Virginia Mangum Lewis

Virginia Mangum Lewis

June 25,1936 - October 26, 2023

Opal Virginia Mangum Lewis, 87, a longtime resident of Pearl, Mississippi, passed away at Cooperwood Senior Living in Flowood, Mississippi. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 on Monday, October 30, 2023 at Ott and Lee Funeral Home in Brandon, MS with interment in Floral Hills Memory Garden in Pearl. Visitation will be held from 9:00 until 11:00 at the funeral home.

Mrs. Lewis was born on June 25,1936 to Clifton and Fannie Hughes Mangum of the Shady Grove community near Mize, Mississippi and was married to Atha Wilkins Lewis for 61 years until his death in 2018. She was a member of Truitt Baptist Church in Pearl where she was actively involved until her health began to fail her, but she continued to connect with her church friends through social media and an active texting group.

Mrs. Lewis received her Bachelor of Science with a double major in math and science from the University of Southern Mississippi and later a Master of Science from Jackson State University. Soon after completing her undergraduate work at the age of 19, Mrs. Lewis worked as a lab assistant under Dr. Arthur Guyton at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Though her time working with Dr. Guyton was a brief moment in her career, she took great pride and held fond memories of this experience. For the majority of her career, Mrs. Lewis was a mathematics teacher at several schools in Mississippi which included the University of Southern Mississippi and Hinds Community College. Her longest tenures, however, were in the Pearl Public School District and Rankin County School District. Selected as STAR teacher multiple times during her years at Richland High School, Mrs. Lewis took great pride in the accomplishments of her former students and was thrilled to be able to reconnect with many of them through social media in her later years.

Taking breaks from her teaching during her sons’ most formative years, Mrs. Lewis took time to focus on raising her children. Time spent with her children, grandchildren, and great grandchild was her joy in life and where she liked to invest much of her energy and passion. Aside from family time, shopping and travel were some of her favorite activities.  

Mrs. Lewis was preceded in death by her husband, Atha Wilkins Lewis; parents, Clifton and Fannie Hughes Mangum; and sister, Christine Orzell Thompson.

Mrs. Lewis is survived by her sons, Kirby (Wendy) Lewis and Kevin (Michelle) Lewis; grandchildren, Jonathan Lewis, Christopher (Lauren) Lewis, Emma Lewis and Sophia Lewis; great grandson, Luke Atha Lewis; sister-in-law, Waudeena Carr; and many nieces, nephews and a host of friends.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Truitt Baptist Church or the charity of your choice.