On Friday, April 17, 2020, our beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, cousin, and friend peacefully transitioned from this life to eternal rest. Mother Vivian G. Wiggins was born in Princess Anne County, VA on March 5, 1936 to the late Clarence Gatlin and Mary E. Smith. She was educated at Union Kempsville Training School and moved to New York to further her education in nursing. After a few years, Mother Vivian relocated back to the Virginia Beach, VA area and worked as a Custodian at Lynnhaven Middle School for 20 years. After she retired, she worked at the Lynn Shore Nursing home for five years.
Vivian, affectionately known as “Hookie”, gave her heart to the Lord in 1977 at New Jerusalem COGIC under the leadership of the late Bishop Barnett K. Thoroughgood. In October 1985, she joined the Gift of Life Church under the leadership of Bishop B. J. Gatlin and Pastor Alisha Gatlin. One of the things that you can say about Mother Wiggins is that she truly loved her bishop and pastor. She was a faithful member and whenever the doors of the church were open, she was there. Mother Wiggins was the leader of the 4am Early Morning Family Prayer Circle for over 35 years. She was the President of the Mother’s Board, served on the Executive Board and loved attending the noon day prayer.
Besides praying and serving the Lord, Mother Wiggins loved to sing his praises. She had a song for every occasion and when she sang … she sang with such an anointing. Her favorite song to sing was “I Won’t Complain” and she never did. Mother Wiggins had a lot of talents. She was a great cook and made the best sweet potato biscuits. She could sew and even used to cut patterns out of newspapers to make her daughter’s baby doll clothes.
Mother Wiggins was predeceased by the love of her life, her husband, Milton R. Wiggins and her two sisters, Roselee Gatlin and Mildred Nichols.
She leaves to cherish her memories, her son, Charles Gatlin (Bernadette); three daughters, Martinee Torres (Freddy), Renita Gatlin, Sonya Gatlin-Cooper (Henry); six grandchildren, Tashiana Jamison (Theo), Derrick Gatlin, Dedrick Gatlin, Donovan Bramlett, Alfredo Torres Jr., Dominique Torres (Shay); fifteen great grandchildren and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
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