Hilda Keene

Hilda Grace Toler Keene, 70, of DeWitt, Virginia, went home to be with the Lord on Wednesday, February 19, 2025 at SRMC after a brief and unexpected hospital stay.

Hilda was born on March 22, 1954 on a farm near Wilson, North Carolina, the 10th child of the late Jim and Etheleen Toler.

Besides her parents, she was also proceeded in death by the father of her children Bobby Keene, brothers, Buddy and Steve Toler and sister, Aileen Barnes.

She loved the Lord with all her heart and often shared her faith with others. Hilda had a big heart and infectious personality and was an encouragement to others. She loved to share her home. Her home was a haven for teenagers, nieces, nephews, and their friends over the years. The kids always loved to go to Hilda's in the summertime. She had a special love for her family.

She loved to eat out with family and friends. Her favorite was "a steak and baked potato" meal and she liked it at any restaurant. She loved country music and playing her guitar and singing with her family at gatherings. She even taught several family members how to play musical instruments - guitar and bass guitar. She was very talented, but she was known for never finishing a complete song.

She was very skillful and known to be a jack-of-all trades. From painting to carpentry to yardwork, etc., she loved working on projects at her house and helping others also.

She touched so many lives in a positive way. She had a way of bringing people together and making them laugh. Hilda never knew a stranger and was known by so many at local restaurants. Her smile was contagious. Her two grandkids, Adam and Kennedy, were her pride and joy. She would get so excited talking about their accomplishments in life, sports, music, and school achievements. She loved her family dearly.

Left to cherish her memory are her son, Donnie and his wife, Athena; her daughter, Susan; grandchildren, Adam and Kennedy; siblings, Shirley Toler, Faye Ryder, Carolyn Eubanks, Janice Richards, Joyce Nolen, Linda Jernigan, and other extended family members and friends.

Hilda will be deeply missed by all who knew her. Her memory will live on in our hearts and her legacy will continue to inspire us for years to come.