Jeanette Holmes Wingate

1925-2023

Jeannette Holmes Wingate passed away at home in Tucker, Georgia on January 5th, 2023 at the age of 97. Known as Jenny, she was born in Vidalia, Georgia on August 18, 1925. Her parents, Bub and Ezelle Holmes, eventually moved with Jenny and her sister, Elnor and brother, Faymon to Florida, settling in Lake Wales, where Jenny graduated from high school. Later she attended the University of South Carolina, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in1952.

Columbia, SC was also the place where she met the love of her life, the dark-eyed Naval seaman and WWII veteran, Virgil Raymond Wingate. Their first meeting was a blind date. Family lore tells that Jenny’s sister, Elnor went to the door to greet him as Jenny finished getting ready. Once he was seated and waiting, Elnor snuck back to Jenny’s room and declared, “He’s yummy!”

Jenny certainly seemed to agree, and he was smitten, as well. Jenny continued her work as a surgical nurse until they married in 1953. Honeymooning in Savannah, Georgia her handsome husband gave her an oil painting set as a wedding gift. Untrained, but naturally gifted, she soon completed an oil painting of a pigtailed little girl in a yellow dress holding a battered suitcase, a sophisticated composition for a starting artist. Not knowing any better, she painted a dot where the child’s freckled nose was meant to be and completed the painting freehand. It still hangs in her home today.

Early married life took her far and wide, including the beaches of Puerto Rico, Antigua, Bermuda, Nantucket, and Nova Scotia. Jenny continued painting, taking art correspondence classes, and perfecting her craft. Eventually, the couple settled in Tucker, Georgia where her career started to grow. She quickly grew a fanbase with portraits of the neighborhood children and soon began a flourishing career as a juried artist.

Not limited to portrait work, her art spanned many genres including modern, realism, and expressionism. Watercolors and oils were her favorite mediums, but she was experimenting with freeform alcohol inks only a few years ago. Undoubtedly her expressive watercolor landscapes – snow-covered hillsides dotted with evergreens, fall leaves cascading over rushing mountain streams, and moody Southern vistas of dogwoods and magnolias -- were the greatest expressions of her gifts. Plants, flowers, and landscapes came to life with her heart and brushstroke.

Jenny was a member of the Atlanta Artists Club and Tucker Art Guild, exhibiting in many shows across the Southeast, as well as the Golden Easel Art Gallery at Underground Atlanta. Although affectionately called “Madame” by her beloved Raymond, she was not a prima donna nor selfish with her love of art. Jenny’s joy and expertise were shared with many as an art teacher for over 40 years at the Tucker Recreation Center. She inspired countless students with her soft, patient voice, continuing to teach long after she lost her dear Raymond, retiring only a few years ago at the age of 92.

As a result of their time in Winston Salem, NC Jenny and Raymond were founding members of the First Moravian Church of Georgia in Stone Mountain. Jenny brought her skills and talents to work, teaching art classes to raise money for the building committee. Christmas was always certain to bring numerous tins of the thin, crisp Moravian gingerbread cookies and brightly glowing 26-point Moravian stars. According to the Moravian faith, the star reminds us of God, who caused the light to shine out of darkness, and of the light which is the life of humanity. Her faith was important to her, and she lived by its tenets every day.

Appropriately, Jenny loved color and light. Always stylishly dressed, impeccably coordinated, and with her hair “just so,” a deep sense of art permeated her entire life. The artistry from her packed studio spilled out into her home, with many of her paintings and her students' work decorating the walls.

During the pandemic, she looked forward to weekly chats with loved ones, aided by her loving sister Mitzi. Always smiling with the occasional, “Mitzi, what am I missing?” (due to her aged hearing) she exuded gratitude and ceaselessly saw the positive side, “Isn’t it wonderful that we can still be together?” she’d ask, her eyes sparkling. Often nibbling on chocolate, Jenny loved to bird watch on her front porch. She was especially tickled to feed the chipmunks including one stub-tailed, chubby cheeked frequent visitor she named Shorty.

Jenny was a world traveler and still a country girl at heart who liked to fish. (No more proof is needed than that brother-in-law Kevin kindly provided cane syrup for her biscuits.) She was well known for her quick wit and wisdom, her infectious smile, the twinkle in her eye, and her kind and compassionate spirit. She will be deeply missed, but those left behind know she had a long and wonderful life. We will always hold her bright light in our hearts. For her love, much like her beloved Moravian star, is the light of promise, fulfillment, and hope.

She is survived by her sister Mitzi Moran (Kevin) of Tucker; nephew Ron (Ann) Blanton of Boise, Idaho; nephew Larry (Jean) Blanton of Clarksville, Virginia; niece Teresa Holmes (Mike) Baume of Citrus Heights, California; niece Kristy Holmes Heinbach (Steve) of Auburn, California; great nephew Dwayne Blanton of Cayce, South Carolina; great nephew Kevin Blanton of Durham, North Carolina; cousin Tiny Collins of Bend, Oregon; and goddaughter Virginia Willis, Atlanta, Georgia.

A visitation for Jenny will take place on Friday, January 20 from 3 PM-6 PM at Floral Hills Funeral Home, 3150 Lawrenceville Highway, Tucker, Georgia 30084.

A funeral service will occur on:

Saturday, January 21 at 10 AM at First Moravian Church of Georgia

4950 Hugh Howell Rd, Stone Mountain, Georgia 30087

Donations in memory of Jenny may be made to the First Moravian Church of Georgia on the website www.gamoravian.org using the online portal.