Virginia Jo Stubbs

Virginia Yates Stubbs was born June 10, 1934 in Ridgely, Tennessee to the union of Woodrow and Odell Yates, and went to be with our Lord on November 9, 2009 in Houston, Texas. Virginia was a vivacious, outgoing, giving person, and a faithful friend. She was born on a farm in the Northwest corner of Tennessee during the depression years. Even though times were tough, she went to school and graduated from Ridgely High School in 1953. While at school she was involved in many activities, including FHA, which she was President of one year, the Latin Club, the Student Counsel and was elected by her teachers and peers to Girls State. From an early age, Virginia wanted to be a nurse. While in her senior year of high school, she applied to nursing school at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis, TN. She knew that nursing school would be expensive, but she was determined to be a nurse, and was prepared to work to earn the money to go. Knowing her remarkable determination, her father and her favorite teacher, Mrs. Goldeen, went to bat for her and came up with the money in the form of a scholarship and a bank loan to send her to nursing school. In June of 1953, Virginia made her way to nursing school in Memphis, TN. Virginia earned a degree in Nursing from Baptist Memorial Hospital in June of 1956. She went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Sacred Heart Dominican College in Houston, TX. After nursing school Virginia set out on an adventure to work at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Houston, TX. In Houston she met and fell in love with a "Texan" with whom she would spend the rest of her life. Virginia was a registered nurse for over 40 years. She was proud and passionate of the work she did during her career. Virginia was a natural at nursing, working at VA, then working as Director of Nurses at Eldridge Hospital in Sugar Land, TX, then as Education Director at Westbury Hospital in Houston, TX where she was promoted to Director of Nursing and served in that position for several years. She finished her career as the Manager of Labor and Delivery at Polly Ryan Hospital in Rosenberg, TX. She was the ever-present teacher of family history. She was very proud of her family, of being a wife, a mother, and a grandmother. She was a staunch advocate of education, and her motto was "if you can believe it, you can achieve it." She was a champion of all members of her family who set out to accomplish goals in their lives. God blessed her with an incredible spirit of generosity. She was a faithful and precious friend to all whom had a need. Her legacy is a beautiful and inspiring one. She will be deeply and sorrowfully missed. Virginia is preceded in death by her sister, Shirley Smith, and her much beloved aunt and uncle, Etheleen and Payton Harrison. She is survived brother Steve Yates, and her sisters Mary Lynn Moore, and Susan Tippit. She is also survived by her cherished husband of almost 48 years, and devoted care giver for the last three years, Tommy Stubbs; her adored son Thomas Stubbs and his wife Mindy, and her admired daughter, Laura Shepherd and her husband John Shepherd, grandchildren Ty Stubbs, Sarah Stubbs, Katherine Shepherd, and Jackson "Jack" Shepherd along with numerous nieces and nephews. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 P. M., Monday, November 16, 2009 at First United Methodist Church, 431 Eldridge Road in Sugar Land, Texas with Pastor Martin Nicholas and Pastor Kip Gilts officiating. Interment will follow in Greenlawn Memorial Park in Rosenberg, Texas. Visitation will be held from 5:00 P. M. until 7:00 P. M., Sunday, November 15, 2009 at Davis-Greenlawn Funeral Home in Rosenberg. Words of condolence and memorial tributes may be left for the Stubbs family at www.davisgreenlawnfh.com. Service arrangements are under the direction of Davis-Greenlawn Funeral Home, 3900 B. F. Terry Blvd., Rosenberg, Texas, 77471, 281-341-8800.

Tributes

Virginia Jo Stubbs

June 10, 1934 - November 9, 2009