LaVelle Phipps Pool

On October 29, 2021, LaVelle Pool died peacefully at her mountain home at age 99. A lifelong resident of Waynesboro, LaVelle was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother with a wonderful sense of humor. She was as sweet as her delicious pies and cakes. Her patience was exemplified by her intricate tatting and crochet work. She enjoyed playing the piano and classical guitar. An avid swimmer at the Waynesboro YMCA, she accumulated enough miles to cross the country and back. LaVelle was a bird and nature lover who excelled at gardening at her mountain home where she resided for over 70 years.

After graduating from Mary Washington College in 1941 at age 18, she worked for eight years at DuPont in the accounting office. For decades, she managed the bookkeeping for the family farm-machinery business, S. T. Pool & Son, on Rosser Avenue. She was an active member of the 1st Presbyterian Church of Waynesboro, volunteering in the office and teaching Sunday School.

She was preceded in death by her father, the Rev. Charles Henry Phipps and her mother, Ruth Patterson Phipps; by her devoted husband of over 50 years, Carroll Dovell Pool; by her son, Carroll Tyree Pool; by her sisters, Rosa Gilmer Phipps Williford, Lois LaVelle Phipps Brown, Margie Lee Phipps Shick, Ruth Patterson Phipps Metzel; and by her brothers, Gen. Charles Henry Phipps and the Rev. William E. Phipps.

LaVelle is survived by her sons, Edward Stephen Pool of Waynesboro, and Charles Henry Pool of Richmond; grandchildren, Vanessa LaVelle Karandi Pool (Matt Chasm) of Oakland, CA, and Carla Shields Pool (Paul Sarahan) of Richmond; great-grandchildren, Finley Violet Chasmpool, Devin Williams, and Mah'Ki Jefferson; and by her sister-in-law, Martha Ann Phipps, and brother-in-law, the Rev. William S. Metzel, as well as many loving nieces and nephews.

The family would like to express our deep gratitude to the devoted staffs of both the Hospice of the Shenandoah, and years earlier, the Hospice of the Piedmont, who cared for LaVelle during different stages of her Alzheimer's disease. We also would like to express our especial thanks to Vickie Cline for her loving and devoted in-home care-giving for many years. While it has been said that it takes a village to raise a child, it also takes a loving village to care for those afflicted with Alzheimer's.

The family requests no flowers and encourages friends to set up a bird feeder this winter in their yards to feed the wondrous wild-bird species that were so beloved by LaVelle. Memorial plans will be made at a later date due to the pandemic.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Reynolds Hamrick Funeral Homes of Waynesboro.