Marjorie Jennings Raney was the spouse of Rev. William N. Raney.
Marjorie Jennings Raney passed away peacefully in her home on September 16, 2025, at the age of 99. She lived a long, full life and had the special honor of becoming a great-great-grandmother. Born and raised in Virginia, she considered Burnside Farms her home.
Marjorie was a warm and magnetic woman who brought joy to everyone she met. Her quick wit and natural charm made people feel instantly at ease.
She married William “Bill” Raney while he was a student at Union Theological Seminary. Marge was a gifted seamstress — and when she and Bill married during the Great Depression, fabric was hard to come by. Her uncle, Garland Bottom, brought silk back from one of his trips to New York City so Marge could sew her own wedding dress. She made many of her children’s clothes throughout their lives, often drafting her own patterns from scratch.
Bill went on to become a Methodist minister, serving congregations across Virginia and founding many churches in the region. One of his most memorable appointments was at Scott Memorial Methodist Church in Oceana, where he established one of the first drive-in churches in the country — giving vacationers the opportunity to worship from their cars, clad in shorts and swimsuits.
Marjorie was an avid horticulturist and would create Sunday service flower arrangements using blooms from the gardens of parishioners. After Bill retired from ministry, the couple started a greenhouse business called Raney Day Growers, cultivating and wholesaling tropical plants.
More than anything, Marjorie loved being surrounded by her family. She was happiest in the company of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, all of whom adored her. She was best known for her always-positive outlook and her unique expressions — the most iconic being her signature farewell: “Toodle-loo”. She also loved a game of Chinese checkers, and very few people ever won a match with the grandmom, although many tried.
To those who knew her, Marjorie was more than a mother, grandmother, or friend — she was a reminder of life’s simple joys. Her warmth and lighthearted spirit will continue to bloom in the hearts of all who loved her.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Coralease (“Toppy”) Bottom and Edward Jennings; her husband, William Neil Raney Sr.; her sister, Hazel Benninghove; her son, William Neil Raney Jr.; and her daughter, Martha Raney Moore.
She is survived by her children, Leslie R. Dawley and Charles Craig Raney; her grandchildren, Michael, Katie, and Daniel Dawley, and Jeffrey and Cindy Moore; her great-grandchildren, Nolan and Annabelle Dawley, Alexandra and Zachary Moore, Dustin Moore Clark, Celia R. Clark, Kieran Raney, and Carissa Raney; and her great-great-grandchildren, Basil and Azure Clark, Bellamy Swisher, and Hayden Stone.
(Source: https://www.tributearchive.com/obituaries/45435039/marjorie-jennings-raney)