Virginia Deadwyler

Virginia Allen Deadwyler, Jr. passed away on Saturday, August 30, 2025 at the age of 96. She had an amazing and full life. Virginia moved to Atlanta when she was a small child and attended Druid Hills High School in Decatur. She was a cheerleader and swimmer at Druid Hills. It was there that she met the love of her life, C. L. Deadwyler, Jr. She attended Randolph Macon Women's College and was a Phi Mu. Eager to marry C. L., she took summer classes and finished her Bachelor's degree in just 3 years. They were married in November of 1948, and were married for 60 years until his death in 2009. Virginia and C. L. had 6 children (Rick, Doug, Nancy, Susan, Catherine, and Laura). She was sadly predeceased by Nancy and Susan. They had 12 grandchildren and currently have 22 great grandchildren... so far! They left quite a legacy. Virginia stayed at home with the children for many years, and later worked in a variety of settings but mostly in education. She was a smart and gifted teacher and a favorite at Lakeside High School. She taught English at night school at DeKalb College while her children were in school so she could be available during the day. She later was a long term substitute teacher at Lakeside High School, where her children attended. She taught Math, English, and Biology, often filling in for teachers who would be absent for up to 6 weeks. She earned her teaching certificate from Georgia State University and taught at Lithonia High School. Later, for convenience to home, she was a para-professional at Henderson High School. In her last years at work, she worked alongside her husband C. L. in his real estate appraisal business. They worked well together, like two peas in a pod. Virginia and C. L. loved to go camping, and started the family traditions of camping at both the beaches and the mountains while their youngest was still in diapers. As the family grew, it was more the merrier. The camping trips grew into multi-site camping trips as the children married and had their own children. Virginia and C. L. started off with a 7 person tent, then a pop-up camper, and then a motorhome. The family has so many fond memories of camping - and mom always brought her yummy cooking skills to the trips. With Virginia cooking and C. L. grilling, nobody went hungry! The motorhome often doubled as guest quarters over the summers and holidays as the family grew, and was a grandchild favorite! Virginia always made Christmas FUN! Her infamous lemon sugar cookies with butter icing are still made by family members each Christmas to this day. Virginia loved feeding her family, and the cooking would start days in advance of family coming to visit. She was exceptionally talented and artistic, and always had fun projects for the grandchildren like cookie baking and decorating, tie dyeing t-shirts, and painting rocks from the beloved family creek. Virginia is a beloved mom, grandma, great grandma, and friend, and she will be sorely missed on this earth.