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Celebrating the life of Virginia R. Coles.
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, March 10, 2026
WHEREAS, Virginia R. Coles, a devoted educator and a highly admired community leader who touched countless lives through her volunteer service, died on December 17, 2025, at the age of 105; and
WHEREAS, a native of Newport News, Virginia Coles graduated from Hampton Institute, now Hampton University, in 1942 and was the oldest living alumna of the institution at the time of her passing; and
WHEREAS, Virginia Coles pursued a career as an educator and taught students in several elementary schools over the course of 20 years, including Newsome Park Elementary School when it was still in the former Warwick County, and other schools in Newport News; and
WHEREAS, Virginia Coles had been an active member of Zion Baptist Church since 1941, and she expressed her deep and abiding faith through her commitment to service in the church community and beyond; and
WHEREAS, Virginia Coles served as a reading teacher for the tutoring program at Zion Baptist Church and was a longtime volunteer for the church's afterschool program; she also taught crochet and knitting classes to members of the congregation and was a dedicated fundraiser who supported efforts to construct a new sanctuary and an office complex; and
WHEREAS, Virginia Coles also volunteered with the nonprofit organization Peninsula Reads, where she promoted adult literacy, and she was a member of the Virginia Retired Teachers Association, Golden Thimble Needlecraft Guild, and the NAACP; and
WHEREAS, Virginia Coles was an avid world traveler who had visited Egypt, Israel, Gambia, Senegal, South Korea, Thailand, Hong Kong, and other destinations throughout her life; and
WHEREAS, predeceased by her husband, Aubrey, and her sisters, Helen and Lillian, Virginia Coles will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by her niece, Linda, and her family and numerous other family members and friends; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Delegates hereby note with great sadness the loss of Virginia R. Coles, a vibrant member of the Hampton community; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Virginia R. Coles as an expression of the House of Delegates' respect for her memory.