On Sunday, March 1, 2015, Valenza Marie (Polly) Van Lear slipped quietly from this life into her eternal rest.

She was surrounded by the love of all of her family and friends who give thanks for the loving and sacrificial life she lived in testimony to her great love of Christ.

She was an active resident of Lakewood Manor, Richmond, where the residents, healthcare staff, and other members of the community valued her friendship.

Polly spent her childhood in Clifton Forge and was a graduate of Clifton Forge High School and Madison College.

She taught briefly in Bath County and Covington school systems before following a call to ministry, serving as a Baptist Student Union minister at Radford University, and completing graduate studies at Southwestern Baptist Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas.

For forty years, Polly dedicated her life to the people of Nigeria, serving as a foreign missionary and ministering in a variety of capacities, including that of teacher, school administrator, media specialist and, most importantly, as "mother" to a multitude of young girls who attended the Agbor Baptist Girls' School.

Many of those women today still call her "Mama." In her "retirement," she continued her dedication to education and improving lives through loving service in the Southside Richmond community, leading classes, bible studies, church fellowship, and service projects.

As time left her with the challenges of aging, her spirit never faltered in her desire to share the gospel through action. She loved being with her family and friends and treasured her moments with them all, including the special care over the last five years of her great-niece, Eryn Van Lear.

Polly was preceded in death by her mother and father, three brothers, and a niece, and she is survived by many nieces and nephews, extending to great and great-great young ones, all of whom are so deeply enriched by her love, faith, generosity, and ever-present joy.

Polly also leaves behind her extended family in her "daughters" from Nigeria, Elwanda and David Cornelius and family, fellow members of Friendship Manor Baptist Church, and members of Clifton Forge Baptist Church, her home church family.

A celebration of her life will be held at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, March 7, 2015 at the Clifton Forge Baptist Church with a family visitation prior to the service from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Interment will follow at Mountain View Cemetery.

Officiating and assisting with the celebration will be Rev. Herbert Townes, Rev. Nathan Smith, and Rev. Rufus Adkins. Pall Bearers will be great-nephews Chris Haynes, Gabriel Haynes, Andrew Brown, L.J. Broughman, Matthew Baldwin, Michael Baldwin, and family friend David Cornelius.

The Nicely Funeral Home, Clifton Forge, is handling arrangements.

The family suggests that any donations in memory of Polly be directed to Lakewood Manor Benevolent Fund, and noted in memory of V. Marie "Polly" Van Lear. Lakewood's address is 1900 Lauderdale Dr., Richmond, VA, 23238. Other suggested charities would be the American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association.