Virginia Ruth McAllister's Obituary
Virginia Ruth Porter McAllister was born on August 7, 1921 in Deport, Texas, the 7th of 8 children and the last daughter of Danial Wright Porter Jr., born in Roxton, Texas and his wife, Thursey Charlotte Brackeen Porter, born in Georgia, Texas. Virginia was also the sole survivor of her 7 other siblings at age 101. She departed this life in her sleep (as she had wished for) on October 12, 2022 to join her other deceased family relatives in a place most undoubtedly better than the place she left behind. Unfortunately, she lost her only spouse and daughter before her, A.D. McAllister Jr. and Janet Virginia McAllister Collier, (the spouse of Carl Melvin Collier, a well-known pharmacist in Fayetteville, Arkansas), way too early in life due to cancer, they all being prominent members of the Fayetteville community. Back in the early 1940’s while working at the Ear, Nose, and Throat Clinic at Camp Maxie in Paris, Texas, Virginia met her future husband, A.D., while he was training there to become a WWII bombardier. They married on September 1, 1943 in Paris, Texas and while A.D. was dropping bombs over Nazi occupied Germany, he wrote home to Virginia with one request…..that his 1st born (Janet), be a bona fide Arkansan with hopes that she would become a die hard Razorback fan, as was A.D., A.D.’s father, and his only son, A.D. (Lonnie) McAllister III, also a Fayettevillian since day 1. The thought of Janet being born inTexas and even remotely connected to the Texas Longhorns was way too much for A.D. to ponder about while overseas. So at A.D.’s insistence, Virginia left her parents’ home in Blossom, Texas bound for Fayetteville on the old Frisco Train and arrived at A.D.’s parents’ home in Fayetteville. A.D. McAllister Sr. (a former Fayetteville Mayor) and his wife, Matilda (who owned and operated Matilda’s Dress shop on the west side of the downtown square for 25 years), gladly took Virginia in so that Janet would be born a bona-fide Arkansan and quite possibly a future Razorback fan rather than in the state where the much-despised Texas Longhorns took up residence. Virginia started work as a part-time teacher in 1954 at the Fayetteville High School where she 1st taught typing and later on P.E. and both jobs she felt unqualified to teach. In the early 1960’s when A.D. Sr. became ill and Matilda had to retire to take care of him, Virginia was thrust into the job of running Matilda’s, which she REALLY felt unqualified to take on. Neverthess, after running it for some 37 years, she became quite good at it as she had done at both of her previous teaching jobs at FHS. Virginia left behind 3 grandchildren: Melvin (Mel) Carl Collier, Jr. (Amie), Meredith Virginia Collier Dowse, both of Fayetteville, and Melanie Dawn McAllister of Mountain View, Arkansas, as well as 6 great-grandchildren: Christopher (Chris) Carl Collier, Jamie Grace Collier, Hailey Vae Dowse, Katelyn Cartier Dowse, Kyle Rector (Hunter), and Cole Rector all of Fayetteville. She has one great-great grandson, Braylen McKinley Cate, and two great-great grand daughters: Alora and Aisla Rector, also of Fayetteville, as well as numerous relatives scattered throughout the state of Texas. Either Virginia or A.D. would occasionally recite from memory at gatherings, one of their favorite poems entitled “Pleasant Travels Through Life,” author unknown, which reads as follows: “Life is but a journey on a train, with a pair of travelers at each windowpane. I may sit beside you the whole journey through, or I may be seated elsewhere, never knowing you. But if fate should mark me to sit at your side, let’s be pleasant travelers, it’s so short a ride.” This poem exemplified the persona of both Virginia and A.D. to all who knew them well. Cremation arrangements are under the direction of Moore’s Chapel and no services are planned, however the family requests that any memorial donations be sent to either the local chapter of the American Cancer Society or the Junior Diabetes Foundation online at https://www2.jdrf.org
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