She was born to Stella Miller Adams and Frank Garber Adams in Harrisonburg, VA, on May 28, 1933. She graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School and earned her nursing degree from Rockingham Memorial Hospital in 1953. She became an operating room nurse in Staunton before moving to Norfolk in 1958. She was an operating room nurse at Norfolk General and Virginia Beach General Hospitals. She took time to raise a family before she finished her nursing career as a school nurse for 23 years at Court House Elementary and Brookwood Elementary.
She met the love of her life, Linwood L. Heffington, Sr., in 1959 at the Norfolk Moose Lodge and knew when she saw him jitterbugging that she wanted to dance with him. They married just nine months after meeting. They loved to jitterbug at the Moose Lodge, Eagles Lodge, and at Indian Cove Campground where they enjoyed relaxing. They were married for 58 years before Linwood lost his battle to Parkinson’s Disease in 2018.
Left to cherish her memory are her three daughters: Sandra Losavio and her husband Sal with their children Daniel with fiancé Kelly and Valerie with husband James; Judy Partin and her husband Bill with son Billy and wife Amber; and Susan George and her husband Paul with their children Rachel and Andrew. Also cherishing her memory are Michele Heffington, wife of the late Linwood L. Heffington, Jr., with children Cassie and Blake; her sister Betty Thompson and husband Bob; her brother Larry Adams and wife Isabel; many nieces and nephews; extended family and close friends.
The family wishes to thank the many dedicated and compassionate staff and caregivers of Seaside Health Center at Atlantic Shores who provided exceptional care to our mother over the last year. Also, a sincere thanks to the 4D Cardiac Unit Staff of Sentara Princess Anne Hospital for the care and expertise she received during her visits.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Courthouse Volunteer Rescue Squad.
A celebration of her life will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2020, at Rosewood Kellum Funeral Home with a visitation 1 hour prior to the service. You may offer condolences to the family at www.kellumfuneralhome.com.
