Virginia Elise (McNeely) McCall

Virginia Elise (McNeely) McCall was born in Denver, Colorado on June 6, 1951, and passed away on February 5, 2026, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana at the age of 74. Virginia was the daughter of Wayne Eugene and Elva Jean (Stanley) McNeely. She grew up in South Texas and South Louisiana. She graduated from high school in Morgan City, Louisiana and then attended and graduated from Charity Hospital Nursing School in New Orleans, Louisiana. Virginia was an intensive care nurse manager for several hospitals during her long nursing career. She graced the units of Tulane Medical Center, Methodist Hospital in New Orleans East, San Antonio Heart Hospital, and St. Mary’s Hospital in Enid, Oklahoma. It should be noted that Virginia took on heroic stature during her tenure at Methodist Hospital, when along with many other medical staff, she cared for the patients that were too ill to be moved prior to Hurricane Katrina. Methodist was one of the first hospitals to flood and was the last to be evacuated. Virginia was one of the last of the medical staff to be rescued. She was interviewed on the Today show after being evacuated because of her unique perspective.

Virginia loved and was loved by her many family members. She was preceded in death by her parents, her older brother Donald Eugene McNeely, and her younger brother Hugh Edward McNeely.

She is survived by her son, Erik (Tara) McCall; grandchildren, Rose, Henry, and Leo McCall; sister, Sylvia Steckley (Dan Dymarkowski); nieces, Carla (Armand) Zemke, Ginger (Frank) Felice, Robin Poche, Stephanie (Jason) Broussard, Lara (Matt) Falcon, and Lori (Rich) Keenan; nephew, Kevin Steckley; also, Terry McCall, Mark Stanley (Cindy), Kathy McNeely, Belinda McNeely, and a large number of wonderful McNeely and Stanley family relatives, in addition to large numbers of friends from each place she lived.

Virginia was the essence of generosity, generous with her time, her talent, and her treasure. She will be remembered for the fun she created for her friends and family. She brought some bling into everyone’s life. She was a consummate caretaker, not only for patients in the hospital and their nurses, but for her parents who she cared for until their passing. One of Virginia’s greatest treasures was her son Erik, his wife Tara, and her precious grandchildren, Rose, Henry, and Leo. She was their Gigi, one of the best grandmothers ever!

A memorial service will be held in Enid, Oklahoma on a date to be scheduled. A graveside service will be later, at the Prairie Union Cemetery, Schubert, Nebraska.

Special thanks to Dr. Andrew Gahagan and the nurses and medical staff at Baton Rouge General Hospital and Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center. Also, to all the anonymous blood donors who kept Virginia alive by their selfless donation of life sustaining blood products.

Donations to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society would be an opportunity to bless others who are battling these diseases.