Vida Eileen Belgrave

Vida Eileen Belgrave, also lovingly called Vi, passed away on September 25, 2020 at the age of 83 in Charlotte, NC, after suffering with dementia for the past eight years. She had a beautiful soul and was an extremely loving mother, grandmother, great grandmother, aunt, great aunt and matriarch of her family in the U.S. 
Born on February 1, 1937 in Church Village, St. Philip on the beautiful island of Barbados, she was one of five children to Leeotta Belgrave and Ernest Edwards. It was a modest household filled with the Holy Spirit, love, laughter and humility. Vida adored her mother and remained with her long after her other siblings migrated to the U.K. and other cities on the island. While raising her own children, Vida dedicated her young adulthood to caring for her sick mother until her early passing at age of 56. 

After her mother’s passing, Vida moved with her family to the city and was immediately well-liked and admired for her contributions to the community. It was important to her that her family was upstanding and she ensured her children were well grounded in Christianity. Her elegance, charm and humility were magnetic, gaining her many life-long friendships. 
Her love for face-to-face contact with people led her to a career in sales at which she excelled. At the age of 35, she immigrated to the U.S. to further her career and pave the way for her children’s future. It was a bold and courageous move, having known only one person in Brooklyn, NY. The leap of faith paid off and provided good opportunities for her children in education and job careers. She also assisted nieces and her nephew after their immigration from Barbados. She loved family. 

Vida also loved interacting with and caring for the elderly and eventually received her diploma as a certified nursing assistant. After working in the field for several years, she went back to sales and merchandising in her mid-fifties. After retiring in 2004, she followed another passion for reading and volunteered at the public library in Jersey City, NJ. 

In 2006, Vida and her two daughters relocated to northern Georgia where she enjoyed long walks with the family’s dog Coco and spending time with horses at the nearby farm. Her love for horses was enormous and she was gifted ornamental horses by her children and grandchildren on every special occasion. She was especially fond of the Trail of the Printed Ponies and became an avid collector. 

Otherwise strong and healthy, Vida was diagnosed with dementia in 2012 and relocated to Charlotte within close proximity to her son. She strived to maintain some semblance of normalcy and independence. As the disease progressed, she was cared for by her loving children, even after being admitted to Sardis Oaks Senior Home in 2017 where she peacefully passed on. 
Vida is survived by her children, Carol Belgrave-Sobers, Cecile Belgrave and Enrico Belgrave; 2 grandchildren, Kim Maloney and Crystal Bisasor; 3 great grandchildren Ryan, Taylor and Isaiah; 3 siblings Muriel, Irene and DeCourcey; 11 nieces and nephews Tyrone, Carl, Wendy, Sonia, Bridgette, Betty, Reginald, Emmerson, Sherryanne, Brian and Shirley; many great nieces and nephews; cousins, Nita and Pearson; in-laws Vere, Charmaine, Edward, Sandra, Pat and Dennis; and many other relatives and dear friends. 

Vida was preceded in death by her sister Eudene and 4 of her children, Terry, Andrew, Errol and Fay. May Vida’s beautiful soul rest in eternal peace and rise in glory. 
Visitation will be held on Saturday, October 3, 2020 from 2:00 - 3:00 pm at Carolina Funeral Service & Cremation Center, 5505 Monroe Road, Charlotte, followed by the funeral service at 3:00PM    In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Alzheimers’ Association in memory of Vida. 

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