Obituaries

Lillie “Lil” B. Moses of Newport News, Virginia, had just recently relocated to Harrisonburg, Virginia, when she passed away on January 9, 2025. Lil was born on March 19, 1926, in Covington, Virginia, and would have been 99 on her birthday in March. She was the oldest daughter of Myrtle Cales Benson Lowen and Hubert Lionel Benson. Lil married Alvin “Al” Moses on April 15, 1952.  They were married for 51 years.

Lil was preceded in death by her parents, stepfather, Charlie Lowen, her husband, older brother, James Benson, younger sisters Bettie Landis, Dottie Smith, and Patty Sellers, son Steven Daniel “Danny” Moses, and his girlfriend, Judy Lester.

She is survived by her daughter, Sherry (Mike) Summers, granddaughter, Kristin (Justin) Roach, grandsons, Kevin Summers and Brian (Amanda) Summers, and great-grandsons, Owen and Connor Summers. She was the last surviving member of her generation on both sides of the family and was considered the Matriarch to many nieces and nephews.

Her occupation was a Switchboard Operator, which she began at age 17 and continued for 45 years, starting with the Telephone Company in Covington and ending with Thalhimer’s, a retail store in Newport News. She was a member of Parkview Baptist Church and served as a Children’s Sunday School teacher for a number of years.

She loved going to Nags Head, listening to the waves breaking and collecting seashells. She and Al also enjoyed going on many trips with her sister, Dottie, and husband, Albert, especially the cross-country trip, taking photos and keeping a journal about their adventures. She and Al enjoyed attending his Military Reunions, which took them to a variety of different locations across the United States.

Lil loved being together with her family, whether at family reunions, holidays, and birthday gatherings, to name a few, but she really enjoyed being together with her grandkids and great-grandsons, who could always bring a smile to her face.

She was an awesome cook – known for her made-from-scratch Chocolate Cake, Molasses Cookies, and so much more. Her home was referred to as the “Bed & Breakfast,” where her family would often spend the night on their way to and from the beach and then be treated to a delicious breakfast.

Lil had a caring and giving heart –  sending cards for holidays, birthdays, illnesses, and more.  She was also very generous in giving gifts to others as well.

Due to her daughter being an athletic trainer, Lil became a sports fan. She enjoyed watching her granddaughter play basketball, going to see JMU Women’s Basketball games when possible, or listening to games on her computer. She also enjoyed watching Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors on TV, and she would always keep stats of all these games.

Her caring and sharing ways, sense of humor, outgoing personality, and ability to always wear lipstick and smile will truly be missed.

A Graveside Service will be held at the Peninsula Memorial Park in Newport News, Virginia, on Saturday, January 25, 2025, at 11:00 a.m.

A Celebration of Life will be held at Keezletown United Methodist Church in Keezletown, Virginia on Sunday, March 16, 2025 at 3:00 p.m.