Virginia Newell Pratt Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

Mrs. Virginia Newell Pratt, age 94, met her Lord and Savior on Friday, June 24, 2022. She was at the home she shared with her daughter and son-in-law, Jacqueline and Jay Wagner and grandchildren, Michael D. Wagner and Emily S. Wagner. They shared a multi-generational life together for 29 years. A Celebration of Life will be held at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 28th, 2022, at Grace Presbyterian Church in Tega Cay, SC. The family will receive friends following the service. Those unable to attend the Tega Cay may view it at the church's website: GraceFortMill.org. Also, a second Celebration of Life will be at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 24th, 2022 at Plantsville Congregational Church, Plantsville, CT. The family will receive friends following the service. Born in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, Virginia Elsie was a daughter of the late Lawrence Franklin Newell, Sr., and Elsie Irene Wemmer Newell. She graduated from Robert Morris High School. Later in life she continued her education at Tunxis Community College in Connecticut for which she received an Associate’s Degree. She was a trail blazer, beginning her career with the United States Postal Service as the first female city mail carrier in the state of Connecticut and going on to serve as Assistant Postmaster in Southbury, Connecticut and retiring as Postmaster in Plantsville, Connecticut. She loved her 29 years with the Post Office and was a member of NARFE and NAPUS/UPMA and was an avid collector of postal memorabilia. Virginia was also a very spiritual person and was an active member of several congregations throughout her lifetime. These churches included: Morrisville (PA) Presbyterian Church, Southington & Plantsville (CT) Congregational Church, Seven Springs Presbyterian Church (New Port Richey, FL), and most recently, Grace Presbyterian Church in Tega Cay (SC). Possessing a love of music, she sang in all her church choirs as well as the Sweet Adelines Barbershop Organization, performing many solos into her 91st year. Virginia enjoyed traveling and completed her wish of visiting all 50 of the United States in 2018. She was also a ferocious reader, loved history, puzzles, mysteries, games (especially solitaire), knitting, crocheting, ballroom dancing, collecting stuffed animals, books, and any toy or fad the grandchildren wanted. She enjoyed taxiing her friends around to various restaurants, shows, and church activities, as well as anything chocolate! Virginia’s generosity, volunteerism, patriotism, and deep love of God was instilled early in life by her parents, and she was active in many organizations. Among the first participants in the U.S.O., she was also a 7th degree member of Southington and Manatee Granges, holding offices – especially Lecturer – at the Local, Pomona, & State levels; the Order of the Eastern Star #117 in New Port Richey, Florida; a Daughters of the American Revolution member of the Hannah Woodruff Chapter (CT), Pithlochascottee Chapter (FL), and an Organizing Member of the Nation Ford Chapter in Fort Mill, South Carolina. Other volunteering accomplishments included Pasco County (FL) Safety Town, for Meals on Wheels for many years with two grandchildren in tow, and was named “Volunteer of the Year” for York County, SC in 2013. She was twice married, first to Harry Joseph Shea who passed away in 1990 and to the love of her life, Irving Sylvester Pratt, for 27 years before he passed away in 1994. Virginia is survived by her son, Danial L. Shea and his wife, Trudy, of La Crescenta, California; her daughters, Molly L. Zawisza (d. Chester W. Zawisza) of Southington, Connecticut, Jacqueline “Jacci” S. Wagner and husband, Jay of Fort Mill, South Carolina, and Samantha K. Steeves of San Antonio, Texas; stepsons, Richard Pratt and his wife Eleanor of Shelburne, Vermont and Roger Pratt and his wife Sandy and stepdaughter, Linda Nelson (d. Alfred Nelson) all of Clerborne, NH; 23 grandchildren, especially Chad Zawisza and Tara Satkowski; 14 great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren; many nieces and nephews, especially: Karen Beattie, John Shea, Jr., Michelle LaSala, Elizabeth Shea, Kathryn Federowicz, Michael Shea, Joann Newell and Scott Newell; as well as longtime friends Rosie Burnett, Nancy Kuszpa & Daisy Tennyson. She was preceded in death by her sister, Irene Roberta Newell and her brothers, Lawrence Franklin Newell, Jr. and Robert Bertram Newell; and stepchildren, Shirley Pratt DeVries Stowell and Edward Pratt. Memorials may be made to National Grange Junior and Youth Departments, Plantsville Congregational Church, or Grace Presbyterian Church Music Committees.