Elizabeth Posey Wood

Elizabeth Posey Wood, 96, of Williamsburg, Virginia died peacefully on Saturday, October 18, 2014 after a very long and interesting life. She was one of the last of the valiant women of the “Greatest Generation.” She cuddled a lion in Rome, rode a camel in Egypt and a donkey in Puerto Rico, stopped traffic with a wave in NYC, climbed the Great Wall of China, read from a Kindle and loved her iPad to the end and outlived three wonderful husbands. Life was an exciting adventure!

Ida Elizabeth Wilson was born in Henderson, Kentucky, on January 13, 1918 the daughter of James Ross Wilson and Clara Thalia Doudna Wilson. Nicknamed Chickadee by her grandfather Wilson, she was called “Chic” all of her life. She was sent “into town” as a child to get the best education possible and lived with her Quaker grandparents until she went to Blue Mountain College in Mississippi. She married Lt Wiley Lee Dixon on Christmas Day at the start of World War II. Their daughter, Margaret, was born 6 weeks before he left for the Philippines. He died in a Japanese POW camp in 1943. Chic was a Red Cross Friendly Visitor (social worker) and worked at night in an Evansville shipyard during the war years. After the war, when Margaret was five, Chic married Capt. John Cabell (Cap) Posey, an Army Air Corps squadron commander and bombardier pilot who flew missions off Saipan to Mainland, Japan. They had two daughters, Kimberly Ann and Lucinda Cabell. Cap adopted his cousin Wiley’s daughter, Margaret. The Posey’s lived at many duty stations in this country and abroad. Chic was a room mother, Scout leader and Sunday school teacher and an excellent duplicate bridge player, loved traveling, dancing and entertaining, was fun, smart and full of life. She reigned as Fasching Queen at Ramstein, Germany, was president of the Officers Wives Club in Germany, England and Langley Air Force Base. Following Cap’s retirement in Newport News, Va., she was an Agent and Sales Manager at Ailsworth Realty for over 15 years. She was a charter member of Contact Peninsula, a member of the James River Country Club, Hidenwood Presbyterian Church, The Jamestown Society, the National Society of Magna Charta Dames, the Colonial Order of the Crown, Americans of Royal Decent, the Colonial Dames in America, and the Washington Family Society. After a 36 year marriage, and Cap’s death, she moved to Williamsburg, joined Williamsburg Presbyterian Church, took up golf, taught duplicated bridge and later married Murray Wood. After his death in 1993, Chic once again embraced life and showed us how to courageously move forward. She loved Kingsmill but made a very wise decision to move to Patriots Colony where she enjoyed bridge, Bloody Mary Group, Church Circle and travel. The staff there took great care of her for the eighteen remaining years of her life. Their devotion to her was a reflection of the way she made everyone feel that came through her door. Always a “thank you” and “please come back” whether you were her child or delivering dinner.

She was preceded in death by her daughter, Lucinda Switzer, and leaves her daughters, Margaret Sheild and Kimberly League (George “Buzz”) to cherish her memory as well as son-in-law, Daniel Switzer; grandchildren, George Cabell Sheild (Susan), Katherine Sheild Burke (Thomas), George Busbee (Buddy) League, Jr. (Charity), Margaret Lucinda “Marci” League (Baker Doughty), Cabell “Cappy” Switzer Troy (Ryan), Daniel Judson “Jud” Switzer (Meryl); and great-grandchildren, Katie, Ellie and Cabell Sheild; Tom and Andi Burke; Cap, Aiden and Tanner League; Zoe, Wyatt and Gwen Doughty; Posey and Jack Troy ; Maddax, Chance and Ryder Switzer. She is also survived by loving members of Murray Wood’s family.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Jamestown Society, Habitat for Humanity, Williamsburg Presbyterian Church, Riverside Hospice or a favorite charity. Burial will be at Arlington National Cemetery in the early spring.