Virginia Lawrence went home to be with the Lord on Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009, at Brookview Healthcare Center in Gaffney.

Virginia was retired and living with her husband, Wesley, who died on Aug. 15, 2009. Formerly from Hawley, they moved to Gaffney to live with her son.

Virginia was born in New York City on July 13, 1930, the third child of Mary Witmore (Austin) and Edmund Petena. Her brother, Ed Petena, and sister, Pauline Lopatosky, are deceased.

Virginia moved to the Damascus, Pa., area with her family, where they operated a boarding house. She was a guard on the Damascus women's basketball team in 1949 with a 17-0 winning record. She graduated from Damascus High in 1949. Virginia's (Jean's) activities closely followed Wesley (Robert) in hunting, Boy Scouts, skiing at Tanglewood, and as a member of Cricket Hill Golf Club in Hawley.

Virginia is survived by her son, Robert and his wife, Virginie, and grandchildren, Chloe and Dylan in Kercadio, France; son, Daniel and wife, Marilu, and grandchild, Russell, in Gaffney; daughter, Dawn in Lebanon, Pa.; son, Scott, in Scranton, Pa.; and son, Patrick and his wife, Michelle, in Greenfield Center, N.Y.

Virginia thought often of her friends and family in Pennsylvania and New York, including her sister’s children, Dave, John, Linda and Ellen.

A Mass for her blessing will be held Saturday, Nov. 21, at 11 a.m. at Sacred Heart