Virginia Lee Caraway
Oct 26, 1939 - Apr 30, 2018. Virginia Lee Lambert Caraway, RN, BSN PHN, CDDN, CADE.
ONE OF THE THOUSAND POINTS OF LIGHT.
America was fortunate to have the spirit and light that Virginia brought to every task she loved. When President Bush talked about Points of Light, he was referring to Virginia. May her memory always be a blessing. (Engels family wrote)
Born October 26, 1939 in Exeter California to Lucile and William (Bill) Lambert.
She attended school at Elderwood Elementary and Woodlake Union High School. She attended College of the Sequoias and Fresno State where she received her Bachelor of Nursing Degree with credits toward her Master's Degree at Andrews Univ.
She worked at Porterville State Developmental Hospital as the Training Officer for over 2200 personnel, nursing home Charge Nurse, taught nursing at State and local Colleges including DD/ ID/MH Dual Diagnosed Psych Tech College level classes.
When she retired she moved with her husband to Florida where she volunteered her time as Parish Nurse land Food Bank with the Methodist Church in Yulee Florida and on Board of Directors of local County Mental Health Dept. And a Nursing Administrator, Barnabas Crisis Health Center, Amelia Island, Fl. And Court Certified Victim Witness Advocate on Domestic Violence. And Founding member of Board of Directors of Florida's only non-profit for Families of Children with Disabilities. Co-states Coordinator Ca., and Fl. of VOR, a National non-profit for the DD/ID/ MH Dual Diagnosis as a Delegate to Congress. and as a result of her being International Ambassador of the National Disability Party and the CCCUN'S Mental Health Panel she was voted as a Panelist and Organizer to the NGO Communications Coordinating Committee of the United Nations (CCCUN) of Women Gender Issues on Genital Mutilation where her presentation received a standing ovation, and panelist to the Disability Convention, (CPRD), Governors appointee to California's Olmstead Comm., Ca. Forensic Mental Health Assoc. and past co-v.p's Calif. Association of State Hospitals. (CASH/ PCR). And one of only 500 Nurses nationwide with Certification in Developmental Disabilities Nursing (CDDN) (CADE) , which often used for giving Lectures on care for the Indigenous FAS child.
Twelve Years as International Ambassadorship of the NDP to the United Nations General Assembly as a original Panelist and Organizer on A Treaty signed by 172 Nations. Using the American with Disability Act (ADA) as the instrument to establish Protocols for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) Platform. Felt one of her greatest failure in life was not able to encourage enough of the U.S. Senate to Ratify .
One of her proudest accomplishments is, she put her Psychiatric tech.teaching credentials to use, as being Training Officer 11 for the very First Forensic Facility where those with Disabilities were sent to Rehabilitation in lieu of Main Stream Prison due to their vulnerabilities. REHABILITATION not INCARCERATION. Along with her husband being the f\ Forensic Social Worker. After 12 years the Recidivism Rate was a paltry 9%, (Mainstream Prisons hovering around 55% + or -). Even at 9% the whole team thought left great room for improvement. Stay tuned on that statistic coming soon.
She is survived in death by her husband Edward A. Carraway, daughters Sonja Carraway Beebe, Kim Carraway Mckinnon, spouse Dan Mckinnon and Christina Lane Carraway Hickey, and sons, Richard Carraway, Martin Carraway and wife Tammy Blaze, 4 granddaughters and 4 grandsons and great granddaughter and great grandson. She is survived by 2 brothers, William (Bill) and John Lambert and 4 sisters, Patricia Reese, Margaret Afonso, Martha Nelson and Cynthia Hewlett and their spouses. Nine Nephews and 3 Nieces.
A Memorial Service will be on June 15, 2018 at 11 a.m. at Woodlake Presbyterian Church, to celebrate her life.
In lieu of flowers please make donations to, her passion, your local Food Bank Agency.
Arrangements by Smith Family Chapel, Exeter, CA