“Be someone who makes everyone feel like someone”. And so it would be that Edna Gertrude Loving would live her almost 82 years making everyone she met feel important. Death arrived as her friend on December 7 and what remains is the story of a life well lived…one of integrity, service, and kindness.
Edna was born on December 10, 1935 to Aphra and Harvey Loving. She was a proud and dedicated 1957 graduate of Johnston-Willis Hospital School of Nursing. She completed her BSN at Medical College of Georgia in 1976 and received her MSN from Medical College of Virginia in 1988. Edna was the highly respected Director of Nursing at Johnston-Willis Hospital until 1984, when she moved to Fayetteville, NC and served at HCA Highsmith-Rainey Memorial Hospital also as Director of Nursing. She was a highly regarded member of the HCA Nursing Executive Preceptor Program. Perhaps one of her most celebrated professional accomplishments was the lifelong friendships born from her travels to the Philippines in search of well-qualified young nurses to practice in the United States in 1974.
By 1994, Edna was ready to enjoy a very active retirement fishing, crabbing, gardening, harvesting oysters with Wally and celebrating life on Coves Inn with laughter and her lifelong best friend, Judy Whitby.
In addition to her parents, Edna was preceded in death by her brother, Roy Easton Loving. She is survived by her sister, Barbara White Phipps; nephews: Joseph S. White, Jr. and Roy Easton Loving, Jr. (Pam); nieces: Martha W. Rhodes (Steve); Susan W. Chandler and Angela L. Lightfoot (Eugene).
Visitation will be held Friday, December 15 beginning at 2:00 p.m. immediately followed by a brief celebration of remembrance. Location: Welch’s Funeral Home, 10300 Richmond Road in Warsaw VA. A private burial will follow on a later date at Bybee’s Road Baptist Church in her native Fluvanna County.
In lieu of flowers, charitable contributions in celebration of Edna will be accepted by: Johnston-Willis Nursing Alumna Loyalty Fund, c/o Alumna Treasurer, 1612 Winter Hill Circle, Chesterfield, VA. 23236, as well as Riverside Tappahannock Hospice, 289 Hospital Road, Tappahannock, VA. 22560.
Edna was a highly accomplished woman who inspired confidence and respect in everyone around her. Perhaps, however, what she did the very best was to simply love us.
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