Sally Jane DeBellis

She was predeceased by her parents, John Steel McKinley and Margaret McQuillen McKinley. She is survived by her husband of 62 years, Armand James DeBellis; their daughters, Margaret DeBellis Bruce and her husband Jay, and Barbara DeBellis Kennedy and her husband Mark; and their grandsons, Benjamin Louis Kennedy and James Matthew Kennedy.

Sally’s father was a freight traffic agent for the Union Pacific Railroad and his transfers took the family to Elizabeth, NJ, and Pittsburgh, PA. She was a two-year student at Grove City College in Pennsylvania where she met her husband. She was an accomplished actress, having received a full scholarship to the Pittsburgh Playhouse of Dramatic Arts where she graduated. She was cast in many and varied productions while at the Playhouse. She also appeared in many productions at the Little Lake Summer Theater.

As noted, she met her husband-to-be during her studies at Grove City College. They were married on May 26, 1951, at Mount Lebanon Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, PA. Due to her husband’s work with West Penn Power Company, they were transferred to several western Pennsylvania towns. Other job transfers took the family to Maryland and Virginia. At each location, she participated in theater and visual arts organizations. While living in Greensburg, PA, she was active in the Greensburg Art Society as a participating artist. She was a most prolific and generous artist, sometimes selling but often giving away her paintings to friends and relatives.

She established and organized the first PTA at Taylor Street Elementary School in Greensburg, PA, where her daughters were students. Following her stint as PTA president, she chaired a committee sponsored by the University of Pittsburgh to study, examine, and recommend improvements to the Greensburg School System. This report recommended guidelines and procedures for parental inclusion in early childhood education.

While living in Winchester, VA, Sally appeared in several summer stock productions in Berryville, VA, and at the Wayside Theater in Middleburg, VA. She also exhibited and competed at Middleburg art venues where she won several awards for her paintings.

After the family moved to Virginia Beach, they joined Providence Presbyterian Church where she sang in the choir and directed several children’s plays. Because of poor health, she had to curtail her artistic endeavors; however, her passion for the arts continued, and she studied under the late artist, Barclay Sheaks.

The family would like to thank Sally’s caregiver, Peggy Soblotne, and the staff at the Sentara Norfolk Nursing Center for their loving care of Sally, including Mary Denson, Candice Giron, Quinetta Murray, and Alan Anglin.

She was a loving, caring wife, mother, and grandmother; she was a friend to all, sharing her quick wit, up-beat personality, and selfless nature. She will be lovingly remembered and greatly missed.

The family will receive friends from 6:00 – 8:00 PM, Wednesday Feb. 5, 2014, at Smith and Williams Funeral Home, Kempsville Chapel.

A Celebration of Sally’s life will be held at 1:00 PM on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2014, at Providence Presbyterian Church. A reception in the fellowship hall will follow the service. In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made to the church or to the Friends of Virginia Beach Animal Care and Adoption Center in her memory.