Margaret Bateman Via

It is with sadness and gratitude that we announce the passing of our beloved mother, Margaret Bateman Via. She died peacefully on Friday night, November 7th, with her two sons, Dan Forrest Via and Charles Carter Via, by her bedside. She was 99 years old and lived a remarkably full and impactful life. Her life was surely marked by the abiding love of family and friends. She will be sorely missed.

Margaret was born in Apopka, Florida on February 19th, 1926. (Just imagine the monumental changes that she witnessed over the course of her life!) Her parents, Charlie and Zelle Bateman, had five children – Louise, Bernice, Margaret, Charlie Jr., and Chris. The family was extremely warm and affectionate. They believed in hard work, devotion to their faith and church, and always fellowship around the table for Zelle’s amazing food.

From early on, Margaret possessed a kind of courage which would take her to a wide range of distant horizons. After graduating from Apopka High School, she attended Stetson University in Deland, FL. Following the call of her faith and a heart for service, she went on to Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville, KY where she received a Master’s in Christian Education. At the seminary, she met a young man from Charlottesville, VA named Dan Otto Via. They grabbed each other’s hearts and were married in December of 1951. Their steadfast love and commitment to one another was palpable. It turned out to be a great and lasting adventure. They were happily married for nearly 63 years.

Margaret wore many hats throughout her life but none more proudly than mother. In December 1959, Dan Forrest Via was born; and only 15 months later in April 1961, Charles Carter Via was born. She loved her boys fiercely and took immense pride in their accomplishments (often bragging to whomever would listen!). The family of four was particularly bound together by their shared travel experiences – annual treks to Florida, a year in Strasbourg, France, and almost a year in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. After the boys left home, Margaret and Dan spent time in Cambridge, England and Harare, Zimbabwe. For her, the world was a place to explore NOT to fear.

In addition to being a daughter, sister, wife, mother, and grandmother, Margaret had a curious mind and an expansive, creative spirit. She played the organ and piano. She loved art and, later in life, loved to paint. She enjoyed reading. For a short stint, she was interested in belly-dancing. While living in Charlottesville, her vocational interests covered quite a spectrum – a dress-maker, a special education teacher for students with dyslexia, and an ordained Baptist minister. When she and Dan moved to Durham, NC, Margaret became the inaugural minister of the Congregation at Duke University Chapel; a role that she relished and in which she excelled.

Margaret had a nearly indomitable spirit. Style. Passion. Worry. Concern. Compassion. She felt it all. She loved, and she was loved. May she rest in everlasting peace.

She is survived by her sons, Dan Via (Susan) and Carter Via; her grandchildren, Forrest, Joseph, Nathan, and Rebecca; and her brother, Chris Bateman. She was preceded in death by her husband, Dan Otto Via; her parents, Charlie and Zelle Bateman; her sisters, Louise Koleda and Bernice Dunn; and her brother, Charlie Bateman, Jr.

A celebration of her life will be held on Friday, November 21, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Paul’s Memorial Church in Charlottesville, Va.

In lieu of flowers, her family requests donations be made to Crossing Thresholds (crossingthresholds.org). Zelle to: Crossing Thresholds ([email protected]). VenMo to: @Crossingthresholds-Inc. Checks to: Crossing Thresholds/P.O. Box 446/New Canaan, CT 06840.