On May 22, 1928, in Turks Ferry (Stormont), Va., the world was blessed with Lena Evelyn Kimble, the second of eight children born to the late Edgar and Lucy (Goldman) Wingfield.
From the very beginning, Lena carried a spirit of strength, determination, and love that touched every person she met. On Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025, at Riverside Lifelong Health and Rehabilitation in Saluda, she traded her earthly home for her heavenly one, leaving behind a legacy that spans four generations and countless hearts.
Lena was many things – a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and great-great-grandmother – but most of all, she was a matriarch whose home was always open. She had a gift for making everyone feel like family, whether you were blood, neighbor, or a stranger passing through. If you met her once, you were hers forever.
Her house wasn’t just a home. It was the heart of the family. Friday nights seafood, occasional pig feet Saturdays, and weekday dinners prepared by the time her grandchildren came home from school and their parents from work. Holidays weren’t complete without her seasonal sweet potato pies and a spread prepared by yours truly. Let’s not forget how Sunday dinners were prepared and ready before church.
Known for her firm hand and no-nonsense spirit, Lena “meant business” in everything she did. Yet with her great-grands and great-great-grands, her toughness softened into the sweetest kind of love. She stressed the importance of education, reminding us that “Once you have it, no one can take it away from you.”
Lena received her early education at Mill Road School in Locust Hill. She worked at Lord Mott Canning Company and later devoted her life to domestic work. But it was never “just work” to her as she did it with love and passion. She extended grace, wisdom, and dignity to every family she served, leaving as much of herself in their lives as she did in her own family.
When she wasn’t working or caring for her loved ones, Lena loved to travel. She kept her suitcase packed and ready to go. In her early years, the traveling Wingfield siblings, and spouses would take group trips to the Caribbean, train rides to New Orleans, and cruises. Her traveling didn’t stop there, visiting her grandchildren and their families for numerous celebrations or just a getaway from home, not to mention her countless trips to Philadelphia to visit her siblings and their families. She lived with gratitude, always thankful for her family’s love, the bonds she nurtured, and the memories they created together.
Lena was preceded in death by her husband Jack E. Kimble; sons, Larry and Cornell Kimble; grandchildren, Tracy, Cornell, Roxanne, Ava, Larry, Ashley, Taneasha, Jack, Keith, and Kimberly-Chloe; great-grandchildren, Tasha, Davonta, Jacob, and Quindell; parents, Edgar and Lucy Wingfield; sister, Catherine Wingfield; and brothers, John, Roosevelt, and Edgar Wingfield.
She leaves to cherish her memory, daughters, Lucy (Percell Sr.) Scott, Joan (Curtis) Strickland, Beverlyn Bagby, and Michelle Kimble all of Saluda; sons, Toney (Charlene) Kimble of Richmond, Tyrone (Tammie) Kimble of Topping, and Anthony (Sarah) Kimble of Urbanna; Grandma’s Girl, LaToya (Kevin) Cooper of Drexel Hill, Pa.; Andre Fells of Midlothian; “that’s my boy,” George (Melissa) Burse Sr. of Fayetteville, N.C.; “my DeeDee,” Diane (Bryant) Barlow of Williamsburg; 38 grandchildren, 106 great-grandchildren, 15 great-great grandchildren; sisters, Bertha Kimble of Saluda, Doris Robinson and Lois Owens of Philadelphia, Pa.; along with a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, extended relatives, and friends who were blessed to call her their own.
Her legacy isn’t just the meals she cooked or the wisdom she shared. It’s the love she planted that will continue to bloom for generations.
The viewing will be 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 5 at Calvary Baptist Church, Saluda. The funeral service will be noon Saturday, Sept. 6 at the church with visitation from 11 a.m. to noon. Interment will be in the church cemetery.
Services of comfort are entrusted to J.K. Redmond Funeral Home.
The family would like to thank the staff at Riverside Lifelong Health and Rehabilitation Saluda, Riverside Walter Reed Hospital, Riverside Hospice team, and the Middlesex County Volunteer Rescue Squad.
