Virginia Lois Neely

Virginia was born November 8, 1926 at the home of her grandparents in Franklin, TN. She grew up in Columbia TN where she graduated from Central High School. She attended Georgetown (KY) College, received her B.A. degree from Cumberland Univ, M.A. in Education at George Peabody College and pursued further graduate studies at the University of Tennessee.

Her 33 years of teaching in McMinn County and Metro Nashville schools was interrupted by 2 other careers. The first was Y-Teen director at the Nashville YWCA (1951-53). The second was from 1953-57 when she was the children’s-wear buyer at Loveman’s.

As a Nashville educator, Virginia taught at Isaac-Litton Jr. High, Maplewood, Hillwood, and Overton. During her years as a marketing teacher, she received the DECA Lifetime Achievement award from the state organization in 1986. She was a member of the local, state, and national education associations. From 1966-68 she served as the second elected president of the Metropolitan National Education Association. In the late 1970's she was a YWCA board member

Virginia is a Kappa Delta alumna, a former member and president of the Alpha Nu Delta Kappa Gamma Society for Teachers and a member of Immanuel Baptist Church since 1951.

She was also an amateur photographer who took excellent pictures both locally and in her extensive travels within the states and overseas. In 1973 she received a scholarship to participate in an educational tour of the (then) USSR. Other interesting tours were Christmas in Switzerland and a 7 week tour of Europe. After retirement, she made many trips to Blowing Rock, NC and Ft. Myers Beach, FL.

She is survived by four of fifteen first cousins: Andrew Peek, Tampa, FL; Carol (Mike) Spink, Auburn, CA; Belinda (Jim) Smith, Baton Rouge, LA; Dr. Joe Peek, Rock Hill, SC; and also Elinor Peek of Nashville.

The family wishes to thank friends and neighbors who have helped Virginia through the years: Tom, Becky and James Barry, Lee and Julie Dilworth, the Breinig family, Frances Crawford, Charlotte Ritter, Sarah Wray, Jim and Margaret Steward, Robert Knight, Phil Byrd, Amanda Hudgens, Helen Strickland, Lisa Ridley, Angie Robinson and the late John Jackson.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to: the McMinn County Living Heritage Museum https://www.livingheritagemuseum.org, Nashville Rescue Mission https://nashvillerescuemission.org, or Immanuel Baptist Church https://ibcnashville.org

A gathering of friends and family will begin at 12:00 on January 10, 2023, at Immanuel Baptist Church, 222 Belle Meade Blvd., with a funeral service at 1:00. Burial to follow at Mt. Hope Cemetery, 608 Mt. Hope Street, Franklin, TN.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.marshalldonnellycombs.com for the Neely family.