Obituary

It is with profound sadness that the family of Tommie Sue Roncaglione Roberts announces her passing. She left her earthly life and entered into eternal life with her Lord and Savior on December 16, 2020.

She was the first born child of Dr. Carl James and Tommie Ballard McCoy Roncaglione, both of whom preceded her in death. She never fully recovered from the loss of her parents. She loved them deeply and missed them desperately every day.

Tommie Sue was lucky enough to marry the love of her life. She and her husband, Chet Roberts, have been married 33 years. Together, they have two beautiful children, who were the lights of her life and her reason for living- Chester V. Roberts, III, (Cheston) and Eva Ballard Roberts. She is also survived by Jim and Susan Roncaglione, of Charleston, and Katie and Bob McKean, of Lakeland, Florida. She leaves her nephews, whom she dearly loved: the Roncag boys: Carl J. III, Louis, Sam, Willie and Felix Roncaglione, mostly of Charleston; and Brock and Reed (Ashleigh) McKean of Lakeland, Florida. She absolutely adored all of her aunts and uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, and in-laws on the Roberts, Roncaglione, and Ballard sides of her family.

Tommie Sue matriculated through Charleston schools in the early 1970s. She was among the first 8th grade class to attend the new John Adams Junior High on the hill, and graduated George Washington High School with the Class of 1974. She spent many hours working on Class of ‘74 reunions, and did so as a labor of love. The GWHS Class of ‘74 has a special connection to each other. She always said that the planning meetings were a blast! She maintained a long friendship with classmates from Kindergarten at First Presby, through her elementary school years at Fort Hill Elementary, John Adams Junior High and her GWHS graduating class. Her ability and desire to keep her friends was a testament to her devotion to them, and theirs to her.

She graduated, in 1978, from Virginia Intermont College as a fourth-generation, direct-line graduate. Her mother, Tommie Ballard McCoy Roncaglione, graduated from VIC in 1944. Her grandmother, Eva Ballard McCoy, was a member of the graduating class of 1919. Tommie Sue’s great-grandmother, Lillie Williams Ballard, was among those in Virginia Intermont College’s very first graduating class in 1899. It is believed that Tommie Sue was the only fourth generation, direct-line graduate in the history of Virginia Intermont College, a position she claimed with tremendous pride!

While at Virginia Intermont College she cultivated a group of friends who remain close and connected to each other today. That’s more than 46 years! They are very proud and protective of their circle of friendship and spent as much time with each other as they could. They hail from, in addition to West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia and Florida. They are one-for-all and all-for-one best of friends!

Family was always most important to Tommie Sue. She rarely missed a family reunion, and like her mother, was able to remember all the words to the songs in the Ballard Family Songbook. Tommie Sue, and her mother, along with her cousins, Betsy King Karr, Frannie McCoy Rollins and Nancy McCoy Neshek, and her Aunt Sue Ballard King, who was the “Sue” in her name, put in writing for the ages a book containing the family songs that were always sung during family reunions. The words to these songs had never been written down before, and were learned and passed down through the generations as they were sung. She delighted in ensuring that her own children knew all the words to all the songs at a very early age so they could participate in family reunion song-singing fun! Her great-Aunt Margaret Ballard McCoy was gifted with perfect pitch, and played the piano at family reunions. Aunt Margaret could play any song anyone sang or hummed for her! Singing the Ballard songs together was, and still is, the best part of their family reunions! Songs were always lead by her great-uncles, Colonel, Felix Ballard and Dr. Thomas McCoy. It was always fun to watch how members of the Ballard family quickly gravitated to the sound of their family songs. Songs are now lead by her Cousin, Dr. Harry Ballard, Colonel Ballard’s son.

Tommie Sue was a competitive swimmer in her early years as a member of the Greater Charleston Swimming Association (GCSA). She played the piano and enjoyed many types of music, though Oldies, Big Band and Beach Music were her favorites. She and her husband liked ballroom dancing and she was a member, and past officer, of The Quadrille Club and The Cotillion Club, and a former member of The Junior League of Charleston in the years following her graduation from college.

Upon college graduation, she was employed at Stone & Thomas as a corporate buyer, responsible for several different areas during her almost 20-year tenure. She especially liked New York buying trips and Broadway shows. She felt fortunate to have been mentored by Miss Sophia Pappas, Mrs. Louise Palumbo, and Mr. Joe Mullen.

She and her husband owned Mom & Me, a maternity and children’s boutique. She thoroughly delighted in having her mother accompany her on buying trips to the children’s markets in New York and Atlanta. Her mother became an astute and successful buyer of children’s clothes.

She was affiliated with Charleston Newspapers as their fashion writer for the Sunday Gazette Mail from 1996-2012. While not a journalist by education or trade, she was truly appreciative of the kind words directed to her from total strangers regarding her writing personality. It always tickled her that she, a staunch Republican and Conservative by birth and choice, was working at a newspaper known for its liberal Democrat leanings! Regardless, she fully enjoyed her association with the newspaper and her readers.

Most recently, and for the past 20 years, she was a substitute teacher for Kanawha County Schools. Many told her that she had missed her calling when she discovered how much she enjoyed life in the classroom. She was ever-grateful to the teachers and administrators at Belle Elementary who mentored her, and teachers who called on her frequently, and exclusively, making her feel like part of the staff.

Tommie Sue wanted to gift her body to science at WVU School of Medicine, but in these times we are not able. A memorial service will be held at The Baptist Temple, in Charleston, at a later date, possibly late spring, due to safety issues. Tommie Sue was a member of The Baptist Temple for more than 50 years. She and Chet grew up in The Baptist Temple and were married in that sanctuary in 1988.

A graveside service will be held at a later date in Peterstown, WV, at The Peterstown Cemetery, where she will lie for eternity beside her mother and father, and with her Ballard relatives. The heavenly Roncaglione-Ballard reunion must surely be a song-filled, glorious one!

If you would like to make a contribution in Tommie Sue’s name, please consider The Baptist Temple, Belle Elementary, GWHS Class of 1974 Reunion, or any organization of your choice.

Memorial Service will be held at 3:00 p.m. Saturday, May 8, 2021 at Charleston Baptist Temple, Charleston, WV.

The family will receive family and friends one hour prior to the service at the church.

You may send condolences to the family at:www.barlowbonsall.com

Barlow Bonsall Funeral Home has been entrusted to handle the arrangements.