Virginia Grace Campbell Taylor

EXETER - Virginia Grace Campbell Taylor peacefully died at the age of 92 at her home in Exeter on Monday, March 5, 2018. On April 22, 1925, Virginia was born in Philadelphia to Eva (Duff) and John C. Campbell.

Virginia attended Philadelphia public schools graduating from Kensington High School in 1943. After graduating, she joined the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps at Episcopal Hospital School of Nursing in Philadelphia becoming a registered nurse in 1946.

In 1945, while touring the Capitol Building in Washington, DC with a nursing school friend wearing their nurse cadet uniforms, they were pursued by two young Marines. The four spent the day together, encountering Eleanor Roosevelt who commented on how handsome they all looked in their uniforms. One of the Marines, Lee H. Taylor, Jr. and Virginia were married in Philadelphia in July 1945.

Virginia enjoyed family and friends above all else, keeping the art of letter writing alive. Since she also loved to sing, all family members could expect an early morning rendition of Happy Birthday each year. She competed with the Sweet Adelines International for many years. With her remarkable memory, especially for names and dates, she was our family genealogist traveling to England and Ireland for information and meeting unknown relatives. She continued to travel overseas up into her eighties. Virginia also enjoyed playing the piano and reading. She was a member of the Methodist Church in Hampton and later the First Baptist Church in Exeter.

She was predeceased by her husband of fifty years, and two younger sisters, Ruth Moyer and Nancy Nosworthy.

Virginia is survived by her younger brother J. Kenneth Campbell (Joan) of Cocoa, Florida; her three children, Diane Taylor (Ron Furst) of York, Karen Taylor Fry (Gary) of Hereford, Arizona, and Lee C. Taylor (Vinette Varvaro) of Newburyport; also her six grandchildren, Ariel Harmon of Kensington, Taylor Harmon (Chloe Coombes) of London, UK, Katherine Clark (Joe) of Harwich, Asa Furst of Portland, Daniel Taylor of Gorham, and Peter Furst (Luca Balogh-Furst) of Portsmouth. Additionally, she enjoyed her seven great-grandchildren, Lola and Ella Harmon, Eli, David, and Finian Clark, and Alma and Viola Furst. Virginia became a loving surrogate mother/grandmother for many of her nieces and nephews.

SERVICES: A memorial will be scheduled in the future.