Virginia Ann Dever

Virginia married Edmund “Pete” Karem and had two children with him, Tracy and Scott. She was a stay-at-home mom during this time, giving her kids what they needed while also letting them explore the world around them. When the marriage ended, she went back to work in retail, where she met her next husband, Marvin Dever.

Virginia enjoyed working retail, and she was good at it. She rose through the ranks at Shillitos, leaving to become the manager of Byck’s at Bashford Manor before becoming the manager at their flagship store in Oxmoor Mall.

She made some lifelong friends with her work in retail, but decided she wanted to go back to college and get her degree. She studied psychology at U of L and graduated from there with a Masters in Social Work in 1995.

A champion of women, Virginia went to work at the Center for Women and Families from 1994 to 2003. She stayed there until she and Marvin decided that she would stay home to help care for Marvin’s mother, Juanita.

Once Juanita passed, Virginia decided to go back to work as a Career Planner at KentuckianaWorks Youth Career Center from 2008 to 2018. She loved helping kids, both with their goals and overcoming obstacles in achieving those goals.

Virginia also volunteered at Bernheim Forest and often told people it was one of her favorite places.

Virginia lived a fill, vibrant life. She loved learning crafts and painted some amazing watercolors. She also loved dogs, and for several years, Bailey was a constant companion.

She is survived by survived by her children Tracy Karem and Scott Karem (Annette); her grandchildren, Nicole Karem, Kristen Karem-Bernardi (Christopher), and Lucas Karem; her sister, Debra Thompson; and four step-daughters, Rhonda Dazley (Joseph), Tamatha Dever, Jacquelyn Dever and Merritt Robinson (Derrick).

Visitation is Friday, September 4th from 3pm - 7pm, with a service at 7pm at Arch L Heady at Resthaven Funeral Home, 4400 Bardstown Road.