Nell Jacquelin Richardson Cress

Nell Jacquelin Richardson Cress, 82, of Lynchburg, died Sunday, August 30, 2009 at Westminster Canterbury, Lynchburg. She had been the wife of Colonel Carl Duval Cress, Jr., A.I.A. , who predeceased her. Born in Lynchburg, she was the daughter of Frank Richardson and Nellie Tucker Richardson, and the sister of Frank Richardson, Jr., who all predeceased her. She is survived by a brother, Gerald Richardson, husband of Elizabeth Paulette Richardson, of North Redington Beach, Florida; two children: Debora Cress Embrey, wife of Edward Embrey, of Lynchburg; and Carl Duval Cress, III, husband of Brenda Senger Cress, of Roanoke; four granddaughters, Leah Embrey, Amber Cress, Korinna Cress, and Lauren Embrey; and two stepgrandsons, James Embrey, husband of Heather Embrey and Aaron Embrey. She is also survived by brothers-in-law, Cecil K. Cress, husband of Winifred Cress, of Lynchburg and Bill Cress, husband of Nancy Cress, also of Lynchburg, and sister-in-law, Gwen Cress Tibbs, wife of James Tibbs, of Covington, Kentucky, and a host of nieces and nephews and cousins. She enjoyed arranging flowers and had been a member of Woodcrest Garden Club, and assisted with her children's Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops. She also enjoyed drawing, and had taken a number of art classes at the Lynchburg Fine Arts Center. She particularly enjoyed traveling with her husband, Carl, big band music and dancing, and attending a wide variety of concerts and plays. She was a member of First Presbyterian Church. The family would like to thank the nursing and activities staff of Westminster Canterbury and Dr. Susan Funk for their care of her in her last years. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Financial Management Branch, Building 31, Room 8A34, 31 Center Drive, MSC 2540, Bethesda, Md., 20892-2540. A memorial service, followed by a catered reception, will be held at 3 p.m., Saturday, September 12, 2009 at the Inn at Trivium, 7821 Bellevue Rd., Forest, Virginia. To send condolences and messages online, please go to www.whittenfuneralhome.com. Whitten Funeral Homes and Cremation Service, Park Ave. Chapel is serving the Cress family.