On the last day of July, 2009, having witnessed and loved the spring greening of hills and gardens, and the blooming of acres of daffodils for nearly a century, Virginia Burt Gunnell died at her home in Middleburg.

Born in North Carolina, Virginia Gunnell adopted, and was adopted by the state whose name she bore, and the county and town she helped transform.

Her sense of duty, justice, and fair play, combined with her commitment to both the benefits and joys of the beautiful, led her take on the yearslong task of transforming one of Middleburg's most disgraceful slums. Her generosity, hard work, and the inspiration she provided to both her good friends, and some who only knew her by name, made possible the first standard-setting work of the Windy Hill Foundation and the transformation of Virginia Lane from an eyesore and health hazard to the western gateway to Middleburg.

By all accounts, what was once a disgraceful remnant of the worst days of Jim Crow Virginia became a role model of successful, efficient, affordable, and, thanks to Virginia and those she inspired, beautiful, housing.

Mrs. Gunnell was an avid gardener, an active member and Zone Chairman of the Garden Club of American, an officer of The Garden Club of Virginia, and served as President of the Garden Club of Alexandria and The Upperville Garden Club. She was a show judge for the American Daffodil Society.

A true believer in the value of history, literature, and those who preserve, protect it, and create it, she was a member of The Daughters of the American Revolution, a director of the National Sporting Library, and a generous supporter of the University of Virginia and Charlottesville's Audubon Archives. To encourage young writers she established the Foxcroft School Poetry Award.

She served as Chairman of both the Altar Guild and the Women of the Church of Trinity Episcopal Church in Upperville and served on the Ladies Board of the Alexandria Hospital.

She is survived by her daughter, Jane Rittenhouse Gunnell; grandchildren, Thomas Nelson Gunnell of Middleburg and Jane Page Gunnell Thompson of Aiken; her great-grandson, Thomas Nelson Gunnell Jr.; son-in-law, William Morgan Benton; and grandson-in-law, Mark Gregory Thompson.

She leaves behind a world made better by her presence, a legacy of natural beauty and thousands whom she never knew, inspired by her life and legacy.

Contributions in her memory may be made to the Trinity Church Endowment Fund, P.O. Box 127, Upperville, VA 20185 or Masters of Fox Hounds Association - Legacy Campaign, P.O. Box 363, Millwood, VA 22646 or Hitchcock Woods Foundation, P.O. Box 1702, Aiken, SC 29802.