Virginia Blakely, age 79, of Lavonia, passed away Monday, April 12, 2021 at Cottingham Hospice House in Seneca.
Born October 11, 1941, in Seneca, SC, she was the daughter of the late Robert Hoke Blakely, Sr. and Ida Mae (Gibson) Blakely. She was a 1959 graduate of Lavonia High School. After graduating she began a career spanning more than 56 years in retail management at a chain of department stores, that included the Fair Store in Lavonia, Burton Department Store in Gainesville, and Gold Department Store in Cornelia. She was a lifetime member of Pleasant Hill Baptist Church.
She is survived by her sister: Evelyn Goss; sisters: Brenda Ridley & Scott Pacetti and Myrtle & Larry Kelley; and many nieces and nephews. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by sisters: Eva Blakely, Hazel Carroll; brothers: Joe Blakely, John Blakely, W. C. "Pete" Blakely, and R. Hoke Blakely, Jr.; and special friend: Davis Carter.
The funeral service will be held at 2:00 p.m. Thursday, April 15, 2021 at the chapel of Strickland Funeral Home of Lavonia with Rev. Josh Harvill and Rev. John Mark Cooling officiating. Burial will follow in Franklin Memorial Gardens – North with Rev. Mike Smith officiating. The following gentlemen will serve as pallbearers: Jack Carroll, Mike Dougherty, Ronnie Loftis, Scott O'Barr, Scott Pacetti, and Tony Phillips.
The family will receive friends at the funeral home Thursday from 1:00 p.m. until the service. Flowers are optional or memorials can be made to Pleasant Hill Baptist Church, 1333 Pleasant Hill Road, Martin, GA 30557. To sign the online guest register and leave personal condolences to the family, please visit stricklandfh.com.
Strickland Funeral Home of Lavonia is in charge of the arrangements.