Virginia Gill Washington

Virginia Gill Washington was born on October 30, 1933. She transitioned from this life to her eternal life on August 1, 2025. She was 91 years old.

Funeral service will be Saturday, August 9 at 1pm at Sweet Home Baptist Church located at 501 Carlisle St. DeRidder, LA.

Virginia was the eleventh of twelve children born to Ellis and Mary (Mae) Gill in Merryville, LA. She attended and graduated Beauregard Parish Training School, where she was a member of the girls’ basketball team. Not long after she finished high school, she met and married Jesse Marzette, II and moved to Detroit, Michigan. To this union there were four children: Carolyn, Evelyn, Jesse III, and Julie. Sometime later she moved back home to Merryville and then to DeRidder to raise her four children as a single parent. One of the jobs she took to support her family was dishwasher at the Oaks Restaurant, making twenty-five cents an hour. After years as a single parent, she met and married James Washington. To this union two sons were born, James and William. Virginia worked several years at the Oaks as a cook, where she honed her skills and became a master cook. After leaving the Oaks, she was a cook at MasterChef, where people lined up to get in and dine on her cooking. People loved her food. She finally retired from restaurant cooking to stay home and care for her mother until her death. For years, Virginia was a faithful member of Sweet Home Baptist Church, serving as an usher and president of the Usher Board as well as a Sunday school teacher. She held these positions until her health failed. She was always cooking for the church. Everyone loved her cornbread dressing. She also cooked for others outside of the church. She stayed busy helping others whenever she could, whether it was visiting a friend at the nursing home or driving someone to a doctor’s appointment. She was thoughtful that way, never boasting about what she did for others.

She leaves to mourn her passing her children, Reverend Carolyn McGee (Charles) of Bel Air, MD; Evelyn McClinton (John) of DeRidder, LA; Jesse Marzette (Vivian) of San Antonio, TX; Julie Pratt (Sam) of Midlothian, TX; Elder James Washington (Malette) of Midlothian, TX; and William Washington of Midlothian, TX; brother Harold Gill of Merryville, LA; 17 grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren, 5 great-great-grandchildren, a host of nieces and nephews, and two true friends who never deserted her, Ms. Lue T. Smith and Abigail Rogers.

Preceding her in death were her parents, Ellis and Mary (Mae) Gill; brothers Ellis Jr., Hobby, Matthew, Hosea, William, and Bobby; and sisters Gladys, Odelia, Mackie, and Ophelia.