Obituaries

Teresa Cunningham Biggs passed into the loving arms of her Savior on July 10, 2025, after a long year battling illness. She was thankfully able to say goodbyes and express her love to her loving son, Wayne Biggs, and loving sister, Margaret Cunningham. She has surely gone to a place of brightness, refreshment, repose, and is now thankfully shed of sickness, sighing, worry, and sorrow. To quote one of her former clergy, Teresa was “smarter than any person has a right to be.” She will be missed deeply.

Teresa was born on June 4, 1942, in Patrick County, Virginia to the late Clifford P. Cunningham and the late Lorene Fulcher Cunningham. She excelled at Hardin Reynolds High School and proceeded to graduate from Radford College in 1964 with a degree in public administration. Her commitment to education and knowledge was lifelong. She later earned her Master of Arts Degree from Virginia Tech in public administration and completed substantial doctoral work in the same field.

Teresa was equally committed to public service for over thirty years. She began her career on the “front lines” of social work in the Child Protective Services division of Henry County Social Services. She later worked as an inmate counselor in Chatham Virginia’s prison camp where she implemented many programs including a version of the “scared straight” experience for at-risk youth. During this time, she was pleased to give many presentations about this program including a speech at her son’s criminology class at the University of Virginia. After her time in corrections, she returned to social work at the state level as a regional specialist for child protective services. She was known to quote long swaths of statutes and to recite regulations by memory. After many years of such service, she retired in 2012.

On July 18, 1965, Teresa married the love of her life, the late Tommy Biggs, and they lived in happiness together until his death in 2010. Together they had one (human) son, Wayne, in 1969. After raising Wayne, they adopted 6 (canine) children, Roscoe, Flash, Lulu, Cooter, Daisy and Jesse, doting on “the dawgs” with fierce love. While notoriously not fond of snakes, Teresa loved animals and found great comfort in them after Tommy’s passing. We know that Teresa, Tommy and the dogs are reunited and are happy together once again. Teresa survives by Wayne, Margaret, and numerous other relatives, all of whom are beyond saddened at her passing.

Teresa was a devout Catholic and a funeral mass will be held at 10:00 a.m. on July 18, 2025, at St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church 2481 Spruce Street, Martinsville, Va 24112. A visitation will be held after the funeral mass at Roselawn Chapel Funeral Home & Burial Park 103 Clearview Drive, Martinsville Va, 24112, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. on that same day (July 18, 2025) with a burial to follow shortly thereafter: Flowers are more than welcome, but if you wish to make a donation to a cause in Teresa’s honor, please consider the Martinsville Henry County ASPCA or any other animal welfare organization.

Roselawn Chapel Funeral Home and Burial Park entrusted with arrangements.