Frances Mitchell Parsons, 90, of Blacksburg, died Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, with family by her side. She was born in Floyd County and later moved to a farm near Blacksburg when she was nine.
She is survived by her children, Linda Sink (Terry), Ann Parsons, Mitchell Parsons, Carol Parsons, and Kay Reasor (Joe); grandchildren, Matt Parsons, Virginia Jones (Mike), Emily Zwirner (Keiran); and great-grandchildren, Sadie and Allie Jones.
She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Bernard, dear parents Woodie and Myrtle Mitchell, special sisters-in-law Mary Parsons and Jean Parsons and precious Baby Boy Reasor.
Frances graduated from Blacksburg High School in 1951 and began working at Virginia Tech soon after. Following the birth of their second child, she and Bern designed and built their forever home in Blacksburg. Frances became very involved in the community through service in the PTAs and the Blacksburg Junior Women’s Club where she worked to obtain the Branch Library for the town. She served for 34 years on the town’s Recreation Advisory Board guiding the building of the Community and Aquatic Centers and helping to establish neighborhood
parks.
In 1972, Frances was elected to the Blacksburg Town Council, serving as a Council Member for 32 years. In 2004, when she announced she was not running for re-election, an article in The Roanoke Times noted she was known as an advocate for protecting neighborhoods. Frances considered one of her greatest accomplishments on council was helping to rewrite the town charter, the foundational document that outlines the governance and administrative structure of the town.
She had a keen interest in all facets of government across the Commonwealth, reflected through her service in the Virginia Municipal League. Frances received the ultimate recognition and honor from the VML when she was elected President of that organization in 1990.
Frances was dedicated to making Blacksburg and Montgomery County a better place to live. But beyond her civic involvement, she loved her family and delighted in the births of her three grandchildren and later two great-grandchildren. She loved to travel and for many years arranged trips with her children and grandchildren. Favorite trips included the Rose Parade in Pasadena, Cali., the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in NYC, and the Grand Ole’ Opry in
Nashville, Tenn.
Funeral services were held Tuesday, Feb. 10 at the McCoy Funeral Home
Chapel with Gary Hixson officiating. The burial followed the service at Westview Cemetery in Blacksburg. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Bernard Lee Parsons Endowed Scholarship (#884207) at Virginia Tech, the Roanoke Valley Presbyterian Church, the Blacksburg Rescue Squad or please make a contribution to your local library – Frances loved to read!
