Bibb Davidson Haley

Lily Bibb Davidson, born November 20, 1925 to Jessie Osborne Davidson and Annie Thornhill Davidson, was the youngest of seven children. When her mother died shortly after giving birth, her father moved the 7 children to his father's home in Appomattox County, Virginia to be raised by his sisters, Kate Davidson and Annie Davidson Horsley, his brother, Crawford Davidson and himself.

One of the many family stories about her childhood is that she would hide the school books of her sister Tee and brother Tom in the barn so she could practice reading while they were in school. The family finally bought her a set of school books, allowing her brother and sister to use their own books for school. She could read the newspaper by age 4. She graduated from Appomattox High School and from Richmond Professional Institute (now Virginia Commonwealth University).

After her marriage to Leighton Hoffman Haley on November 2, 1946, they moved to Norfolk, Virginia. After giving birth to Anne Bibb and Leighton Hoffman, Jr. they moved to Roanoke, Virginia where Barbara Stevens was born. Bibb worked as a housewife until Barbara entered school, then took employment as a medical technologist with the Red Cross. She found her work passion in teaching science to 7th and 8th graders and received her master's in education, attending night school through University of Virginia. She taught at both Lucy Addison Junior High and Fleming High School in Roanoke until Leighton retired.

They both enjoyed traveling yet their strong priority was in social justice and in giving back to the community. A partial list of Bibb's volunteer work included serving as a Girl Scout leader, literacy volunteer, and multiple roles during her more than 50 years attending Christ Episcopal Church in Roanoke where she taught Sunday school, and served on the vestry. She also loved her time on the board of Grace House in the southwest Virginia and faithfully volunteered more that 10 years with Trust, a hot line and crises center, and with the Star City Social Club, a club for people living with chronic mental illness at Christ Church under the direction of social service department.

After her husband's death in September 1999, she lived in the family home with her grandson, Michael Haley,
and later with 2 of her children before moving into Westminster-Canterbury of the Shenandoah Valley in Winchester, VA in October 2008.

Her 6 siblings; Eleanor Roach, Katherine Judy, Mary Barrell, Elizabeth Harrison, Annie Tee Matthews, and Thomas Davidson all preceded her in death.

She died peacefully after a stroke earlier in the week, at Westminster-Canterbury, on Saturday October 16, 2010 with her family by her side. Survivors include Annie Shaw of Greenbelt, Maryland, Leighton, Donna and Kate Haley of Chattanooga, Tennessee, Barbara Austin of Winchester, Virginia, Jessamy Austin of Richmond, Virginia, Michael Haley of Roanoke, Virginia and numerous extended family members.

A memorial service and reception is planned for 2 p.m. on Saturday, November 20, 2010, at Christ Episcopal Church, 1101 Franklin Road, Roanoke, Va. with disposition of Bibb and Leighton's ashes in the columbarium at Christ Church. A memorial service was also held October 19, 2010, in Winchester, Va.

Arrangements were through Cartwright Funeral Home in Winchester, VA. Online condolences maybe placed on their website at www.cartwrightfuneralhome.com or directly with members of Bibb Haley's family.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be sent to the Employee Emergency Fund at Westminster-Canterbury, 300 Westminster Canterbury Drive, Winchester, VA 22603 or to Blue Ridge Hospice 333 West Cork Street, Suite 405, Winchester, VA 22601

Ministry of Comfort Entrusted to
Cartwright Funeral Home
Winchester, Virginia