Virginia Jones Johnson

Virginia was born at City Hospital in Newark, New Jersey on August 4, 1949, to her loving parents, Artis and Virginia Jones. Her nickname was “Tat”, short for tadpole, and the name was affectionally given to her by her father because she was so petite. The middle child of seven, she got the best of both worlds with two sisters and one brother before her, and three sisters after her.

A Jersey girl to the core, she spent her youth in her community playing. She would race anyone brave enough to challenge her and was touted as the fastest person in the neighborhood. The neighborhood shared a community bike, and she taught every kid how to ride it, including her older siblings.

Although intensely shy, Virginia loved to dance and have a good time. She was a fashionista, and both designed and made her own clothes.

Virginia spent over 40 years in New Jersey before moving to Greenville, North Carolina with her husband, Leon, son Levi, daughter Lareena, and daughter Leonani in the womb.

Virginia swapped her platform shoes and afro wigs for fishing poles as she adapted to life in the south. She loved fishing and much to the disdain of her children forced to tag along, she could sit by the water with a book and a pole all day. She was an incredible cook and nothing brought her greater joy than preparing a meal and enjoying it with her family. She has never made a pan of mac and cheese that anyone did not like.

Virginia worked for over 24 years in retail before retiring and moving to Apex, North Carolina with her daughter Lareena and her family. She spent her retirement pursuing her goals of entrepreneurship, traveling with her children, and being grandma.

Virginia is preceded in death by her father and mother, Artis and Virginia Jones, her sister Betty Abraham, her brother, Earl Jones, and her niece, Tia Jones.

Virginia is survived by her husband Leon; her three children, Levi (Heather), Lareena (Marcus), Leonani (Preston); her ten grandchildren Nasiir, Ka’Mari, Lyriq, Jabril, Bryson, Liam, Austin, Kyren, Preston Jr., and Michael; her sisters Georgia (Reynard), Dianna (Carlos), Artis, and Georgeanna (Timothy); her nephews Eric, William, Terrell, and Timothy Jr.; her niece Chantah; as well as her sisters in law, brothers in law, great nieces and nephews, and a host of other family and friends she held near and dear.