Mary Simmons Waltrip

On Monday, August 19, 2013, Mary Simmons Waltrip went to her Heavenly Home, where her husband Dudley Clay Waltrip was waiting for her.  Mary was born April 11, 1915 in Sugar Grove, West Va.  She was 98 years old at her passing.

Mary moved to Williamsburg at the age of 24, where she worked as a waitress at the Colonial Restaurant, and met the love of her life and her lifelong business partner, Dudley C. Waltrip.  She believed in old fashioned values and way of life, but was very much a modern day woman for her time.  She worked side by side with her husband in all their businesses, starting with D.C. Waltrip & Sons Construction Co., where she would many days drive a dump truck when needed.  Together, they worked at Nesselrodt Dairy Farm, owned and operated Waltrip Mobile Home Village, Waltrip Dredging Co., Waltrip Landfill, Quality Re-Sale Shop (the first consignment shop in the area), along with owning the Williamsburg Jamestown Airport that opened in 1970 and is still servicing the Williamsburg area today.  Mary loved to garden, quilt, fish, and the one thing everyone loved was her cooking.  She and Dudley were also members of the Colonial Model A Club.  Mary was a member of Jamestown Presbyterian Church and was actively involved over the years by teaching Sunday School, heading and being a member of the women’s circle, member of the choir, a church elder, along with many other committees.  Mary’s love of quilting was used to help start a women of the churches quilt fundraiser, along with many other fundraisers for the church.  Mary and Dudley also caught the fish for the church’s annual Fish Fry for many years.  Mary was most honored when she received the “Honorary Life Membership” from the Presbytery Women of the Presbyterian Church of the U.S.A. for her many years of devotion and service.  Throughout her life, she welcomed many family members, friends and even strangers into her home for a home cooked meal and at times, even a place to stay.  As the years passed, and she was unable to do many things she loved, you could find her visiting with the fisherman that would come by to go fishing on her property, at the College Creek; reading her Bible and ending the day with watching her two favorite shows, Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy.

Mary was preceded in death by her husband, Dudley Clay Waltrip; son, Robert Norris Simmons; father, John William Simmons; mother, Sidney Florence Simmons; three sisters; and a daughter-in-law, Jean Waltrip.

Mary is survived by her son, Dudley S. “Timmy” Waltrip, wife, Becky; son, Larry T. Waltip; daughter-in-law, Betty Simmons Heflin; and grandchildren, Anne Marie Thorton (Lex), Robert “Bobby” Simmons (Tina), Lisa Waltrip (Robbie Sheldon), Dudley “Timmy II” Waltrip Jr., Brian Waltrip (Simone), Dena Waltrip, Michelle Broady (Donald); 10 great-grandchildren and 5 great-great grandchildren.

The family would like to thank all of the caregivers that took such good care of Mary.

A visitation will be held at Nelsen Funeral Home, 3785 Strawberry Plains Rd., Williamsburg on Friday, August 23, from 6-9pm.  A service will take place Saturday, August 24 at 3pm at the Williamsburg Community Chapel,   3899 John Tyler Hwy, Williamsburg.  Interment will follow at Williamsburg Memorial Park.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be sent to Jamestown Presbyterian Church Building Fund, 3287 Ironbound Rd. Williamsburg, Va. 23185 or Sentara Hospice, 200 Enterprise Dr., Newport News Va. 23603.  Online condolences may be offered at www.nelsencares.com.