Louise McCord Faulconer

Louise McCord Faulconer of Monroe, Virginia died August 24, 2016 at home. Louise is survived by her husband Charles O. Faulconer, Sr. to whom she was married for sixty-five years, having married June 15, 1951.

Louise was born November 15, 1928 in Monroe to her parents Robert McCord and Virginia Hudson McCord, and she was proud to have made Amherst County her home for her entire life, including during her college years. She was a 1950 graduate of Sweet Briar College, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology. She was former president of the Sweet Briar Alumnae Club. She received her Master of Arts degree in education from Lynchburg College.

With a strong belief in the importance of education, she worked for Amherst County Schools for 39 years, first teaching in elementary schools and then serving as principal at Monroe Elementary, Temperance Elementary, Pleasant View Elementary, and James River Elementary. She was a member of Delta Kappa Gamma. Louise positively affected the lives of the generations of teachers, parents, and children who were part of her life’s work.

Louise was devoted to her family, spending generous time with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, including taking many of them on trips.

In fact, although she loved her home in Amherst County, she had traveled to 49 states in the United States (except Hawaii), most often traveling by RV with family. She was a member of the Blue Ridge Winnies camping club for 23 years and part of the Holiday Travel community in Leesburg, Florida.

Traveling to Europe four times, Louise planned trips to include her children and grandchildren, including one special trip that was a visit to the World War II battlefield on the border of Luxembourg and Germany where her husband was wounded in 1945. With family, she had visited Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium, France, Ireland, England, and Scotland. She fulfilled a lifelong dream to visit the Isle of Skye in Scotland, where the McCord clan originated.

She was a member of Monroe Baptist Church. She was proud to be the daughter of a railroad man, and she loved to tell stories of Monroe’s time as a train town. Knowledgeable about Amherst County and Lynchburg history, a trip to town or through the countryside with Louise was an opportunity to learn about landmarks and the community.

Louise is survived by three sons and daughters-in-law and their families: Charles Faulconer, Jr and Susan Faulconer of Forest, VA; Robert “Rick” Faulconer and Jeanne Faulconer of Chesterfield, VA; and Brian Faulconer and Mary Faulconer of Holly Springs, NC. Her grandchildren are Laura Faulconer Leslie, Emily Faulconer, Kevin McCord Faulconer, Patrick Faulconer, Nick Faulconer, Cameron Faulconer, and Jake Faulconer. Her great-grandchildren are Isla Louise Leslie, Ivy Monroe Leslie, and Page Jeromy Pell.

The family will receive friends from 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Friday, August 26 at Whitten Monelison Chapel. A graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, August 27 at Fort Hill Memorial Park in Lynchburg.

To honor her memory and in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Sweet Briar College, PO Box 1057, Sweet Briar, VA 24595.