Faye Lucille Rowe Hoff Humphrey - Obituary

The memory of Faye Lucille Rowe (Hoff) Humphrey, formerly of Staunton and Verona, Virginia, who passed away on July 22, 2025 at the age of 96, will forever remain in the hearts of those touched by her presence in their lives.

Born July 12, 1929 in Swoope, Augusta County, Virginia, Faye was a daughter of the late Fishburne Brown Rowe and Grace Bulah (Rexroad) Rowe. She was a member of the First Baptist Church in Staunton, Va. She was a favorite “Lunch Lady”, beginning with Westside Elementary School in Staunton (later renamed Ware Elementary,) until she married the love of her life, the late David R Humphrey. Until retirement, she worked mostly beside her husband in small “Mom and Pop” stores serving communities in Staunton, Augusta County, and White Sulphur Spring, WV.

She had a tender heart and a laughter that came easily and often. She was born the baby of eight and carried the sadness of knowing that she would have to watch all of her immediate family pass before her. She could not watch a sad movie without tears streaming down her face, her shoulders shaking with sobs. Yet she could make friends and family laugh until they cried, sometimes leaving their shoulders shaking. She was born with a tremendous tenderness and depth of feeling. 
She had a strong work ethic, and she genuinely enjoyed good hard work. She could enjoy chopping wood and making macaroni and cheese equally. She loved to garden, mow grass, and she could swing a hammer. She loved to cook, bake, and can foods. When she was bored, she would clean or exercise. When she was happy, she would sing. She enjoyed music, sports, and vacation trips as a younger woman. In middle age, she enjoyed camping and fishing with her husband. In later years, she took joy in making and sharing her special treats with family and friends.
She cared for nieces, nephews, and children in the neighborhood. She specialized in making others feel special. She always took a back seat to others, content to be the wind beneath their wings. She always served the needs of others.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by: Her beloved husband, David R. Humphrey; Her Brother Boyd Milton Rowe and Sister-in-law Dorothy Pauline (Sweet) Rowe Knight;  Her Brother Ralph Brown Rowe and Sister-in-law Mae Virginia (Rexrode) Rowe;  Her Brother Theodore Anderson “Peanut” Rowe and Sister-in-law Elise Mae (Randolph) Rowe;  Evelyn Octava Rowe (Eiland) Butler and Brother-in-law William Angus Eiland; Her Brother Robert Lee Rowe, Sister-in-law Pearle Louise (Campbell) Rowe, and nephew “like a son” Gary Lee Rowe, with whom she lived until her middle years; Her Brother Alfred William “Buddy” Rowe, Sr. and Sister-in-law Reva Genevieve (Curry) Rowe; Her sister, Ethel Rosetta Rowe Clifton and Brother-in-law Earl Hampton Clifton, Sr..

Faye was one of eight siblings and enjoyed the company of more than forty Rowe nieces and nephews in Augusta County Virginia who have had children and grandchildren, some who have passed before and some who survive her passing. Survivors in her husband’s family tree were listed in the obituary published at the time of her death in Beckley West Virginia and can be found at: https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/beckley-wv/faye-humphrey-12469819

Her funeral arrangements in July were managed by: Blue Ridge Funeral Home  5251 Robert C Byrd Drive Beckley, WV 25801 (304) 256-8625