AUBURN – Leola Virginia Conway Dashiell, 77, died on Monday, March 12, at The Hospice House with family members at her side.

She was born in Salisbury, Md., on June 26, 1929, to the late Clyde Terrell and Elsie Conway Johnson.

She was married for nearly 50 years to the love of her life, Emmett Dubois Dashiell Sr., who predeceased her on July 7, 2003. She was a homemaker while her children were growing up and later became a self-employed real estate investor.

She was a member of the Auburn Church of the Nazarene and Elsey United Methodist Church in Jesterville, Md., and she also supported the Friendship United Methodist Church in Quantico, Md. She served tirelessly in such capacities as Senior high Sunday school teacher and nursery worker. She also served on the fellowship, sanitation and communion committees. She was a member of her church board of directors and served as a missionary convention representative.

She was a volunteer driver for Community Concepts. She served as the presenter of the Emmett Dashiell memorial award, founded in honor of her husband, for outstanding civic contributions. She was also a notary public and a justice of the peace.

She enjoyed extensive traveling and contacts with family and her community. Greatest reciprocal pleasures were evidence with her extensive interaction with youth, whom she frequently greeted with, “Hi, Babe.”

She leaves two daughters, Belinda Dashiell-Ewing and her husband, Gregory, of California; and Michelle Dashiell-Brown and her husband, Vincent, of California; seven stepchildren, Sandra White, of Pennsylvania, Rebecca Mitchell of Georgia, Emmett Dashiell Jr., of Virginia, Frederick Dashiell Sr., of Massachusetts, Diana Ireland, of New York, Eric Dashiell, and Darlene Frost; a sister, Barbara Jean Saunders-Smith, of Maryland; a brother, Alexander Johnson II, of Georgia; 25 grandchildren; and a host of great-grandchildren; and nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by a son, Vaughn Dashiell Sr. and a stepson Samuel Camper.