Violet Valare Brewer Courtney

Violet Valare Brewer (Vi) Courtney, of Woolwine, Va., passed away on Thursday, October 22, 2009, at Skyline Manor Nursing Home in Floyd, Va., at age 98. Born in Birmingham, Ala., on February 9, 1911, to Claude Theo and Violetta Melodee Brewer, she was a beloved wife, mother and grandmother, an artist, a lover of music, opera and ballet and an avid reader. She studied painting with Alabama artist, Kelly Fitzpatrick, and was a self-taught photographer. As a military spouse, she traveled widely and organized numerous art fairs and other social and charitable events. She is preceded in death by her parents; brothers, Don and Crawford; and by her daughters-in-law, Helen, Elizabeth and Edna. Survivors include her husband of 79 years, James H. Courtney, of Woolwine; daughter, Lynn of Maynard, Mass.; sons, Don of Manassas, Va., Hugh of Woolwine, and Bill (and Eva) of Plano, Texas; 11 grandchildren; 12 greatgrandchildren; two greatgreat-grandchildren; as well as a niece, Janet Riggs, of Little Rock, Ark.; and nephew, Shelby Brewer, of Alexandria, Va. A memorial service is planned for 1 p.m. on Saturday, November 21, 2009, at the family home in Woolwine. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the School of American Ballet Scholarship Fund, 70 Lincoln Center Plaza, 5th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10023 or the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade, 1345 Avenue of the Americas, New York, N.Y. 10105.