Virginia Lilly

Services for Virginia Sue Johnson Lilly, 89, of Tyler, will be held on Friday, October 3, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. at Stewart Family Funeral Home with Tony Garrett officiating. Burial will follow at Meador Cemetery in Tyler. Visitation will be held at 10:00 a.m., prior to the service. Virginia passed away peacefully at her home on Monday, September 22, 2025. She was born June 1, 1936, in Tyler to the late Rev. Henry Johnson and Lottie Rudd Johnson. She was preceded in death by Willie, her husband of 68 years, her sister Barbara Thoene, and her three brothers: John Henry Johnson, Don Johnson, and Roland Johnson. She is survived by her children: Gail Thigpen and husband Joe, Don Lilly and wife Amy, Ted Lilly and wife Cathy, her grandchildren: Lauren Lilly Odom and husband Christopher, Andrew Thigpen, Peyton Lilly, Sarah Lilly and husband Joe Bakker, Adam Lilly and wife Morgan Hunt, as well as her great-grandchildren: Levi Odom, Mason Odom, and she was eagerly awaiting the arrival of another Odom in November. Virginia graduated from Tyler High School and attended Tyler Commercial College. She was a long-time member of Southern Oaks Baptist Church in Tyler where she was active in many ministries. She was a homemaker until her children left for college. She then started her career as the office manager at Mary V’s dress shop. After retirement, she and Willie travelled extensively with family and their close church friends. Some of her most memorable travel adventures included many trips to Roaring River State Park with her grandchildren, annual trips to Branson and Gatlinburg with her best friends, a trip to Europe with family, and a trip to Hawaii with Willie in 2017. Virginia was blessed with the gift of hospitality, and she always enjoyed gathering with large groups of family and friends over meals. Some of her more original recipes include banana-less banana pudding and chicken-less chicken and dumplings. Her great-grandchildren, Levi and Mason, were confident that there would always be Blue Bell ice cream in the freezer. Her hobbies included painting, card games, Mahjong, jigsaw puzzles, and most recently Diamond Dotz art. Pallbearers are Adam Lilly, Peyton Lilly, Christopher Odom, Joe Bakker, Kent Lilly, Roy Lilly, Larry Swinford, and Nick Swinford. Honorary pallbearers are Andy Thigpen, Duane Schmidtke, Bud Lilly, Ryan Lilly, Doyle Starnes, Mason Deen, Jeremy Hasley, Dennie Burkes, and Kirk Bynum. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Wounded Warrior Project, https://support.woundedwarriorproject.org, and Southern Oaks Baptist Church, https://welovethegospel.com.

Virginia Lilly

June 1, 1936 - September 22, 2025