Virginia Ann Powell

VIRGINIA ANN POWELL passed away on Nov. 26, 2015 in Little Rock Ark. Virginia (Ginny) was born in Norfolk, Va. on June 19, 1929 to Anna Elizabeth Kayes Smith and Edward Lyndon Smith. Ginny's parents were both from Olean, N.Y. They moved to Virginia where her father worked as a painter. With the Depression in full swing, the family returned to New York when Ginny was eight months old and remained until she was eight years old. The family returned to Virginia where Ginny's father began working at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Va. Portsmouth was a crowded, hectic place to grow up in the years before and during World War II. Ginny often said her family was poor during these years but never knew it. Her father was always able to provide for the large family. Ginny had a happy childhood with a tight knit family and developed a love for show tunes and reading that lasted throughout her life. Ginny's father passed away when she was only 11, leaving her mother with six children to raise. Ginny was the last surviving of the six children. Ginny attended St. Joseph's Academy, a Catholic girls school in Portsmouth and graduated when she was 15. During high school, she got a seasonal job at the Post Office by telling a "little white lie" about her age because she needed the money to help support her family. She worked various jobs including Grant's department store and at the Naval shipyard in Portsmouth, Va., doing office work until WWll ended. After the war, she began working at Woolworth's where she worked with a number of other girls her age. She loved her job and the camaraderie of the environment. One of Ginny's favorite places has always been the beach. It was there she met her future husband, William Brown Powell, Jr. in 1948 while renting a cottage in Oceanview for a week with girlfriends. Various groups of friends would often stop by the cottage. Bill was with a group that stopped by to visit. In re-telling the story, Ginny would say with twinkle in her eye and mischievous smile, "he fell madly in love with me but don't tell him I said that." They married June 24, 1950. Bill joined the United States Marine Corps, retiring as a Major after a 27 year career. Together, Bill and Ginny raised five children. Over the years, they lived in several states including Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, and California. Unlike other branches of the service, the Marines were often sent on unaccompanied tours of duty overseas while the families remained stateside. Virginia ran the household and raised the five children single-handedly when Bill was overseas. This was especially stressful during his two tours of duty in Vietnam, one stretching into 15 months straight with minimal communication. Virginia did whatever was necessary during these trying times, including learning to drive a car when she was 35 years old. Through the years, Ginny enjoyed hobbies such as embroidery, ceramics, reading and wreath-making, to name a few. She had simple tastes and a giving spirit. Ginny liked nothing better than shopping and buying gifts for family and friends. She loved collecting things and was well known for her extensive Raggedy Ann collection. She enjoyed musicals, anything by Rodgers and Hammerstein. South Pacific, The Wizard of Oz, Phantom of the Opera, and Oliver were among her favorites. Her defining characteristic was her keen sense of humor and appreciation of a good off color joke. She also was fond of scary movies and frequently played jokes on her children, such as carrying a radio into the bedroom when a scary song was playing to get them out of bed and ready for school. Bill & Ginny moved to Arkansas in 1978, upon his retirement from the Marine Corps. In a characteristic selfless act, Ginny brought her younger, special needs sister, Janice to Arkansas when their brother, who had been her caretaker, became terminally ill. Virginia's late husband, William Brown Powell, Jr., passed away in 2012. Virginia and Bill had been married for 62 years. Virginia resided in the Elmcroft Assisted Living facility in Sherwood for the last three and a half years. Although Ginny's vision and health declined over the past few years, leaving her virtually blind, she maintained her razor sharp wit, sense of humor, and positive attitude. She loved nothing more than being with her family, who will miss her terribly. Virginia is survived by her five children: Gary Powell (Charlotte) of Wichita, Kan., Bill Powell ( Meg Jones) of Memphis, Tenn., Denise James (Tom) of San Diego, Calif., Rick Powell ( Marilyn) of Millington, Tenn., and Sue Hibbs of Little Rock, Ark. She is also survived by 11 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. A special thank you to the staff at Elmcroft Assisted Living facility in Sherwood and to Arkansas Hospice for the wonderful care you provided for our mom. We love and will miss our Mom and Grammie but are thankful to have had her in our lives for as long as we did. Funeral services will be held Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2015, 5 p.m. at Rest Hills Funeral Home, 7724 Landers Road, North Little Rock, 72117. An online guestbook is available at www.griffinleggettresthills.com.