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Who was Virginius Jones Bragg, III? He was the Son of Virginius Jones Bragg, II & Lottie Bragg. He was a Husband for 50 years to Lorraine Bragg. He was a Father to Jennifer Jones & (VJ) Virginius Jones Bragg, IV. He was a Father-in-Law and Father to Shawn Jones and Tiana Bragg. He was Pop Pop and Pop Top to Victoria Bragg, Marisol Collons, Kori Collons, Chandler Bragg, Bianca Peay, Ivanna Jones & Peyton Jones and Great-Pop Pop to Michael Jace Riggins. He was a nephew, cousin, brother-in-law, friend, MU Chapter Omega Psi Phi fraternity brother, colleague, business partner, mentor, and neighbor. He was known as Ge-Ge, Mr. Bragg, Mr. Ge, Daddy Bragg or simply just Ge. To have that many titles you must have touched many lives. The connection that he had with people and ability to pull just the right wisdom at just the right time is one the things that differentiated him. He was a proud University of Penn graduate having been born in Petersburg, VA and raised between Petersburg and Mount Vernon, NY. The once country boy ran track for Mt. Vernon High School and then at Penn while receiving an Ivy League education, meeting the Love of His Life and making friends who turned into Brothers. In 1972 he married Lorraine and started his family and his journey to teach at Olney High School and advance economic development in the City of Philadelphia through his work at the Philadelphia Housing Authority. He received his Master’s in Administration from Lincoln University in 2000 and used it to grow his career. Ge was a teacher by nature and always looking for ways to improve the communities that he served through programs such as "Skills For Life and Smoke Free Public Housing" for which he received National Recognition by being invited to speak at The Obama White House. If you spent any good amount of time with him, you left his presence with more knowledge and a different way of thinking about whatever subject matter was at hand. It could have been any subject because he read books all of the time, he was an eternal student, fascinated with knowledge and once he had that knowledge, he was going to share it with you whether wanted to learn it or not. He also had a gift of wisdom and direction and gave that gift away freely to whomever needed it. The wisdom was going to come in the form of a story, an analogy, or a parable but as long as you followed along you would come to the end of that conversation with exactly what you needed to do and a challenge to learn from it. He would always say "Learn your lesson the first time or it will come back to you harder and harder until you do." Ge-Ge was full of sayings like "Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it." He always wanted you to be prepared. "Don't do anything wrong and don't look like you're doing anything wrong." He led life by doing the right thing. "If it's too hot to hold, it's too hot to drink.' He enjoyed a daily cup of oolong tea but didn't rush to drink it, he enjoyed the simplicity of things. Many people will describe him in many ways but here are the common things that everyone who knows him would say. Virginius was a solid man! He led with Love in everything he did. He was wise beyond his years. He was kind and giving. His family meant everything to him. He was an incredible son and devoted husband. He was an engaged and involved Father. His Grandchildren made him proud. He was a true friend. He was reliable and punctual. His words meant something! He had a very intellectual sense of humor. He was a hard worker and the true definition of a thinker. He had great ideas. He loved music and art. He was a great example of being a good person. He was a God-fearing man. Ge was a strong and gentle man but lost his long battle with cancer on November 25, 2022, in his brand new home he and Lorraine built in California. He was surrounded by love, light, laughter, and music. He had the opportunity to say goodbye to the ones he said I Love You to and closed his eyes one last time. As we remember the life of Virginius Jones Bragg, III, let us carry on the love and wisdom he planted in each of us and share it as we continue his legacy. A Vigil Service will be held at Chapel of the Light Funeral Home on Friday, December 9, 2022 at 2:00 p.m.

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Virginius Jones Bragg III

August 18, 1950 - November 25, 2022