Virginia Harrison Holmes

Virginia Harrison Holmes, age 95, of Fort Smith, Arkansas, died October 23, 2016. Virginia was born February 1, 1921 in Little Rock, Arkansas, to James Jabez Harrison and Julia Turner Harrison. Her maternal grandparents were Horace Polk Turner and Virginia Lee Binns Turner of Morrilton, Arkansas, and her paternal grandparents were William Ringgold Harrison and Alice Virginia Harrison of Little Rock, Arkansas. She was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Little Rock and graduated from Little Rock High School in 1938. She attended Hendrix College for two years and graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1942 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. While attending summer camp in North Carolina in 1939, she contracted polio and underwent a rigorous rehabilitation while attending college. She was a member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority at UNC-Chapel Hill.

After graduation from college, Virginia returned to Little Rock and began working for the Girl Scouts of America. She then became a feature staff writer for the Arkansas Gazette and served as a Red Cross volunteer and was a member of the Junior League of Little Rock. On October 9, 1946, she married Paul K. Holmes, Jr. at the First United Methodist Church in Little Rock and moved to Newport, Arkansas, where she lived for more than 60 years. She was a lifelong member of the First Presbyterian Church of Newport where she served as a Ruling Elder and treasurer. She was a founder of the Women’s Bible Study in Newport and served on the Committee of the Ministry for the Presbytery of Arkansas. She was a member of P.E.O. and served as its President in Newport. She was a member of the National Society of Colonial Dames of America and served as historian for the Arkansas state group. She was a Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International for her service to the Newport Rotary Club.

Virginia was an avid reader and duplicate bridge player. She and her husband loved world-wide travel and traveled through Eastern and Western Europe, Russia, China, South Korea, Japan, South America, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

Virginia was predeceased by her husband, Paul K. Holmes, Jr., and she is survived by her sister, Julia Harrison Breckinridge of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She is also survived by her daughter, Ginger H. Brown of Dallas, Texas; and her son, Paul K. Holmes III and his wife, Kay, of Fort Smith; and by four grandchildren, Chris Holmes of Fort Smith, Virginia Brown Barry (Michael) of Seattle, Washington, Stephen Holmes of Steamboat Springs, Colorado and Forrest Brown of Tucson, Arizona; and by one sister-in-law, Phyllis Holmes of Newport and several nieces and nephews.

The family would like to thank all of the caregivers for their wonderful care and support, especially the staff of the Greenhurst Nursing Center in Charleston, Paula Bankston and Sabrina Duncan. There will be a memorial service at the First Presbyterian Church in Fort Smith on Sunday, October 30, 2016 at 2:00pm preceded by a graveside service at the Walnut Grove cemetery in Newport, Arkansas on Saturday, October 29, 2016 at noon. Memorial contributions may be made to the First Presbyterian Church, 316 Main Street, Newport, Arkansas.