Virginia Garrison Spivey, 80, of Colonial Heights, passed peacefully on July 19, 2004 in Richmond at the home of her daughter, Jill Spivey Kapadia.

She was the daughter of Hester Shirley and John T. Garrison, a local merchant and entrepreneur from Fayette, Ala.. She was predeceased by her husband, Col. Ray Vaughan Spivey; and son, Wayne Spivey. Her only brother, Herman Garrison, passed away in 1994.

Virginia graduated from the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, in 1944, and went on to manage the Post Exchange at Fort McClellan, Ala. during World War II. She married Ray Vaughan Spivey of Windsor in December 1947. She served as the best example of an Army wife until the death of her husband and son, Wayne Clayton Spivey, on Oct. 17, 1970.

She supported her children and country throughout 23 years of her husband’s military career, through his highly decorated service in WWII, ETO, Korea, and Vietnam, and tours from Honolulu, Hawaii to Fontainebleau, France. She was a faithful member of Mount Pleasant Baptist Church since 1971. She was a gracious Southern lady, loved by all who knew her and adored by her children and grandchildren.

She is survived by her children, Jay Kyle Spivey of Chapel Hill, N.C., Alecia Spivey of Midlothian, Jill Kapadia and her husband, Dr. Shaival Kapadia of Richmond; and her six grandchildren, Zachery, Johanna, Cali, Nicholas, Sonja and Shaun.

Service will be held at E. Alvin Small Funeral Home, 2033 Boulevard, in Colonial Heights on Friday, July 23 at 11 am with visitation one hour prior to service. A separate graveside service will be held the same day at Holly Lawn Cemetery in Suffolk at 2:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, make contributions to The Wayne Spivey Scholarship Fund, c/o Kiwanis of Colonial Heights, P.O. Box 246, Colonial Heights, Virginia 23834.