Virginia Rose Tighe

Mrs. Virginia Rose Tighe, 88, of Aiken, died Tuesday, July 21st at her residence.

The daughter of Cecil William and Mary Agnes Cantrell she was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts on November 10, 1920. She traveled throughout the world with her husband and their family, and moved to Aiken in 2002. She was the second of six children. She is predeceased by her sister Helen D. Savageau and her brother Cecil William Cantrell, Jr. Surviving siblings are John B. Cantrell, Thomas L. Cantrell and Paul Cantrell.

In 1943 she started a photography modeling career and then joined the Navy, working in Washington, DC. She worked as a storekeeper first class for the three years she served and awarded an Honorable Discharge in February, 1946. She married the love of her life and the person she had known since she was 12 on June 29, 1946. She spent the rest of her life being a loving wife and wonderful mother. She also loved to entertain and enjoyed being with her family and friends.

She is survived by Richard Irving Tighe, her husband of 63 years, and their five children; Richard Irving Tighe, Jr. and his wife Theresa, Virginia Cornwell and her husband Thomas, Kenneth John Tighe and his wife Patricia, Janice Schuler, and Valerie McFarland and her husband Dean. They have nine grandchildren and eleven great grandchildren.

A funeral Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, July 25, 2009 @ 11AM at St. Mary Help of Christians Catholic Church. Visitation will be at George Funeral Home & Cremation Center, 211 Park Ave. SW on Saturday from 9:00 to 10:30. Entombment, with military honors will follow at Southlawn Cemetery Mausoleum on Whiskey Rd. Memorial donations may be made to the National Kidney Foundation, 30 East 33rd St., New York, NY 10016.