Virginia L. Wilkins

Virginia was born on May 22, 1928, in Monroe County, PA to the late Edward and Edith Landon.

Virginia graduated from Bangor Highschool in 1945. She left home for Philadelphia at 17 where she joined the Army Corp of Cadet Nursing. She met Lee Wilkins who was an undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania. They eloped in 1947 and had their first child, Sandra Lee, on September 4, 1948. They had their 2nd child, Cynthia Diane, on November 29, 1949. A few years later, they had their 3rd child, Steven Bradley, on February 19, 1952. Shortly thereafter, she contracted tuberculosis and was hospitalized for over a year and bed ridden for a year at home. After she recovered, she left nursing to be a stay-at-home mom. She & Lee raised their three children in the Media Pennsylvania area. On October 20, 1960, they were blessed with a 4th child, Jon Brian. When Brian was 6, Virginia got her real estate license. Through her real estate connections, she became the Home Economics teacher at Sleighton Farms, a girl’s reform school. She loved the girls and her job. Lee died suddenly in 1981. She met Lanue Johnson through work and fell in love again. She naturally fell in love with his 9 year old son Lanue Jr. and gladly took on the role of Step Mom. She lovingly raised young Lanue as her 5th child. Over time, she became a top administrator in the school. She retired, after about 30 years of service to the school in 1996 and moved to the farm in Apex to be near both her son’s families. Lanue Sr. died suddenly of a stroke in 2005.

Virginia has been the perfect Mom, Grandmother, Great Grandmother, and friend to many. She has always been the consummate gardener. She loves God’s flowers. We’re sure she’s in God’s glorious garden now.

In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by her 1st husband, Lee Wilkins, and her 2nd husband Lanue Johnson.

She is lovingly remembered by her daughters, Sandra Toriello and Cynthia Pittock (Robert McLaughlin) and her sons, Steven Wilkins (Kathryn) and Brian Wilkins (Dena) and her stepson Lanue Johnson (Madinah), 10 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren.

Family will receive friends and guests on Friday, March 24, 2023 from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM at Olive Chapel Baptist Church. A funeral service will follow at 12:00 PM and she will then be laid to rest at the church cemetery after the service.

The family has requested that any gifts, in addition to flowers, in Virginia’s honor be directed to Perkinsville Baptist Church’s College Ministry in Boone, NC where her grandson Austin serves. All gifts will go towards the missions and ministry needs of the college ministry. Gifts can be mailed to: 274 Jefferson Rd., Boone, NC 28607 to the care of “Wilkins Memorial Fund”. You can also give online at Perkinsville.org/give.

Fond memories and expressions of condolences can be shared online at apexfuneral.net for the Wilkins family.