Kathleen Wright Wampler, 90, of Blacksburg, Virginia, passed away Wednesday, June 20, 2018. Kathleen was born in Weyers Cave, Virginia to C.B. and Barbara Wright Wampler and was raised there on the family farm.
She graduated from Weyers Cave High School and then earned her B.A. degree in education from Bridgewater College in 1949. She went on to work for many years for the Commonwealth of Virginia as a cooperative extension agent in various counties in Virginia and later earned her M.S. degree in family and child development from Oklahoma State University. In 1963, Kathleen continued her career at Virginia Tech as an extension specialist and assistant professor in family and child development and retired in 1983.
Kathleen dedicated her life to serving children and families both in her career and as a member of her community. During her career, she served on many committees and collaborated on many initiatives to benefit the lives of Virginians, and after she retired, she continued to provide training to childcare workers through the Department of Social Services. She was honored as a recipient of the Outstanding Service to Young Children Award by the Virginia Association for Early Childhood Education. Among her work in the community, Kathleen served as a board member of the Warm Hearth Village retirement community, she was an elder at Blacksburg Presbyterian Church where she coordinated the Sunday school program for young children, and she worked as a volunteer to support programs and projects at Virginia Tech. Throughout her retirement years, she especially enjoyed her two mornings each week working with the young children at the Virginia Tech Child Development Center for Learning and Research. Kathleen was also an avid sports fan and an enthusiastic Hokie and supported Virginia Tech football and basketball for more than 50 years.
Throughout her life, Kathleen committed herself to the welfare of others – in her career, in her community, and also with her family and friends, and she savored every opportunity to help whenever and however she could. Left to celebrate her life and cherish her memory are her sister, Edith Wampler Watson; nephew and wife, Donald and Andrea Lilly; nephew and wife, Garry and Lisa Lilly; niece and husband, Patricia and David Rhodes; devoted and loyal friend, Victoria Fu, and many other nieces, nephews, and friends.
A service to honor and celebrate Kathleen’s life will be held on Sunday, June 24, 2018, at 2:00PM at Blacksburg Presbyterian Church. A graveside service will be held on Monday, June 25, 2018, at 11:00AM at Pleasant Valley Church of the Brethren in Weyers Cave, Virginia. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the CDCLR Professional Development fund in the Child Development Center for Learning and Research at Virginia Tech or a charity of one’s choice. Donations are tax deductible and checks should be made payable to The Virginia Tech Foundation, Inc. and may be mailed to: Virginia Tech Advancement (0336), Office of Gift Accounting, 902 Prices Fork Road, Blacksburg, VA 24061. When mailing tributes, please note on the check or correspondence that the gift is “in memory of Kathleen Wampler” or include this note in the Honorary/Memorial Gifts section when making gifts online. Arrangements by McCoy Funeral Home, Blacksburg.
