Lilly, Virgil Irving

Virgil Irving Lilly, of Fairlawn, born December 23, 1919, died January 1, 2013, at the age of 93. Born in Dayton, Va., he was the second son of Malcolm Gordon Lilly and Lucy Garriett Leake Lilly one of seven children. In 1936, at the age of 17, he joined one of Virginia’s 17 CCC camps. While in the Civilian Conservation Corps he worked for four years during the Depression to help support his family. Virgil helped with construction of the Blue Ridge Parkway, Dismal Swamp and Hungry Mother Park and also worked at the Radford Arsenal. In 1941 he was drafted during World War II in the Army and served Active duty July 1942 through September 1946. During World War II he was in the Ordinance Unit. The Normandy Invasion and Battle of the Bulge were two of the many battles he fought. He took a short leave in August of 1943 to marry his wife, Hazel Irene Wood, of Pulaski. Other than a short stay in Oklahoma, they lived in Fairlawn in Pulaski County for the rest of their lives, raising their family. Virgil joined the Army Reserves in 1946, where he served as SFC during the Korean War from 1950-1952 as member of the 780th Field Artillery Battalion. He received many medals of honor, including the Purple Heart. He remained an active member of the Army Reserves until 1974. He worked at the Radford Army Ammunition Plant in Radford for the Civil Service for 33 years and retired in 1975. He was preceded in death by his parents, Malcolm Gordon Lilly and Lucy Garriett Leake Lilly, his wife, Hazel Irene Wood Lilly, one son, Arthur Gordon Lilly and one grandson, William Dustin King, two brothers Alfred Lilly, Horace Lilly, and two sisters Cynthia Hilbert, Agatha Bradburn. He is survived by four children, Margaret Hawley and husband, Stanley, of Walton, Rodger Lilly and wife, Debbie, of Fairlawn, Mark Lilly, of Fairlawn and Ann King, of Parrott; six grandchildren, Tabitha Greear and husband, Darin, of Riner, Kristen Reno and David Reno, of Christiansburg, Amber Page and husband, Wayne, of Parrott, Tony Powell and wife, Nikki, of Fairlawn, Benjamin King, of Parrott, and Josh Saul, of Fairlawn; 12 great grandchildren, Jadyn Ornelas, Madelyn Reno, Gavin Reno , Haley Powell, Emmaley Powell, Jack Powell, Jaemon King, Serenity Saul, Destiny White, Olivia King, Caiden Page, Kaylea Jackson; one brother, Henry Lilly, of Harrisonburg and one sister, Esther Tadlock, of Quitman, Ga. Funeral services will be held Thursday, January 3, 2013, at 2 p.m. at the Mullins Funeral Home in Radford. with the Rev. Bobby Lorton officiating. Interment will follow in the Highland Memory Gardens where members of VFW Post #776 will conduct military graveside rites. The family will receive friends from 1 p.m. until the time of the service. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Fairlawn United Methodist Church. The Lilly family is in the care of Mullins Funeral Home & Crematory. www.mullinsfuneralhome.com