Our History
The Tradition Behind Our Chapter
The South Central Virginia Nurses Honor Guard is part of a tradition that began long before our chapter was formed.
The Nurses Honor Guard tradition began in 2003 when the Kansas State Nurses Association developed the Nightingale Tribute as a way to honor a nurse’s service and dedication at the end of their life. Over time, nurses who witnessed these meaningful ceremonies began bringing the tradition back to their own communities.
In 2011, Michigan nurse Julia Godby Murray was inspired after seeing the tribute at a conference in Detroit. Recognizing that nurses across the country could benefit from this meaningful tradition, she began reaching out to nurses and groups through social media and other connections.
Her efforts led to the formation of the National Nurses Honor Guard Coalition, which has helped hundreds of local groups get started and has grown into a nationwide network of Nurses Honor Guard organizations.
Today, Nurses Honor Guard groups across the country share a common purpose: nurses honoring nurses by recognizing their service, dedication, and legacy.
The South Central Virginia Nurses Honor Guard is proud to be part of that tradition.
2021 — A Vision Begins
The story of the South Central Virginia Nurses Honor Guard begins with a vision, a mother’s memory, and several nurses whose individual experiences ultimately brought them together.
In 2021, Pamela James began working toward bringing a Nurses Honor Guard to the Lynchburg area after witnessing an Honor Guard ceremony during a nurses’ retreat.
Deeply touched by the dignity of the tribute, she immediately recognized how meaningful this tradition could be for nurses and their families.
Her vision was also deeply personal. In memory of her mother, Shirley Marie Brown, Pam began working to establish a chapter under the name Shirley’s Watch Nursing Honor Guard.
At the time, Pam was still relatively new to the Lynchburg area, and building connections within the nursing community took time. Despite the slow beginning, she remained committed to the vision because she understood how meaningful these ceremonies could be for nurses and their families.
September 2023 — Honoring a Nursing Legacy
In September 2023, with the support of The Roanoke Valley Nightingale Tribute for Nurses and a few volunteer nurses, Pam was able to honor Sybil Elkins.
Her family entrusted Pam and the volunteer nurses with honoring her nursing legacy. The experience reinforced the importance of providing this meaningful tribute to nurses and their families.
It was another important step toward establishing a lasting Nurses Honor Guard presence in the Lynchburg area.
January 2025 — Another Connection to the Mission
In January 2025, nurses Michelle Wallace and Liz Melcher attended the funeral of their colleague’s mother, Deborah Dupont, where they witnessed a Nightingale Tribute by the Heart of Virginia Nurse Honor Guard.
Like so many nurses who have experienced these ceremonies, they were deeply moved by the dignity and meaning of the tribute.
Their experience would eventually become another thread in the story of how the South Central Virginia Nurses Honor Guard came together.
July 2025 — A Personal Loss
In July 2025, Beckie Hunt’s best friend of 48 years, Joan Wooldridge, passed away.
Joan had devoted 44 years of her life to nursing. Although Beckie did not yet know about the Nurses Honor Guard tradition, she knew that Joan’s nursing career deserved to be honored in a meaningful way.
Joan’s passing would ultimately become an important part of the story of the chapter’s formation.
January 2026 — A Tribute Sparks a New Vision
In January 2026, Beckie Hunt attended her cousin Nettie “Carol” Kelley's funeral in West Virginia, where the Southern West Virginia Nurse Honor Guard performed the Nightingale Nurses Tribute.
The ceremony deeply moved her. As she watched her cousin’s nursing legacy being honored, Beckie immediately thought of Joan and recognized that this was the tribute Joan deserved.
Beckie spoke with the nurses who had performed the ceremony and was connected with the national founder of the organization. She was then referred to The Roanoke Valley Nightingale Tribute for Nurses as she explored establishing a chapter in the Lynchburg area.
Through that connection, Beckie was introduced to Pam.
February 2026 — Two Paths Become One
When Pam and Beckie met face-to-face on February 9, 2026, they quickly realized they shared the same vision.
Pam had already spent years laying the groundwork for a Nurses Honor Guard in the Lynchburg area. Beckie brought local roots, connections, and a renewed determination to make the service available to nurses throughout the community.
Together, they began reaching out to nurses who had previously expressed interest in participating. Nurses stepped forward, eager to help build the organization.
Among those nurses were Michelle Wallace and Liz Melcher, whose own experience witnessing a Nightingale Tribute in 2025 had already given them a personal connection to the mission.
What had begun as several individual experiences and separate efforts was becoming one shared vision.
April 2026 — Becoming the South Central Virginia Nurses Honor Guard
As the group came together, the founders decided to rename the organization to better reflect the region we serve. Our service area spans South Central Virginia—including Lynchburg, Danville, and the surrounding counties—so adopting a geographic name made it easier for nurses, families, funeral homes, and community members to recognize and locate us.
Early support from the Virginia Baptist Hospital School of Nursing Alumnae Association and Tharp Funeral Home helped our organization take shape. In April 2026, we officially became the South Central Virginia Nurses Honor Guard.
The value of a geographic name soon became clear when a new member shared that she found us by searching “South Central Virginia Honor Guard,” reinforcing the importance of a name that clearly identifies our community.
Though the name changed, our mission remained the same: honoring the service, dedication, and legacy of nurses.
June 24, 2026 — Our First Ceremony as the South Central Virginia Nurses Honor Guard
On June 24, 2026, Shelby Long became the honoree for the first ceremony conducted under the name South Central Virginia Nurses Honor Guard.
This ceremony marked an important milestone for the newly established chapter. It was the first opportunity for the newly united group of nurses to come together under their new name in service to a nurse and her family.
What had started as a vision was becoming a shared mission carried forward by nurses throughout the South Central Virginia community.
August 15, 2026 — A Meaningful Milestone
On August 15, 2026, the South Central Virginia Nurses Honor Guard had the privilege of performing a graveside Nightingale Tribute for Joan Wooldridge. With fourteen nurses standing together, the ceremony marked an important milestone for our chapter. It reflected how quickly the organization had grown and how deeply the mission had taken root within our community.
The tribute was dignified, heartfelt, and meaningful—not only for Joan’s family, but for the nurses who had come together to serve. It was the first moment when the strength of our united mission was fully visible, carried forward by nurses throughout South Central Virginia.
The Legacy We Carry Forward
Our story follows in the footsteps of nurses who came long before us—beginning with Florence Nightingale, whose lamp became a timeless symbol of compassion and the quiet strength of our profession. That light found its way to our own hills of South Central Virginia through Lucy Mina Otey, whose devotion during the Civil War echoed Nightingale’s spirit and left a legacy rooted right here within the communities we now serve. In more recent years, nurses like Julia Godby Murray helped strengthen the modern Honor Guard tradition, carrying that same enduring flame forward.
Along the way, neighboring chapters—including The Roanoke Valley Nightingale Tribute for Nurses, the Heart of Virginia Nurse Honor Guard, and the Southern West Virginia Nurse Honor Guard—offered guidance and support that helped us find our footing as we began to grow.
Together, these moments of shared purpose, compassion, and service formed the foundation of our chapter. They continue to guide us today as we carry forward a legacy of honoring nurses throughout South Central Virginia—one tribute, one family, and one story at a time.