Edna Garrison Bays, 98, passed into eternal life Sunday, April 26, 2020.

She was born February 16, 1922 to Joe Wilson and Lydia Kirstein Garrison in Buncombe County North Carolina. After her father died in 1924 when she was two, her mother moved the family to a rural area in Henrico County outside Richmond, Virginia to support the family by raising vegetables on a truck farm during the Great Depression.

After Edna graduated from Highlands Springs High School she attended the Medical College of Virginia and graduated as a registered nurse in 1943. During the war she met the love of her life, Ensign John Bays and they married at Cape May, New Jersey in 1945. Following the war, John attended the University of Texas in Austin where Edna worked as a private nurse until the birth of her first son. They then returned to Richmond, Virginia where John obtained a job with DuPont. They subsequently lived in Camden, South Carolina and finally settled for good in Waynesboro, Virginia where they raised their four children. She started working as a nurse at the Waynesboro Community Hospital after her youngest son Bill started school. There she worked as a nurse supervisor and then as the hospital Infection Control Nurse until she retired in 1984. She and John traveled extensively in their retirement and enjoyed many family events and visits. Most of all, she loved being with family and friends and helping others. She always treated others with respect and fairness.

She was an active member of the Main Street Methodist Church in Waynesboro for over 60 years.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband of 72 years John F Bays Sr.; brothers Kenneth F. Garrison and Cary Clinton Garrison; granddaughters Jennifer Hanes and Jamie Hanes; and daughter-in-law Deborah Fitz Bays. She is survived by son John, Jr., and wife Donna, daughter Judith and husband Jefferey Hanes, son David and wife Denise, and son William. Edna leaves grandsons John Bays III and wife Lisa, Joshua Hanes and wife Heather, Jed Hanes, James Hanes, David Bays and Scott Bays; and granddaughters Jessica Ervin, Adrienne Barker and husband Justin, Rebecca Leggieri and husband B.J.,Jessica Hanes and husband Tim Hiland, and Abigail Hanes. She also leaves nephews Ken Garrison and Greg Garrison, and nieces Dolly Gray Garrison, Glenna Johns and Sue Corey. Edna is also survived by 17 great-grandchildren and step-great­ grandchildren: Joseph, Jonah and Leila Hanes, Jordan and Logan Bays, Tomi Ridley and partner Sean Barclay, Lili and Gemma Ervin, Christian, Shia, Arabella, Hunter and Gabriel Hiland, Genevieve, Matthias and Elijah Hanes, John Bays. And finally she leaves step-great-great-grandson Ezekiel Barclay

A private family interment is scheduled on May 6 at the Augusta Memorial Park, 1775 Goose Creek Rd, Waynesboro, VA at 1:00.

A Celebration of Life service will be held at The Main Street Methodist Church at a later date to be announced.