Virginia Baldwin Davis

Virginia Baldwin Davis died peacefully on July 21, 2019, at the age of 93 at her home in Kennesaw, Georgia. Services will be in the chapel of West Cobb Funeral Home and Crematory at 11 a.m. on July 30, 2019, with the Reverend Dawn Britt officiating. Interment will follow at Cheatham Hill Memorial Park. The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 10 a.m. until the funeral service.

Virginia was the eldest of four siblings and was born in Ozark, Alabama, on February 5, 1926, to the late William Jefferson (Jepp) Baldwin and Jewell V. Woodham Baldwin. After graduating from Dale County High School, she attended the University of Alabama, graduating in 1948 with a B.S. degree in education. While attending the university she met her late husband, William (Bill) Davis. Bill and Virginia married in 1948 and lived in Tuscaloosa where Virginia was a secretary at the Board of Education. In 1949, Bill and Virginia moved to Macon, Georgia where their three children were born. In 1960, the family moved to Smyrna, Georgia. Virginia was a stay at home mom until 1964 when she took her first job teaching fifth grade at Argyle Elementary School in Smyrna. In 1965, Virginia accepted a position teaching seventh grade English and ninth grade Latin at Floyd Jr. High School Mableton, Georgia. She had many fond memories of her years at Floyd. She was well loved by all of her students and even taught one of her daughters, and her future son in law. In 1973 she joined the teaching staff of South Cobb High School in Austell, Georgia where she taught her favorite subject, creative writing. She retired from teaching in 1985.

After retirement, she and Bill spent time with their children and four grandchildren. They also enjoyed traveling the country, sailing on Lake Lanier and attending Georgia Power Ambassador functions. She was a devoted Atlanta Braves fan from the first pitch ever thrown in Georgia and possibly before. She was known to sit in faculty meetings with a transistor radio in her purse and an earphone in her ear during baseball season. After Bill passed in 1989, she stayed busy visiting her children and grandchildren and traveling with her youngest daughter and friends. She was active as a member of Tillman United Methodist Church in Smyrna and continued to attend Ambassador functions. She held several offices with the Ambassadors including President. Her Ambassador friends nicknamed her Dynamite because she was always exploding with energy.

She also joined a group of church friends who met several times a week to play games like scrabble, dominoes and rummy. At these social events she met the second love of her life, the late Kenneth Dozier. Ken had been a long time friend of the family, and they enjoyed each other's company so much they decided to meet regularly for dinner. This blossomed into a beautiful 17 year relationship of love, respect and new adventures for both.

Virginia knew as a young child that all she really wanted to do was teach. To this day, former students remember her as someone who made a difference in their lives. Not only did she teach in the school system, she taught everyday of her life. She always lead by example and spoke with love and encouragement. Her legacy will go on in the hearts of those she loved and who loved her. Virginia is preceded in death by her husband, William (Bill) Davis; her parents, William Jefferson Baldwin and Jewell Woodham Baldwin; her brother Billy Woodham Baldwin; her brothers-in-law, Ted Wallace, Preston Bissinger and Robert (Bobby) Davis; her sisters-in-law, Katie Bissinger, Aurelia Davis and Jean Davis; and her niece, Helen Wallace. She is survived by her children: William (Bubba) C. Davis (Renee') of Texas; Terry Anne Upton (Phillip) of Florida and Julie Lucille Barlow (Jim) of Georgia; her grandchildren, Scott Davis (Ellen), Jennifer Hoyt, J.T. Upton (Fallon) and Diane Williams (Mike); her great-grandchildren, Morgan, Penelope, River, Noah, Tessa, great grand cat, William and great grand pup, Finley; her sisters, Joann Wallace of South Carolina and Martha Deloney (Jerry) of Alabama; and her brother-in-law, James (Jimmie) V. Davis of Alabama and numerous nieces and nephews.

Flowers are welcome; memorial contributions may be sent to the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA.org < http://MDA.org >). Please specify Dystrophy Myotonia or Myotonic Dystrophy.