September 14, 2011

Margaret Saunders Dashiell, of Lake Prince Woods, passed away at sundown on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2011, with her beloved daughters by her side. She was born Feb. 18, 1924, in Suffolk, to the late Richard Ernest Saunders and Francis Louise Lipscomb.

She was the widow of Thomas Ashby Dashiell Jr. and is survived by her daughters, Francis Dashiell Slough, of Virginia Beach, and Margaret Ashby Dashiell, of New Orleans, La., and her granddaughter, Nadia Dashiell Wetzel, of Chicago, Ill.

Margaret was a graduate of Suffolk High School, where she was selected as “Miss Suffolk” to represent the city in the Queen’s Court at the National Peanut Exposition. She attended Randolph Macon Women’s College and was selected as May Queen in 1946. Margaret returned to Suffolk High School to teach Latin and English. She enjoyed teaching and was loved by her students, who affectionately called her “Mrs. Grit.”

Margaret, a true fashionable Southern lady, enjoyed playing bridge and was involved in many social organizations in Suffolk. She and her husband were avid travelers, and he was the true love of her life.

The family wishes to express their sincere appreciation to her many caregivers at Lake Prince Woods, Home Instead Senior Care, and Odyssey Hospice. The family is indebted to them for providing a cheerful, caring environment during her struggle with Alzheimer’s and dementia.

A funeral service will be conducted Monday, Sept. 19, 2011, at 11 a.m. in St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 213 N. Main St., Suffolk, by the Rev. Keith Emerson. Following the service, a reception will be held in the church fellowship hall. The burial will follow in Holly Lawn Cemetery at 1 p.m. The family will receive friends in the R.W. Baker & Co. Funeral Home and Crematory, 509 W. Washington St., Suffolk, Sunday from 5 to 6:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Campus Enrichment Fund at Lake Prince Woods, 100 Anna Goode Way, Suffolk, VA 23434 or to Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts Education Fund, 110 W. Finney Ave., Suffolk, VA 23434. Condolences may be registered at www.rwbakerfh.com.