Virginia Tucker Hill, 92, of Virginia Beach, Virginia, died Thursday, August 22, 2019 at her home with her daughter, Julee Yarosh, by her side. In the last two weeks of her life she was visited by each of her loving daughters and three grandchildren, and on the morning of the last day of her life she was able to look into the eyes of her eighth great grandchild for the first time.

Virginia was born July 30, 1927 in Washington, D.C. to Doris Evelyn Wood Tucker and Samuel Lee Tucker, Jr. She was a bright child who skipped ahead one elementary grade. She excelled in archery during her high school years. In 1943 she graduated from George Washington High School in Alexandria, VA, just before turning 16. She attended Agnes Scott College in Decatur, GA, receiving degrees in Chemistry and Psychology in 1948.

While working for the FBI in Washington, D.C., she met Naval Academy midshipman Jackson D. Hill of Maine. Jack and Virginia were married in Alexandria, VA on October 8, 1949. During the next 25 years, they would have six daughters and live in many locations familiar to Navy families: Norfolk, Hampton and Williamsburg, VA, New Bern and Elizabeth City, NC, Charleston SC, Newport RI, Long Beach CA, San Diego CA, and Monterey CA before returning to settle in Virginia Beach, VA which became her home for the next 55 years.

In 1979, Virginia received a Master of Science in Social Work from Norfolk State University. Over the following years she worked for several different social service agencies including the City of Virginia Beach Social Services, Chesapeake City Family Services, Navy Family Services (NFS) and Tidewater Psychiatric Associates. After a long career of helping countless individuals and families in the Tidewater area, Virginia retired in 2000 at the age of 73.

All during her years in Virginia Beach, Virginia was an active member of Bayside Presbyterian Church, teaching in Sunday School, serving on committees, participating in women’s circle and serving multiple times as a Deacon and elder of the church. She also served more than twenty years as the treasurer for Tidewater Westminster Homes, Inc.

Virginia was a life-long member of the Presbyterian Church and an ardent disciple of Christ. She led her life in Jesus’s footsteps; serving as a role model to everyone she touched. She emulated Christ’s teachings in all her actions and demonstrated her devotion to God in her way of living; kind, disciplined, gracious, fair, and just. But also, funny and joyful – and sometimes even silly. Most of all she was loving, and her joyful loving ways left an indelible mark on all those who knew her. She led a life of victory and recently stated that the most important book in her life was “The Little Engine that Could”. She took on many challenges in her life and was always open to her personal growth, attending many self-improvement seminars in her sixties.

Virginia’s favorite part of life was at home or with her family. Her love for her children was unconditional . She embodied the classification of “World’s Greatest Mom”. Her daughters knew this, as did many of her daughter’s friends, their cousins, their teachers, and the community, who experienced this remarkable woman’s care and love.

During her long life, Virginia traveled extensively, including a two cross country train trips and a cross-country car trip from Monterey CA to Virginia Beach. She never lost the urge to travel, touring Europe, Norway, and Mexico, often in the company of family members. And she loved to tell stories about her travels like when she swam with dolphins in Mexico, or when her cruise ship deviated from its planned itinerary to rescue oil rig workers stranded by a storm in the North Sea.

Many of her most meaningful trips involved her extensive and growing family: camping trips with her oldest grandsons one year and with the granddaughters the next. Family trips to the Hill cottage on the Maine coast, to a family farm in Swoope VA, and to the Rappahannock River in Dunnsville VA. She was always interested in family connections and often cemented the family relationships through reunions, weddings, celebrations and other family gatherings. Christmas gatherings became legendary in her family circle. Some of her grandchildren will never forget her Brittany Spears imitation during a wedding celebration. Laughter in the household was as important as education, discipline and structure. After raising her children, Virginia enjoyed attending the symphony, art shows, opera, theater, having dinner with her friends, giving to the community and her church and belonging to two book clubs.

Virginia was pre-deceased by her parents, Doris and Samuel Lee Tucker, Jr.; her sister Nancy Brooks; her former husband Jack, her brother-in-law Edward Johnson, her niece Michelle Milligan Davis and her granddaughter Lindsay Yarosh as well as many dear friends, and especially her two colleagues from Norfolk State: Mary Ellen Peterson and Nancy Miller.

She is survived by six daughters: Anne Hill Baxter and her spouse Eric Baxter of Raleigh, NC; Alice Hill Murray of Virginia Beach, VA; Pamela Tucker Gibson and her spouse Jim Gibson of Charlottesville, VA; Chelsea Elizabeth Walker and her spouse David Siegel of Albuquerque, NM; Julee Hill Yarosh and her spouse Alan Yarosh of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands; and Virginia Louise Hill of Charlottesville, VA; 13 grandchildren: Greg Jones (Julie) of Vashon Washington; Christopher Gibson (Jeff) of Charlottesville, VA; Mackenzie Jones of Missoula, MT; Jonathan Groner (Rosemarie) of Wilmington, NC; Jennifer Lainhart of Morgantown, WV; Patrick Gibson (Laura) of Charlottesville, VA; Emily Gibson (Aaron) of Los Angeles, CA; Kendall Yarosh of West Chester , PA; Hillary Yarosh of Washington, D.C.; Marissa Yarosh of Glenn Mills, PA; Samuel Murray of Virginia Beach, VA; Ainsley Yarosh of West Chester, PA; 8 great-grandchildren: Avery Gibson, Michael Groner, Luke and Virginia Lily Lainhart, Ethan Gibson, Annabel Lee Groner, Colin Gibson and Merritt Gibson; sister June Tucker Garner of Thomasville, GA; sister-in-law Betty Johnson of Potomac, MD and Phippsburg, ME; brothers-in-law Fred (Marty) Hill of Arrowsic, ME and Richard (Meryl) Hill of Bath, ME; 13 nieces and nephews: Clarence “Sandy” Brooks; Betsy Brooks; Ginger Brooks; Leslie Wyatt; Stephanie Srour; Eric Johnson; Jeff Milligan; Scott Milligan; Sara Hill Schlenker; Clark Hill; Meredith Hill Inosencio; Diana Hill Kilgallen; and Alex Hill and many other dear friends.

There will be a memorial service and short reception on Friday, August 30, 2019 at 2:00 pm at Bayside Presbyterian Church, 1400 Ewell Rd. Virginia Beach, VA. On Saturday, August 31, 2019, family and friends are welcome to gather at 10:00am for a short graveside service and burial at Maplewood Cemetery, Gordonsville, VA. We will gather for a luncheon afterwards.

Charitable contributions to the First Candle/SIDS Alliance and/or the Epilepsy Foundation of America may be made in lieu of flowers.