Virginia Mae Diggs

NEWPORT NEWS - Virginia Mae Diggs, 93, passed away at Riverside Regional Medical Center on Monday, May 7, 2007. She was born in Gloucester County on Nov. 20, 1913, the first child of Clifton A. Diggs and Kate Brown Diggs. Visually handicapped from birth and legally blind at the age of 21 from retinitis pigmentosa, she graduated from Achilles High School in 1931 and retired from the Virginia Commission for the Blind, following 25 years of service as a certified home teacher of the blind. Among her accomplishments was organizing the first bowling team for the blind in the city of Richmond. After retiring, she made her home with her sister, Ruth Clark. At the time of her death, she lived with her niece, Mary Lee Dunn and her husband, Jay. She was alternately a member of Union Baptist, where she taught Sunday school, Tabernacle Baptist Church in Richmond, and Temple Baptist, where she was active as telephone outreach chairman, and Hilton Baptist Church. Miss Diggs is survived by her sister, Ruth Clark; nephew, Tom Clark and his wife, Linda, and their son, Bryan Clark, and his wife, Heather, all of Atlanta, Ga. In addition, she is survived by her niece, Mary Lee Dunn, and her husband, Jay, and their daughters, Jennifer and her husband, Vince Dellapenta, all of Newport News and Lauren Dunn of Richmond. The family will receive friends from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday at Peninsula Funeral Home followed by a funeral service at 12:30 p.m. at the funeral home, officiated by the Rev. Lynwood Wells of Hilton Baptist Church and Pastor Deborah Dail of Denbigh Presbyterian Church. Burial will be at 2:30 p.m. in Gloucester Point Cemetery, within the family plot with her mother and father. Friends are encouraged to visit the family at Mary Lee's residence throughout the week. Memorial contributions may be made to Hilton Baptist Church, 101 Main Street, Newport News, VA 23601, or the Denbigh Presbyterian Church LOGO's Children's and Youth Ministry, 302 Denbigh Blvd., Newport News, VA 23602. Peninsula Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.