Virginia McKie

Virginia Jones McKie NORFOLK - Virginia Clyde Jones McKie, devoted wife, mother, and grandmother, passed away peacefully in her Norfolk home Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009. She was born June 28, 1927, in Berkley to Zebulon Vance Jones and Edythe Achilles Jones, grew up in Norfolk, and went on to graduate from Mary Washington College in 1949. On Dec. 31, 1949, she met her future husband, Jay Gillis McKie, at the Norfolk Yacht and Country Club. After announcing to his sub captain that "This is the girl I'm going to marry," Jay proposed to Virginia in mid- November 1950, and they were married April, 14, 1951, in the Good Shepherd Episcopal Church -- 58 wonderful years of marriage. Virginia had the good fortune to live in many places over her 82 years; starting with her first 23 years in Norfolk, she then moved with her Navy husband to Charleston, S.C., Honolulu, and Annapolis, Md. To begin her civilian life with her family, she moved to Attleboro, Mass., and then Dallas, where she lived for 24 years before finally choosing to divide her time between her two homes in Dallas and Norfolk. In her first eight years of marriage, Virginia, known as "Ginna" to her grandchildren, had three daughters, of whom she was fiercely proud and supportive: Ann Stuart McKie Kling born in 1952, Elizabeth "Betsy" Shelton McKie King born in 1956, and Jane Hamilton McKie born in 1958. "Mom" was our rock and will be greatly missed. We love you. Virginia is survived by her husband, Jay; her three daughters; her sister, Mary Ann Jones Beard; and six grandchildren and was predeceased by her two brothers, Zebulon Vance Jones Jr. and Lewis E. Jones, M.D. A private family funeral will be conducted in Forest Lawn Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Chrysler Museum of Art, 245 W. Olney Road, Norfolk, VA 23510 or at www.chrysler.org. H.D. Oliver Funeral Apts., Norfolk Chapel, is handling arrangements. Condolences may be offered to the family through hdoliver.com.