MARY VIRGINIA GATES WEBER

Mary Virginia Gates Weber, 99, born July 17, 1915 in Memphis, TN, died Tuesday, December 9, 2014. The widow of Joseph H. Weber, she was a loving mother and grandmother. A retired teacher from Memphis City Schools, the majority of her 43 years teaching were with Rozelle Elementary students. She also taught at Messick and retired from White Station Elementary. A lifelong Catholic, Virginia was baptized at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church. Her schooling began at age 7 at Immaculate Conception where she became the first person to complete all 12 grades, graduating in eleven years from the old Catholic High. She graduated from State Teachers College in Memphis with a BS in Education qualifying her to teach English and Latin at High School level, but began her teaching career as an elementary substitute teacher. Her joy of seeing children in 3rd, 4th and 5th grades expand their horizons was so great, she choose to remain a teacher in elementary school her entire career. She was very proud of all her students, often telling her family of her students’ accomplishments, including a play her pupils wrote and did in Spanish. Virginia was an active member of the Memphis Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW), which she joined in 1976. Before her marriage, Virginia enjoyed traveling. She went to Europe on a pilgrimage seeing Fatima, Rome and the Pope. She also traveled to Cuba, Miami, and New York. Virginia later married while in the process of receiving her Master’s Degree. Virginia and her husband Joe (deceased) had two daughters Stella (Dan) Buchignani and Mary Wilhelmina (Peter) Alfonso, born on the same day a year apart. Grandchildren are Michelle (Tom) Simpson, Melissa Alfonso, Joseph Alfonso, Charles Buchignani, Stacey Alfonso Corbitt, and Peter (Dawn) Alfonso. She leaves great-grandchildren Shaun and Morgan Hamblen and their father Paul Hamblen; Whitney Allen and daughter Ella (great-great-grandchild); Jasmine Harrison; Forrest Alfonso; Isabella Alfonso; and Dakota Corbitt. Her sister Patsy Hendricksen of Peoria IL and sister-in-law Mamie Helm Gates of Memphis also survive Virginia. Preceding her were her parents Stella and Charles Gates and three brothers Charlie, Carl and Edward Gates. We thank Methodist Hospital, Signature Care at St. Peter and their staff care of Virginia. Visitation will be 5-7 p.m. Thursday, December 11th at Canale Funeral Directors with rosary at 7 p.m. Funeral Mass will be 11 a.m. Friday, December 12th at the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception with interment at Calvary Cemetery at 1:30 p.m. Memorials can be made to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Immaculate Conception Cathedral School for a scholarship in her name, the AAUW Memphis Branch for Education Foundation or Monastery of St. Clare.