Hilda Ann Fox Higgs, 83, wife of Edward Blackford Higgs, of 146 Middlebrook Road, passed away peacefully Sunday, February 16, 2020, at her residence surrounded by her loving family.
Hiddy, as she was known by her family and friends, was born June 11, 1936, in Staunton, to the late John Morgan and Letitia Marie Myers Fox. She graduated from Robert E. Lee High School in Staunton and Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. After graduating from VCU, she returned to Staunton where she worked at King’s Daughters Hospital as an X-Ray technician and met her husband, Ned. Hiddy later left the medical field and assisted Ned in establishing and running their family business of EB Higgs Engineering and Surveying, which operated for 40 years until Ned and Hiddy retired. Together Ned and Hiddy purchased land in Rockbridge County, where they established and operated a Hereford cow/calf farm for 50 years. Hiddy’s hobbies included gardening, painting, and cooking and she enjoyed giving her legendary Christmas gifts of homemade candy and sausage bread to an extensive list of friends. But for all her activities and accomplishments, Hiddy’s true love was her family. She and Ned were married for 62 years and her family was the center of her life.
She is preceded in death by her brothers Richard Fox and John Fox and sister Francis Fox Dickinson.
She is survived by her loving husband Ned; sister Ellen Fox Mullins of Staunton; daughter Karen Virginia Higgs James and her husband Russell Ray James of Falls Church, Virginia; daughter Leslie Ann Higgs Rosch and her husband Mark Jamison Rosch of Sugarloaf Key, Florida; and granddaughter, Kelly Myers Rosch of Ithaca, New York.
The family will receive friends from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. Friday, February 21, 2020 in the Henry Funeral Home.
There will be a graveside burial service at 10 a.m. Saturday, February 22, 2020 at Thornrose Cemetery.
Condolences may be sent to the family at
www.henryfuneralhome.net
.
The family wishes to thank the many wonderful professionals at UVA Medical Center and Augusta Health who assisted Hiddy in living a long and happy life despite her 37-year fight against breast cancer. The family is especially grateful to oncologists Dr. Mark Stuart, Dr. John Barton, Dr. Patrick Judson, and Dr. Raymond Cruz. We also acknowledge the loving care Augusta Health and Hospice provided to us all.