"…people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." - Maya Angelou

Vicki Phlegar Connell, who made everyone she met feel special, passed away on July 16, 2020 at the age of 78. Born into a military family in Longview, Texas, change was a constant in Vicki's life and she embraced travel and adventure from an early age. In 1959, she married Leonard Larry Phlegar and they moved to the Hampton Roads area where they shared almost 50 amazing years before Larry passed away, loving and raising their two sons and building a strong, beautiful network of friends that became an extension of their family. Newport News is also where Vicki built a successful salon business, Victoria's Looking Glass. Here, Vicki worked alongside and on her friends for over 30 years, never quite ready to retire.

Vicki was an artist with endless energy and a passion for people. She had many talents, but among her greatest were her gifts for painting, gardening and relationships. Vicki made a conscious choice every day to have a positive attitude, no matter what, and to share that with everyone she knew. Vicki had a gift with people that can be summed up by a greeting card given to her by a dear friend that hung over her kitchen sink for over 20 years.

"You've planted ideas and dreams unaware. You've noticed somebody whose heart needs attention and planted a positive feeling there. It's part of your nature. You may not remember the kind and encouraging things that you've done, but everywhere, people are thriving because of the kindness you've shared with them."

Vicki cherished her family and friends, sharing with them strength, stability, love, companionship, countless laughs and ongoing adventures. Whether it was traveling the world on cruises, competing on Sunday afternoons playing billiards, meeting for weekly dinners, or having morning coffee, shared experiences were woven into the everyday fabric of her life. Kind, trustworthy and accepting, Vicki had a gift for bringing out the best in people. She also had a tremendous ability to love unconditionally and she was blessed to have the opportunity to share this love with her second husband, Robert "Bob" Connell. To Vicki, Bob was a gift and she felt lucky for all of the adventures they shared, both big and small, before he passed away.

Vicki is survived by her two sons, Larry Jr. and Ted; granddaughter Kristina and her husband, Justin; her grandson and his wife, Joshua and Diana, as well as grandsons Kaleb, Garrett and Liam; her great-grandson Brantley; her brother and his wife, Jim and Karen Vititoe, her sister, Vanda DiNapoli and a special daughter-in-law, Liz. Vicki was preceded in death by her brother-in-law, Thomas DiNapoli, and her youngest brother, Howard Seboth.

Vicki will be deeply missed by many others that she loved, including nieces, nephews, the Connell family, her Bridgeview "family", her family from "the shop", and just about anyone who was blessed to know her. For Vicki, the secret to life was caring for family, a strong circle of friends, and living every moment to the fullest. We were all blessed to share in that life.

A memorial service will be held in the fall and details will be shared at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be to The American Heart Association, The American Cancer Society, or donations of blood to your local blood bank.

Arrangements by W. J. Smith & Son Funeral Home.