Virginia Beach ~ Emma Virginia Parker passed away peacefully on April 2, 2019 in Virginia Beach, Va.  She was 81.

Virginia is survived by her children, Allison Parker Hedrick and Jason Lloyd Parker, PhD., two grandchildren, Peter and Alexander, and her brother John.  She was preceded in death by her parents, Willie P. and Annie, and five siblings, Martha, Bernice, Willie Earl, Ann, and James.

Her children remember her as a compassionate, generous, supportive mother and friend who treated everyone with equal kindness regardless of their faith, politics, or background.  She was a deeply spiritual person who supported many charitable causes and had several “rescued” beagles that she adored.

Virginia was an accomplished seamstress who loved to create costumes for herself and others, as well as designing beautiful dresses for fashion dolls.  She was passionate about Renaissance Faires and delighted in telling everyone that she was a “royal hostage” and “mother of all pirates” for her “family pirate crew”.  Virginia had a wicked sense of humor and loved a good risqué joke.  She crafted highly-detailed miniature houses and loved gardening, steak dinners, coffee, costume parties, and the Miami Dolphins. A Southern-style cook, she was known for her fluffy and delicious chicken and dumplings recipe. Virginia enjoyed watching movies on her wide-screen TV and she hopes Kevin Costner will not mourn her too deeply.

She happily retired from over two decades as a Coal Broker for C. F. Foos Coal Company, the only women-owned, women-staffed business in the coal industry, a rarity for the time for any business.  She was a strong, smart, creative person who proudly lived independently until her passing. She will be greatly missed by those whose lives she touched.

A memorial is scheduled for 11:00 am, Sunday April 14^th in the Meditation Room at the Association for Research and Enlightenment, Virginia Beach, VA.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Association for Research and Enlightenment or Beagle Rescue, Education, and Welfare (B.R.E.W.).