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Vilia Wood Matthews Marshall
NOVEMBER 14, 1943 – MAY 14, 2023
IN THE CARE OF
Vilia Wood Matthews Marshall went to be with the Lord and Savior on May 14, 2023.
Vilia was born on November 14, 1943, in Winston Salem to the late LeRoy Wood and Wilma Reid Wood Agee. She graduated from R. J. Reynolds High School class of 1962 and then attended Western Carolina University. Vilia returned to Winston-Salem and graduated with the first class of Cytotechnologists at Bowman Gray School of Medicine and worked in cytology for nearly 50 years.
Vilia’s true passion was art! She obtained her Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina Greensboro in 1974 and then attended Wake Forest University where she earned her Master of Liberal Arts in 2001. She loved working with any medium: printing, painting, drawing, sculpting, and more.
Vilia was a member of the Muddy River Art Association and often participated in art shows around the area.
She was a dedicated, lifelong member of First Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, where she served as the church librarian for many years. She also participated in the Civitan Club and many other volunteer opportunities through the years.
In addition to her parents, Vilia was preceded in death by her first husband, Donald M. Matthews; second husband, Robert “Bob” Marshall, Jr.; and brother, Donald B. Wood. She leaves behind her children, Valerie (Don) Woodard, Todd (Sonia) Matthews, Vilia “Jenny” (Mike) McClearen, and Miles Matthews; grandchildren, Jackson and Madelyn Woodard, Kaitlyn, Julie, and James, McClearen; sister-in-law, Georgia Wood; nieces, Diane (Oliver) Upshaw and Nancy (Mark) Testa; and many other loved ones and friends.
A funeral service will be held on Friday, May 19th at 2pm at Vogler Funeral & Cremations at Forsyth Memorial Park. The family will receive friends for a visitation prior to the service beginning at 1pm.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to ABC of NC and Sawtooth School for Visual Art.
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Starr Barnhardt (Strickland)
Vilia (Vee) and I were very close childhood friends, as we grew up only a few houses apart on Brantley Street. We enjoyed playing together, walking to and from Ardmore School, being in Girl Scouts, and walking home together from RJR until my family moved out of the neighborhood. We were both in the school chorus; and she had a great voice. I fondly remember her singing "Clang, Clang, Clang Went the Trolley." Our birthdays were only 4 days apart; and we have enjoyed sending each other birthday greetings via email over the past several years. I will miss those special messages.
Pam Bain (Davis)
After reading Vilia's obituary, I felt compelled to comment on the totality of her life and to acknowledge her effort to live a complete and caring life. At one of our reunions, Don and I sat at her table for dinner, and we enjoyed getting to know each other in what seemed like another lifetime. Vilia, know that you made a difference in living your life. You brought many loved ones into this world, and you will be missed by them and by many others...
Pam Bain Davis