Ms. Josephine Eleanor Stickley, 86, of Woodstock, VA passed away Friday, December 5, 2025, at The Warren in Woodstock, VA.

Ms. Stickley was born in Winchester, VA on September 7, 1939, daughter of the late James Angus and Josephine "Agnes" Weaver Stickley of Strasburg, VA.  She was a retired operating room Registered Nurse, having graduated from nursing school in Lynchburg, VA.  After working in Philadelphia, PA and Washington, D.C., she worked as an organ transplant operating room nurse at M.C.V. in Richmond, VA.  She then served as an active-duty Captain with the U.S. Air Force and received her flight nurse wings while in school in Texas.  Ms. Stickley served active-duty tours during the Vietnam war in Thailand as well as active tours in Texas, Alabama, and Idaho.  She was married to Lt. Col. Thomas W. Wilson, Jr. and lived in Las Vegas, NV, Clark Air Base in the Philippines, and Newport News, VA.  After Lt. Col. Wilson's retirement, they lived in Chetwynd, British Columbia, Canada, where they owned and operated a sporting goods store, a security business, and a newspaper.  Before she retired, she worked in surgery research at National Institute of Health in Bethesda, MD and in outpatient surgery for Kaiser Permanente in Kensington, MD.  Ms. Stickley retired and moved to Woodstock, VA in 2001.

Ms. Stickley was active in her church where she held Diocesan level positions over the years serving as well as a member of the Order of the Daughters of the King.  She was a member of the Narrow Passage D.A.R. and the Vietnam Veterans of America.  She did volunteer work with Blue Ridge Hospice, Shenandoah County Response, Woodstock Library, and the Woodstock Clothes Closet.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by a brother James F. Stickley of Front Royal, VA.

Survivors include her nephews James F. Stickley, Jr. and wife Cheryl and child Anne Elisabeth of Fairfax, VA and David L. Stickley and wife Rhonda and children Monica, and Sasha of Tucson, AZ, and M. Scott Stickley and wife Robin and children Kaitlyn, Hannah, and Michael of Middletown, VA; her step-children Thomas W. Wilson III, Michael G. Wilson, Gavin P. Wilson, Christian G. Wilson, and Lillian D. Wendell.

A celebration of life service for Ms. Stickley will be held at 11:00 a.m. Thursday, December, 11, 2025 at Stover Funeral Home with Pastor Bobby Funkhouser officiating.  Ms. Stickley will be laid to rest privately.  Full military honors will be given by the Shenandoah American Legion Post 77, Strasburg, VA.

The family will receive friends at the funeral home one hour prior to the service.

The family suggests that expressions of sympathy be in the form of memorial contributions to Daughters of the American Revolution.

You may submit your condolences online at www.stoverfuneralhome.com.

Stover Funeral Home and Crematory, Strasburg, VA is honored to serve the family of Ms. Josephine E. Stickley.