Virginia Hubbard Watson

Mrs. Watson, 95, of Charlotte, passed away peacefully on Sunday evening, May 15, 2011 at Carolinas Medical Center. Ginny was preceded in death by her loving husband of 57 years, Lt. Col. Edgar Buell Watson.

The service celebrating her life will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 21, 2011 at Sardis Presbyterian Church, 6100 Sardis Road, with the Rev. Alice A. Johnson officiating. A graveside service will follow in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends on Friday, May 20, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Harry & Bryant Chapel, 500 Providence Road.

Born December 16, 1915, in Unicoi, Tenn., Virginia was the daughter of the late Charles and Grace Kirkpatrick Hubbard. She was graduated from Queens College in 1936. While at Queens, Virginia and two of her sisters, Grace and Mary Steele, sang as The Hubbard Sisters trio on WBT Radio's “GE Radio Network,” which was housed in the old Mecklenburg Hotel in downtown Charlotte.

After graduating from Queens, Virginia taught science and English for 41 years. Among the schools she taught at were Berryhill High School and McClintock Junior High. While teaching, she also served as the advisor for the cheerleading squad. She instilled in hundreds of students the thirst to learn and insisted (as her father did) that they speak “the King’s English” correctly.

As the loyal, devoted wife of a career Marine officer, Virginia raised her family in Oahu, Hawaii; San Diego and Barstow, California; Camp Lejeune in North Carolina; and Albany, Georgia, before the family settled in Charlotte in 1957. Virginia turned every house they ever lived in into a beautiful, bright, cheerful and warm home. And with her (and Ed’s) green thumb, every yard was transformed into a glorious garden.

She was a member of Sardis Presbyterian Church. And she was a past president and life member, actively involved for more than 30 years, of Charity League of Charlotte. She was especially active with the annual Charity League Bazaar, making many, many beautiful Christmas tree skirts and other holiday decorations. During her lifetime, that meant sewing on thousands of sequins!

She embraced all of life. She and Ed made cooking a family affair, teaching both of their sons the joy of cooking. She was an avid reader and helped instill that love of reading in her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She traveled extensively with her beloved Ed, from Alaska to Africa. She was a great storyteller and passed along tales of her life’s many adventures and family history that would otherwise have been lost.

She was a rabid and knowledgeable sports fan, be it golf, Panthers’ football or her beloved Tar Heels. She was alternately still cheering on or fussing at Roy Williams (depending on what she thought he deserved at the moment) during this past spring’s March Madness!

Just weeks before her passing, she was still going to the movies and eating popcorn with her family and competing in ballroom dancing competitions with her youngest son Chris.

She brought great beauty, joy, laughter and love into the lives of her students, family and friends, right up until the end of her almost 96 years. Be she “Ginny,” “Mom,” “Grandmother” or “Gigi,” she will be missed desperately.

She is survived by her two sons and their families: son Edgar Stephen Watson and his wife Jane of Charlotte; granddaughter Monica Watson Krege and great-granddaughters Meredith Marie Krege and Jordan Rene Krege, all of Greensboro; grandson Stephen Cameron Watson of Charlotte; and son Christopher Hubbard Watson of Charlotte; granddaughter Victoria Watson of Los Angeles, Calif.; and grandson Jesse Samuel Watson of Charlotte; her brother Ed Hubbard of Yancey County; our beloved Annie Mae Morrison who is part of our family; and many nieces and nephews and their children.

She was also preceded in death by her four sisters, Mary Brown Hubbard, Grace Hubbard Gray, Frances Hubbard Proffitt and Mary Steele Hubbard Loy; and her other two brothers, Charles Hubbard and Addison Hubbard.

Special thanks to her niece LuAnne McCoy for helping Aunt Ginny in her final days.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Charity League, Inc., P.O. Box 471332, Charlotte, NC 28247-1332.

Condolences may also be expressed at www.harryandbryantfuneralhome.com