Valeda Vonceil McCutcheon Farr, 92, of Morgantown, passed away Tuesday, June 26, 2018, at the Madison.
She was born Dec. 27, 1925, in Princeton, to Wilford and Emma Williamson McCutcheon, and spent her school-age years in Ronceverte.
Vonceil “Vonnie” was predeceased by her husband of 64 years, Stanley; and sisters, Bernadine Cochrane and Georgia Mae Brown.
She is survived by her three sons, Stanley, of Morgantown, Lionel and wife, Kay, of Knoxville, Tenn., and Wesley and wife, Kathryn, of Pensacola, Fla.; and grandchildren include Kristen Farr McCollum (Terrell), of Alpharetta, Ga., Lionel Anthony Farr (Megan), of Charleston, S.C., Abbie Farr Fleischman (Scott), of Pensacola, Amanda Farr Cox (Ben), of Atlanta, Ind., Rebecca Farr Stroud (Alex), of Birmingham, Ala., and Victor Farr, of Pensacola.
Vonceil’s great-grandchildren include Ryan, Griffin and Addison McCollum, Caitlin, Owen and Hudson Farr and Everett Cox. Vonceil is also survived by her sister, Anna Rae Rasmussen; and several cousins, nieces and nephews.
A loving and God-centered upbringing prepared her after graduation from high school to join her sisters, in Washington, D.C., in government service during World War II and then to return to West Virginia, where she began a major in Voice at WVU with a scholarship. While at WVU she was active in service to others, serving as the vice president of the student body and working with the Methodist sorority Kappa Phi. She also participated in and directed several campus choral groups. During her involvement with Wesley Foundation, she met her husband-to-be Stanley Farr and they began their life of service to the church which included her singing in the Chancel Choir, teaching children in Sunday School, directing the children’s choir and participating in the women’s groups.
Vonceil and Stanley started the Holly House Kindergarten in 1956. Vonceil picked up the children, feed them a hot lunch and then got them back home.
Later, she was employed as a station clerk in the OB/GYN unit of WVU Hospital. She was thrilled to have been able to watch a birth.
In the mid-1970s, Vonceil and Stanley opened the West View Tennis Center, in Westover, the first indoor courts in West Virginia.
In 1987, Vonceil and Stanley moved to Knoxville and help the family there, returning home to the West Virginia hills in 1991
Until she needed to move to Madison in 2011, she maintained a faithful attendance at Wesley Church and was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, all the while working on her crochet work and singing for weddings and funerals as she was able. At the Madison, she continued singing there until shortly before her passing and was dearly loved by clients and staff.
Her journey with Alzheimer’s was long but was full of joy and periods responsiveness. Her smiles were many. She slipped quietly and quickly into a pain-free and gloriously musical realm.
The family cannot thank the staff of the Madison enough for their many years of faithful and dedicated work that brought comfort to her and to her family.
Friends and family will be received at Wesley United Methodist Church, in Morgantown, from 10 a.m. Saturday, July 7, until the 11 a.m. celebration of life with the Rev. Dr. Randall Flanagan officiating. Interment will follow at Beverly Hills Memorial Gardens, in Westover.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that any memorials be given to Wesley United Methodist Church.
Hastings Funeral Home has been entrusted with arrangements.
Condolences: hastingsfuneralhome.com
