Mrs. Lillie Mae Birch, 100, a lifetime and oldest resident of Chincoteague, passed away Oct. 8, 2021, at Riverside Hospital in Onley.
She was the daughter of the late Mollie Lunn and Asher Walker.
She was born at home and raised by her mother, Mollie Lunn, and later by her aunt and uncle, Clara and Charlie Daisey. She had two brothers, Paul and Archie.
She attended Chincoteague High School and graduated at grade 11, which was the highest at that time.
She married Arthur Birch on Aug. 20, 1939. They were married 59 years until his death in 1998.
Over the years, she worked at Bernstein’s Shirt Factory, Tom’s Cove Campground, and the housekeeping service at NASA Wallops.
She was presented a proclamation on Sept. 7, 2021, by the Chincoteague mayor and council celebrating her 100th birthday. She also received a plaque from the Accomack Board of Supervisors on Sept. 21, 2021, also celebrating her birthday.
She enjoyed traveling, getting together with friends and family, and reading her Bible. She enjoyed being a member of Union Baptist Church for many years and later at Island Baptist Church. She received numerous awards for attendance. She clearly loved her church and its members. Her faith in God earned her the respect and affection of people of all ages and from all walks of life.
She is survived by her daughter, Darlene Floyd, and son, Ronnie Birch (Fran); grandchildren, Sharon Johnson (Dino), Rhonda Matthews (Aaron), and Chuck Crist (Missy); four great-grandchildren, Jessica Richardson, Derek Richardson, Todd Matthews, and Lillie Matthews; and two great-great-grandchildren, Aiden Richardson and Jack Richardson, all of Chincoteague.
Funeral services were held Oct. 13, 2021, at 2 p.m., with a viewing held an hour before at Island Baptist Church, Chincoteague Island, with the Rev. Larry Lilly and the Rev. Phil Benicoft officiating.
Services are entrusted to Salyer Funeral Home on Chincoteague Island.
