Nina Penn Moir West of Virginia Beach, died on March 30, 2018. Born on Sept. 25, 1917, she was the youngest child of Charles Raymond Moir and Susan Penn Moir.
Preceding her in death in addition to her parents were siblings, Charlene Moir Oakey, Carol Moir Davis, John Penn Moir, Charles Raymond Moir Jr., and Nancy Penn Moir. Her son-in-law, Louis Lee Guy Jr. also predeceased her. Many family members celebrated her 100th birthday in September.
Born in Roanoke, Nina lived there and in nearby Salem before moving to Martinsville in 1950. By then she was a member of the Roanoke Assembly. In Martinsville, she joined the Garden Study Club and the Daughters of the American Revolution. Always an avid bridge player, Nina was in several foursomes and a bridge club. She attended Christ Episcopal Church.
In 1969, Nina moved to McLean where she worked for Naval Research and Development. From there she relocated to Roanoke, playing bridge whenever she could. In 1993, Mrs. West moved to Atlantic Shores in Virginia Beach, a retirement home with which she fell in love from a TV ad while on a bridge trip to Nags Head. Not knowing a single person there, she remains the only resident allowed to bring three dogs to that facility. Playing both duplicate and contract bridge remained her love, and she played into her late eighties. An iconic master of southern cooking resulted in her children and grandchildren publishing a cookbook of her favorite recipes.
The facts of Nina’s life tell only part of her story because she had many unusual distinctions. People marveled over her beautiful handwriting.
Mrs. West is survived by her four children, Suzanne West Guy, Nina West Guy and her husband James Mayo Guy of Mathews, Francis Thornton West and his wife Katherine Fagg West, and Wysor West Gearhart and her husband George William Gearhart Jr.; 10 grandchildren, James Thornton Guy, Louis Lee Guy III, Lowery Guy Van Buskirk, Francis West Guy, Penn Guy Smith, Wren West, Francis Thornton West III of Cobbs Creek, Suzanne West Clark, William Chandler Gearhart and Bentley Gearhart Dorn; 11 great-grandchildren, Peter Walsh Van Buskirk, Grace Lowery Van Buskirk, Jackson Garland Smith, Nina Moir Smith, Alexa Suzanne Guy, Francis Thornton West IV, Charlotte Finley West, James Shambeau Guy, John Harold West, Taylor Wells Gearhart, and Katherine Finley Clark.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 201 St. Paul’s Blvd., Norfolk, Va. 23510, Employees Gift Fund Harbourway, 1217 Alliance Drive, Virginia Beach, Va. 23454 or Comfort Care Hospice, 667 Gainsborough, Chesapeake, Va. 23220.
The family thanks the Rev. Scott Hennessey for his many visits and Valerie Holden, Harbourway’s Assistant Administrator who gave unending support to Mrs. West and all her family.