Shirley Sutton Rosser

Beloved wife, grandmother, and community pillar Shirley Sutton Rosser departed this life on Sunday, September 29, 2019. She was 96.

Born to parents Percy and Mabel Sutton in 1923, Shirley came of age during the Great Depression. Her family settled in Hampton after her father found work at Newport News Shipbuilding. Shirley later graduated from Hampton High School and studied for a year at Longwood College. In 1943, she wed Dois Rosser, Jr., who would later become a local real estate developer and the founder of POMOCO Auto Group. While Dois served in the military, Shirley worked as a counselor at Contact Peninsula, an emergency hotline for military families in crisis. Her skills and compassion aided many people in their darkest moments.

A woman of profound faith, Shirley also dedicated much of her time to ministry projects. In addition to serving in her church’s women’s ministry, she helped to start a weekly women’s prayer group that continues to meet to this day. She also founded the Community Bible Study in Washington, DC., and helped to organize Virginia’s first Commonwealth Prayer Breakfast. She financially supported the Massanetta Springs Retreat Center in Harrisonburg, Va., which hosts Bible conferences and retreats for local church leaders. For many years, she was a member of Wythe Presbyterian Church and, more recently, of First Presbyterian Church of Hampton. When her husband founded the nonprofit International Cooperating Ministries (ICM) in 1986 to aid church growth in the developing world, Shirley spent many of her retirement years traveling around the world to meet indigenous pastors and attend church dedications. She also served on ICM’s board of directors since its inception.

Shirley was deeply devoted to her family and considered a role model in the community. She is survived by her loving husband, Dois, with whom she shared 76 joyous years of marriage. She also leaves behind three daughters, two sons-in-law (Pam and Gary Minter of Newport News, Cindy and Burt Higgins of Hampton, and Janice Allen of White Stone), eight grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. She will be greatly missed.

Visitation will be Friday, October 4, 2019, from 5 to 7 p.m. at R. Hayden Smith Funeral Home, 245 South Armistead Avenue in Hampton. A private graveside service for the family will be followed by a celebration of her life and witness to the resurrection on Saturday, October 5, at 1 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church in Hampton, with reception following in the fellowship hall. Nursery will be provided.  

In lieu of flowers, the family requests gifts made to ICM in Shirley’s memory. Gifts can be made online at icm.org/give or by calling 757-827-6704. Checks can be mailed to ICM at 1901 N. Armistead Ave., Hampton, VA 23666.

“Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all. Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.”                                                       ~ Proverbs 31: 29-30