Virginia Grillo Wise

Virginia was born in Norfolk, VA on March 7, 1930. Her parents, Eugenio and Giuseppa (Eugene and Josephine) Grillo, were Italian immigrants. They came to America in 1907 and had 10 children, with Virginia being the youngest. She often joked that by the time she was born they had run out of ideas for names, so she was named after the state they lived in.

Virginia is survived by her daughter, Stephanie Hooker, and her granddaughter, Snezhana Tzygankova. She was preceded in death by her husband, James Wise; her oldest daughter, Suzanne Rhoten, and her son-in-law, Boyd Rhoten.

Virginia graduated from Maury High School in 1948, attended secretarial school, and worked part-time at the Norfolk Naval Base before her first daughter was born. She and her husband, Jim, were married in 1948 and were together 63 years when he passed away in 2011. Their marriage was truly a partnership, and they always brought out the best in each other. Virginia loved supporting her husband and daughters. Without her unwavering encouragement, none of their successes would have been possible.

Virginia always had a smile on her face, never met a stranger, and had a profound effect on all who knew her. Her outlook on life was always positive, and she focused her attention on the good in every situation. Her positivity in the face of life’s obstacles is perhaps most evident in her unwavering devotion to her oldest daughter, Suzanne, who developed early-onset Alzheimer’s in her mid-50s. Early in Suzanne’s illness, it was Virginia who identified the signs and worked tirelessly to find the right doctors to give Suzanne the best chance for normalcy. During the last decade of Suzanne’s life, Virginia rarely missed a day visiting her daughter to tell her how beautiful she was and how much she was loved, long after Suzanne was able to recognize her and respond.

Virginia always enjoyed having fun, and her daughter, Stephanie, is grateful for the many adventures that they shared together. Most were simple, from finding a new restaurant in some out-the-way town, seeing the Christmas lights on James Island, or taking trips to the mountains. These mother-daughter trips were filled with great conversations, lots of smiles and laughter, and so many wonderful memories. Many thanks go to Pam Berrian for coming along for the ride so many times over the past 7 years – Virginia always considered Pam an honorary daughter and her presence made her smile even bigger.

Virginia loved God, her church, her family, her friends, and especially her granddaughter, Snezhana. While she will be greatly missed, there is comfort in the fact that she lived a life that she was proud of and is truly happy and at peace now. Those wishing to share memories of Virginia may contact her family through Congaree Baptist Church at [email protected] or (803) 755-9556.

A celebration of her life will be held at Congaree Baptist Church on Tuesday, July 6, 2021 at 2:00 pm, with visitation starting at 1:00 pm. The service may be viewed via livestream on Caughman-Harman Funeral Home, West Columbia Chapel's Facebook page.