Virginia Oressa Dowery was born in Charlotte, NC, on February 8, 1936, to Charles Dowery II and Ella Bell English. She was the eighth of nine siblings. During early childhood, they lived in the Greenville Neighborhood of Charlotte. After the death of her parents in 1943, she and her younger brother moved to the Cherry Neighborhood to live with a maternal aunt who raised them. Virginia attended Morgan Elementary School and West Charlotte High school where she excelled in her studies. Graduating in 1953, she was prepared for college.

From an early age, Virginia attended the St. Andrews Lutheran Church in Charlotte. After graduating from high school, she attended Emmanuel Lutheran College in Greensboro, NC. Upon completion of those studies, Virginia enrolled at Hunter College of the City University of New York where she earned a nursing degree in 1972. While living in NY, she practiced nursing in a variety of health care settings. She also met and married (1968) James Williams of Denmark, SC, where they eventually relocated. In Denmark, her desire for excellence and love of learning were demonstrated, again, as she earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Sociology from Voorhees College in 1983. Virginia enjoyed the nursing profession; she loved caring for her patients (or students), and they loved her. In South Carolina, she worked in a variety of settings, including Voorhees College, Denmark; South Carolina State University, Orangeburg; and the Bamberg County Hospital. She was a "School Nurse" for Denmark Public Schools for many years until retirement in 2012.

Virginia's favorite pastime was sewing. She was a consummate seamstress and was known at times to have "made an outfit on Saturday and wore it to church on Sunday!" She was also a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority. She will be remembered as "The Nurse" who was always willing to help take care of others and, ironically, for her dry sense of humor.

As an adult, Virginia attended Mt. Zion Lutheran Church in New York City, and Voorhees St. Phillip's Episcopal Church in Denmark where she served faithfully for many years. Upon returning to Charlotte in 2016, she returned to the church of her childhood years, Prince of Peace Lutheran Church (formerly St. Andrews) where she attended regularly until her health began to decline.

Virginia departed this life peacefully on February 23, 2020. She was preceded in death by her husband of 47 years, James Williams (2015); her father and mother (1943); and seven siblings: Charles III, Ruth, Osborne, Ulysses, English, Henry, and William. She leaves to cherish her memories one brother, Russell (Evelyn) Dowery, Charlotte, NC; two stepsons, Randolph (Wanda) Williams, Charleston, SC, and Reginald Williams, Walterboro, SC; two nieces, five nephews, and a number of great nieces, cousins, and friends.