September 27, 1939 - September 4, 2026
Lil was born in Charleston, West Virginia, in 1939. She attended West Virginia University, where she earned her undergraduate and master’s degrees in English.
Her introduction to Vermont came in 1970 through Keewaydin Camps on Lake Dunmore in Salisbury. After 10 summers on Lake Dunmore the draw was too strong. She left the West Virginia hills behind and resettled in the Green Mountains of Vermont. In 1979, she and her children put down roots in East Warren on Cider Hill, in the house affectionately known to her and those who knew her as “The Logs.” It was a welcoming home for family and friends, as well as the many boxers who were such an important part of Lil’s life—Trot, Shaker, Beastie, Pip, and Jo.
Her first job in The Valley was as a carpenter’s helper with Green Moss Builders. Over the years, she also worked at the Yestermorrow Design/Build School, taught English at Harwood, worked as a teacher’s aide at Warren Elementary School, and as a private tutor. Her commitment to education extended beyond the classroom, as she served for many years on the Harwood Union school board. Additionally, she was among a group of people who purchased and ran the Pitcher Inn in the late 1980s.
Lil enjoyed listening to Doc Watson, The Kingston Trio, and The Seldom Scene. Mornings and weekends were reserved for VPR. She loved Estwing hammers, palm sanders and a sharp chisel. And, above all else, she had a penchant for Latin and grammar. “Dogs lie, chickens lay,”was one of her famous reminders. She did her dishes by hand, never owned a cell phone and made the best spoonbread.
Lil is survived by her daughter, Heather, of the U.S. Virgin Islands; her son, Jamie, and his wife, Emily, of Morristown; her grandchildren, Hazel and her husband, Andrew McNealus, of Fayston, and Grayson, of Morristown; and her great-grandson, Wynn McNealus. She was predeceased by her good friend William “Bill” Wilson.
Te amamus et desiderabimus.
