Virginia Marie Whigham, 86, of Nederland, went to be with her Savior on Thursday, November 21, 2019.
Virginia was born on March 19, 1933, in Port Arthur, Texas, to parents Charles Edward McNamara and Louise Ferguson. She graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in 1952, and she received a Bachelor of Business Administration from Lamar University-Beaumont in 1989. During part of her 23-year teaching career that spanned the transitions of Port Arthur College to Lamar State College to Lamar University-Port Arthur, she was also the sponsor of Alpha Beta Gamma National Business Honor Society. She had lived in Nederland since1955 and was a member of St. Charles Catholic Church, where she participated in the Women's Guild. She was also part of the Red Hussar reunion group. Virginia loved celebrating family occasions by preparing delicious meals and beautiful table settings for the family to gather around. She devoted her life to her late husband of 59 years, children and grandchildren. Her other interests included sewing, working in her garden, going for boat rides and fishing. She was the instigator of family road trips across America and became very involved in genealogy research. She especially enjoyed long time friendships from her school days.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Charles McNamara and Louise Blanchard, her husband, Kenneth G. Whigham, Sr., and her brother, Charles "Buddy" McNamara.
Virginia is survived by her sons, Charlie Whigham and wife, Debbie of Silsbee, Kenneth G. Whigham, Jr., of Milam, her daughters, Becky Marrs and husband, Michael, and Norma Distefano and her husband, Sam, all of Nederland, and half- sister, Charlene Ahem of Georgia. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Jan Leonard and husband, Kendall, Stacie Prejean, Mike Marrs, Sam Distefano and Amber Sheppard, Mary Beth an d husband, Clayton Jennusa, Jesse Distefano, Micah Distefano, Christopher Whigham, Katherine Whigham, and great-grandchildren, Hannah and Gabe Lopez, Nash Leonard, Whitney, Paige and Kendra Murray, Daisy and Jazmin Acosta, Jaden Distefano and Lila Jennusa.
Thank you to the Silsbee Oaks staff for the quality of life they provided her in her last years.
A visitation will be held on Tuesday, November 26, 2019, from 5:00 PM until 8:00 PM at Clayton Thompson Funeral Home in Groves, with a rosary to be prayed at 6:30 PM at the funeral home. A 10:00 AM Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Wednesday, November 27, 2019, at St. Charles Catholic Church in Nederland.The celebrant will be Rev. Ethan Oakes. Burial will follow at Greenlawn Memorial Park.