Doris Hailey

Doris Pauline Hailey, nee Williams, of Lynchburg, Virginia, passed away on May 9th, 2026 after a brief illness at the age of 100.

Doris is survived by daughter Cheryl Jo Hailey, of Lynchburg; son John Carter Hailey and his wife Marcia, of Richmond, Virginia; son Joel Swartz Hailey-Richards and his husband Darrell, of Lynchburg; sisters Patricia Minor and Joyce Lyles; brothers, Jon Williams and Ted Williams, and many nieces, nephews, their spouses, and children.

Doris was preceded in death by her husband of 63 years, Lyman G. Hailey; brothers Jack Williams and Wayne Williams, and sister Jean Berns.

Doris was born in Zepp, Shenandoah County, Virginia, to Martha Swartz Williams and Joseph Paul Williams on January 28th, 1926. After spending her early years in Zepp, the family moved to Fairfax County, Virginia. She graduated from Fairfax High School in 1944. After graduation, she joined her sister Jean in Washington, DC, and worked for the federal government until her marriage to Lyman Griffith Hailey in 1947. Doris and Lyman lived in Fairfax City and later Annandale before moving into Washington, DC in the early 1970’s. After Lyman’s retirement from the federal government, they relocated in 1984 to Lynchburg, Virginia, where Lyman’s brother, Robert C. Hailey and family lived.

Over the years, Doris gave many hours of volunteer time in both Washington and Lynchburg. In Washington, she was active in the student exchange program, AFS Intercultural Programs, and hosted a number of foreign students in her home, including those from Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, and Thailand.

In Lynchburg, she and Lyman were long-time active members of Westminster Presbyterian Church. Under the umbrella of Churches for Urban Ministry, she operated a food bank and participated in the Camp Timothy program and the Community Grow and Give Garden Program. Housed at Westminster Presbyterian, Doris also volunteered with The Blessing Place program whose aims are to feed the hungry, clothe the broken, and love the lonely. She also drove for the blind and was a docent at Jefferson’s Poplar Forest.

Doris’s many interests included vegetable gardening, the arts, and travel. She took a number of trips to Europe as well as cultural and educational programs with Road Scholar. Doris was a lifelong reader and at the age of 100 could still engage in a lively discussion of current events. She often mused, in that last year, “What is wrong with the world?”

A special note of thanks and gratitude go to nephew Robert Carter Hailey and his wife Lanaux for their faithful assistance and care during her illness.

On Saturday, June 13th, at 2 PM, a Service of Witness to the Resurrection will be held at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1022 Floyd Street, Lynchburg, with a reception following in the Parish Hall. Memorial gifts in Doris’s honor may be made to Westminster Presbyterian Church or The Blessing Place, c/o Westminster Presbyterian, 1022 Floyd Street, Lynchburg, Virginia, 24501, or to a charity of your choice.

Burial will be at Cedar Creek Christian Church cemetery in Zepp, Virginia, and will take place at a later date.

Tharp Funeral Home & Crematory, Lynchburg is assisting the family.