Virginia Robertson

Virginia Elizabeth (Betsy) Robertson died at home on Wednesday, September 27, 2017. She was a lifelong resident of Danville, born on August 22, 1926, the younger of two daughters of the late Joel Landon and Maude Williams Robertson. Miss Robertson attended the Danville Public Schools, and was graduated from George Washington High School in 1944. She then earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Philosophy from Mary Washington College of the University of Virginia in 1948. Her first job took her to Washington, D.C., where she spent a year in the Naval Communications Group of the Navy Department. She returned to Danville to work in the law offices of Williams, Parker & Williams, where her uncle, Hugh T. Williams, was partner; and then spent nine years as a secretary at the Virginia Tobacco Company.  In 1953, Miss Robertson joined the Danville school system for what was to be a thirty-four year career, first as a 5th grade teacher at Stonewall Jackson Elementary School (1953-1958); then as a Visiting Teacher (1958-1967), during which time she was President of the Virginia Visiting Teachers’ Association; and finally for two decades as Principal of Park Avenue Elementary School. She earned her Master of Education from the University of Virginia in 1965.  Miss Robertson was the first woman to serve on the Executive Board of the Memorial Hospital of Danville (now Danville Regional Medical Center) and was a past board member of the Community Foundation of the Dan River Region. She was a volunteer at the Danville Free Clinic for eight years. She was a member of First Baptist Church, The Wednesday Club, Shakespeare Study Club, Book Shelf Club, Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History, Danville Golf Club, Daughters of the American Revolution, and was a former member of two educational societies, Delta Kappa Gamma and Phi Delta Kappa. She was an avid golfer; loved watching sports of all kinds, especially tennis, and travelled widely.  Miss Robertson was predeceased by her sister, Marie Compton Robertson Lattin, of Westerly, RI, and will be lovingly remembered by her three nieces, Jean Elizabeth Lattin of Westerly; Nancy Lattin Davis (Scott) of Annapolis, MD; and Jennifer Lattin Julier (Sam) of Hamden, CT; a great nephew, Henry Vaillant Turner-Julier (Emily) of Brooklyn, NY; and a great niece, Elspeth Robertson Julier of Chicago, IL.  A service of remembrance will be held at Townes Funeral Home, 215 West Main Street, Danville, at 2 pm on Saturday, October 7th. Burial will be private. Online condolences may be directed to www.townesfuneralhome.com.  In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Virginia Elizabeth (Betsy) Robertson Fund at the Community Foundation of the Dan River Region, the Danville Lifesaving Crew, or a charity of your choice.