Virginia Vellines Johnson

Virginia Carter Vellines Johnson, age 100, of Glen Allen, Virginia, died July 15, 2022. She was born to Reverend Robert Everett and Ruth Carter Vellines, a Baptist minister and a teacher, on January 5th, 1922 in Gwynn’s Island, Virginia.

She was predeceased by her husband, Charles Monroe Johnson, Manager of Public Affairs of the RF&P Railroad and Member & Chairman of the Henrico County Board of Supervisors; her daughter, Gwendolyn Ruth (Gwen) Johnson Blair; her brothers, Robert Everett Vellines, Jr. and William Garnett Vellines; her sisters, Harriet Lucy Vellines Cunningham and Ann Elizabeth Vellines Joyner.

Virginia is survived by daughters, Marilyn Monroe Johnson (Shirish) and Kathleen Carter (Kathy) Stockdon (Pete); seven grandchildren, Shenna Leigh Price (Dave), Dr. Hilary Farris Stockdon, Matthew Monroe Blair, Brent Vass Blair, Benjamin Dylan Stockdon, Megan Ramsey Clayton (Jason), and Max Keinan Stockdon; and five great grandchildren, Gibson Byron Price, Eli James Price, Ava Madeline Thompson, Caleb Robert Mayo, and Ian Alexander Thompson.

Virginia spent her life volunteering and serving her community. She was a charter member of Trinity Baptist Church, now Staples Mill Road Baptist Church, and held many leadership positions over her more than seventy years as a member, including as president of the Woman’s Missionary Union, Sunday school teacher, and as leader of mission youth groups. She studied the Lauback Method of teaching English and ESL and was proud of teaching English to a boy from Cuba to enable him to enter first grade in public school. She served on the Church’s Personnel Committee, By-laws Committee, and Trustees Committee and as a member of the Richmond Baptist Association Executive Committee. She also served as President of the Interfaith Council of Greater Richmond and worked with the Brotherhood Sisterhood Awards program for Richmond Metropolitan area high school students.

Virginia was on the founding Board of Directors for The Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen, served on the board for thirteen years, and continued as a board member emeritus. She served on the Board of Directors of the Elizabeth Adams Crump Nursing Home when the County of Henrico was operating the home. She was the Henrico County Christmas Mother in 1987 and a member of the Christmas Mother Program Council for over 30 years.

While a member of the Hermitage Woman’s Club for over seventy years, she served as its president several times. She worked on the District and State level of the Virginia Federation of Women’s Clubs as Chairman of Legislation Committee and as Editor of “The Virginia Clubwoman” magazine.

Virginia was a member of the Hanover Chapter of The United Daughters of the Confederacy and served as its president and in other offices. She was presented the “Judah Benjamin” award for her years of church, community and civic work.

An athlete in high school and college who enjoyed competitive swimming, diving, basketball and field hockey, Virginia graduated from Averett College in Danville, Virginia majoring in Business Administration. She continued her business education by attending the Richmond Professional Institute and Virginia Commonwealth University. Her professional career included administrative management positions with the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, the Virginia General Assembly, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Virginia, and the Richmond Redevelopment & Housing Authority.

Virginia became a member of the Virginia State Association of Parliamentarians and was a parliamentarian for many conventions across Virginia. She was also a Graphoanalyst who loved to use this skill to assess her family and friends’ personalities. And, with a passion for Virginia history and furnishings, she loved being a docent for over twenty years at The Executive Mansion conducting tours well into her nineties for school children and visitors to Virginia.

Virginia’s most rewarding time has been spent caring for and enjoying her family. One of her early pleasures, being an accomplished seamstress, was making dresses and costumes for her three girls, as well as the model costumes known for being as beautiful on the inside as the outside for the Marion Mease Dance Studio. She also enjoyed traveling, knitting, and painting, as well as writing memoirs with friends in her Crossridge community covering events in her life and many historical places in Henrico County and the City of Richmond.

Asked recently by a friend what was her secret to living to 100, she shot back with a laugh: “you just don’t die, dear”. That was just a sample of the quick-witted and humorous comments that all of Virginia’s family and friends experienced throughout her life. Always gracious and impeccably dressed, she was funny, clever, “insightful”, and sharp while being a wonderfully warm conversationalist who never met a stranger. Wherever she went, she drew in the people around her; whether young or old, wait-staff or physicians, clerks or politicians, or just family and friends, she had an innate ability to strike up a conversation, get to know them, and have them fall in love with her. Virginia was a rare gift for all who knew her.

A memorial service will be held on July 28, 2022 in the Cardinal Ballroom at The Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen on 2880 Mountain Road, Glen Allen, VA 23060. The family will welcome guests from 10:30am for the service at 11:00am. Light refreshments and fellowship will follow in the Cardinal Ballroom prior to interment services at 2:00pm in The Mausoleum at The Westhampton Memorial Park on 10000 Patterson Ave, Richmond, VA 23238.

Memorial gifts may be made to the Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen, Averett University Fund or the Media Center Fund of Staples Mill Road Baptist Church, 10101 Staples Mill Road Baptist Church, Glen Allen, VA 23060.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.woodyfuneralhomeparham.com for the Johnson family.