Violet May Whitnah's Obituary
Violet ”Vi” May Whitnah
May 22, 1939 – April 2, 2026
Violet “Vi” May Whitnah, died on Thursday, April 2, 2026, at Inova Loudoun Hospital in Leesburg, VA, following serious complications from a fall at her home. She was 86 years old.
Vi was born in Ben Franklin, Texas, on May 22, 1939. She grew up in a large farming family where she learned to help out on the farm, care for family and animals, and to hunt.
At the age of 16, she met and married her military husband in Texas and moved to Georgia, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin, North Carolina, then to Key West, FL. There they divorced and she remarried.
Vi took night school classes and earned her high school diploma and an Associates degree from Florida Keys Community College. She worked as a nursing aid with the American Red Cross. Later, she studied cosmetology then owned and worked in her own beauty salon. She became the director of the Monroe County Social Services Department in Key West, Florida. Her husband died of a sudden heart attack.
She studied property management then moved to Charlottesville, VA, where she worked as a property manager for a large apartment complex. Next, she got her realty license and worked with Merrill Lynch Realty in Charlottesville. She moved to Northern Virginia and trained and worked as s a para-legal for a local law firm. After that, she studied software programming and worked in software support for Perot Systems, then worked in management in para-legal temping at Temp World. She retired in 1999.
Vi had many hobbies. She did extensive studies in ceramics and jewelry making and taught classes in both. She also taught them to her daughters and granddaughters, along with crocheting and knitting.
Vi loved nature, both plants and animals. She loved being outdoors enjoying birds and animals, and hunting, which she also taught to her son Mike.
Vi had a sense of humor and was quick to throw in spot-on words of humor. She loved to laugh. She loved her family and enjoyed giving gifts to them.
In 1995, she married the love of her life, Arthur “Miles” Whitnah, her husband of 31 years. While Miles worked for NASA on the Russian/US space station, they traveled to Moscow multiple times. After Miles retired, they bought an RV and traveled around the US for five years. They settled in The Villages near Orlando, FL.
Vi’s health declined greatly while in The Villages, making her unable to travel and putting her in constant pain. They moved to Northern Virginia to be nearer to family. Miles faithfully cared for her, cooked her meals, took her to doctor’s appointments, and stayed with her through multiple hospital stays. Her children are eternally grateful to Miles for the love, compassion, and devotion he showed to our mother. There is no one like him.
Vi died peacefully, surrounded by her family singing hymns and reading Scriptures to her.
Vi was predeceased by her parents Willie Davis and Purze “Glatis” Gillian Davis, brother Billy Doyle Davis and sister Peggy Sue Middleton.
She is survived by her husband of 31 years, Arthur “Miles” Whitnah and her five children: Paula (Mark) Inglis, Mike Dockery, Cindy (Bill) Baber, Danna Wechtenhiser, and Daniel Stinson; along with 15 grandchildren, and 26 great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her siblings GW Davis, Glatis Ann Davis, Carolyn Kay Myers, and Sandra Jean Rayhil.
There will be a funeral service for Vi on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, at 9:30 A.M. at the Loudoun Funeral Chapel, 158 Catoctin Circle, SE, Leesburg, VA 20175.
A reception will follow the ceremony at the funeral home.
Due to limited space at the cemetery, the family will depart for a private burial service following the reception.
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