Virginia Kell (3-7-11)

ATLANTA - Virginia Crocker Kell, 86, died Monday, March 7, at her residence.

A native of Commerce, she lived most of her life in Atlanta, where she worked for many years as a school secretary in the DeKalb County School System. She was the youngest of seven children and was young at heart, enjoying her connections with extended family, including son Kevin’s classmates from high school and college, nieces, nephews and cousins in Georgia and Maryland, teacher friends from DeKalb County and the Northside Women’s Club.

She was born May 15, 1924, to Ezra and Allie Crocker of Commerce and was a graduate of Commerce High School. After high school and secretarial business school in Athens, she moved to Ellijay, where she worked at the O’Daniel Clinic with sister Thara and met her future husband Paul Kell. Adventurous by nature, she left Ellijay after three years to join her sister Meda in Washington DC, where they lived as two single girls in the city and made frequent trips to New York. She returned to Georgia in 1948 to marry Paul Kell and they settled in Atlanta, where she was employed as an executive secretary at Lockheed until her son Kevin was born.

Virginia is remembered for her buoyant spirit. She was scrappy and a born survivor, having overcome diphtheria and whooping cough as a child. She took great interest in young people, loved parties and appreciated a good joke. She was a natural optimist and encouraged others to have faith in themselves.

She is survived by husband Paul Kell; son and daughter-in-law, Kevin and Jane Kell, Atlanta; sister-in-law, Lois Kell, Ellijay; and three generations of nieces and nephews. The family is particularly grateful to loving caregivers Hazel Buchanan, Mary Frazier and Gail Bair and to Hospice Atlanta.

Funeral services will take place on Saturday, March 12, at 11 a.m. from the chapel of H.M. Patterson & Son, Oglethorpe Hill Chapel. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at the funeral home. Burial will take place following the service in the Gray Hill Cemetery in Commerce, at 1:30 p.m.

Virginia adored animals and the family asks that those who wish to make a donation do so to FurKids, a local Atlanta animal rescue organization. Donations may be made online at www.furkids.org, by mail to FurKids, Inc., P.O. Box 191102, Atlanta, GA 31119-1102, or by phone 770-613-0009.

H.M. Patterson & Son Funeral Home, Atlanta, is in charge of arrangements.