Garner, North Carolina; and a host of nieces and nephews. Vivian is also survived by the last of the original "Traveling Golden Girls", Bertha Brown of Charlottesville.

Funeral services will be conducted 2 p.m. Tuesday, April 20, 2010, at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church in Ivy, Virginia. The service will be led by the Reverend Kathleen Sturges. Interment will follow at the church cemetery.

Due to Vivian's life-long dedication to the church and her great love of children, the family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Vivian Morris Youth Scholarship Fund in care of St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church, P.O. Box 351, Ivy, VA 22945.This fund has been established in Vivian's memory and will allow for her work with the children of her church to continue by providing them with both creative and educational opportunities through such things as youth church camps and religious retreats.

The family will receive friends from 7 until 8 p.m. Monday, April 19, 2010, at Teague Funeral Home.

Friends may sign the guest register at teaguefuneralhome.com.


This obituary was originally published in the Daily Progress.