Louise Hudgins Cherry of Norfolk, went to be with the Lord on May 4, 2017.

Louise was born on the 19th of August, 1926 in Mathews County, Virginia, at the home of her parents and grandparents, the ancestral family farm. She was the daughter of the late Captain M. Lee Hudgins and Edith Ripley Hudgins.

Louise was a graduate of Clark School, a division of Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. After graduation, she worked for the family maritime shipping business.

Louise met her husband, Vernon Cherry, at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. He was the love of her life and they were married 49 years until his passing in 1996.

After marriage, Louise became devoted to her family and friends. With her husband, she became active in the Virginia Association of the Deaf (VAD) and the National and Fraternal Societies for the Deaf to advocate for the hearing impaired. Louise was the Treasurer of the Norfolk Division and the Hampton Roads Chapter and chaired many fundraising activities for the VAD.

Louise had been honored with numerous awards for her lifetime of contributions, guidance and leadership. These included the Leadership Award and the Mother of the Year.

Louise was a founding member of the Temple Baptist Deaf Chapel and served as the Sunday School Director for many years. She and Vernon brought the Word of God to many souls.

Most of all, Louise was a devoted mother. She enjoyed discussing current affairs, politics, sports and the Bible. 

The family traveled several times a year on family vacations. Louise and Vernon loved to travel and had been all over the world. Most of all, Louise enjoyed going home to her birthplace in Mathews County to visit her extensive family.

As a longtime resident of Lakewood, Louise was active in the Garden Club and Civic League. Her hobbies included photography, coin and stamp collecting, bowling awards, decorating, especially for the holidays, floral design and cooking for her family and friends.

Louise is survived by her two children, her son, Thomas V. Cherry III (Linda Wright Cherry) and her daughter, Mary Louise Cherry, both of Norfolk; her grandson, Wright Fitzhugh Ripley Cherry of Blacksburg, and her brother, Aubrey Lee Hudgins (Roslyn B. Hudgins) of Norfolk.

The family of Louise Cherry has heartfelt gratitude for her family and friends who attended the burial, and reception afterward hosted by Brenda Ripley and her family.