A memorial service for Ann May Via will be held at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Ivy, Va. at 11 a.m. on Friday, March 21.
Mrs. Via, who often accompanied husband Harold A. “Sonny Via Jr. to steeplechase races while he raced two-time Eclipse Award winner Good Night Shirt, died peacefully on March 7 at Knob Hill Farm in Free Union Va., 2014. She was 81.
Raised in Virginia Beach, she attended The Madeira School and Sweet Briar College. She and Sonny married on Nov. 7, 1952. Following Sonny’s four years of active duty in the United States Navy, the Vias raised their family in Richmond and Virginia Beach before retiring to Hob Knob Farm in 1985.
Known for her active lifestyle, she enjoyed walking with her dogs, foxhunting, hunting rabbits on foot with beagles, gardening, and traveling. Together, she and Sonny enjoyed touring throughout the country and abroad in their antique automobiles.
When not engaged in these activities, she could be found on the sidelines of various athletic events supporting her children, grandchildren, or her beloved Virginia Cavaliers. Other interests included preservation, conservation, Virginia history, and decorative arts.
In addition to her husband, she is survived by sons Peyton A. Via and Michael A. Via, both of Virginia Beach, and daughters Alice R. Via of Virginia Beach and Mary V. Cuoco of New Canaan, Conn.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial contributions be made to The Corp. for Jefferson’s Poplar Forest, P.O. Box 49, Forest, VA 24551; Alzheimer’s Assoc. of Central Virginia, 1160 Pepsi Pl., Ste. 306, Charlottesville, VA 22901; Hospice of the Piedmont, 675 Peter Jefferson Pkwy. Ste. 300, Charlottesville, VA 22911, www.hopva.org. Friends may send condolences to the family at www.hillandwood.com.