Front Royal’s Lillian Sloan Nears 100 After a Life of Teaching, Faith and Service

Many people slow down after retirement. Lillian Sloan did the opposite.

As she approaches her 100th birthday, the longtime Front Royal educator and community volunteer is still finding ways to serve others. Sloan has spent more than 35 years volunteering at Warren Memorial Hospital, following a 37-year teaching career that touched generations of students across Warren County and beyond.

Her 100th birthday will be celebrated with a community block party from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 1, outside her Front Royal home. The town has approved a street closure for the event, which is open to the public.

Sloan was born on July 30, 1926. When asked whether she ever expected to live to 100, her answer was simple.

“Never thought of it,” she said.

Looking back, Sloan said the years seem to have passed quickly. Her life has included education, family, church, volunteer work, and a long list of community roles.

“I’m just so appreciative of life and all the things that I have been able to accomplish,” she said. “And I’m just grateful, just so grateful for all of the people that are in my life.”

Sloan grew up in Linden and attended a boarding school in Manassas for high school. During her senior year, she visited Virginia State College in Petersburg (now Virginia State University) and decided to continue her education there.

College was not easy to afford in the 1940s, especially for a young Black woman from a rural community. Sloan worked at the U.S. State Department as a messenger during the summer, found work on campus, and received help from her parents and older sister.

“I worked the whole four years that I was there,” she said.

By the time she graduated, Sloan already had a job waiting for her in Warren County. She began teaching third grade, later taught first grade in Fauquier County, and eventually returned to Warren County.

Her career included time at Criser High School, the intermediate school, and Warren County Junior High School on 15th Street. She retired after 37 years in education.

Former students still stop her in public and ask whether she remembers them.

“There is not a day that I go out that I don’t run into somebody that, in one way or another, I’ve touched their life,” Sloan said.

Some share a classroom memory from decades ago. Others simply recognize her face.

“That happens all the time,” she said. “Everywhere I go. Someone will say, ‘Were you my teacher?’ It gives me a good feeling that they remember me.”

Retirement did not end Sloan’s service to the community. Not long after leaving the classroom, she was invited to join the Warren Memorial Hospital Auxiliary.

“People were just coming out of the woodwork asking me to volunteer,” she said. “Prudy Matthews, who was president of the hospital auxiliary at the time, invited me to come on board. I did — and I just can’t let it go.”

More than 35 years later, Sloan still volunteers at the hospital. She recently started helping in the pulmonary department and continues to wear a uniform decorated with pins marking her years of service.

For Sloan, volunteering has never felt like a burden.

“It’s like a reward,” she said. “A good feeling that you’ve done something to help somebody.”

She also credits service with helping her stay active and connected.

“I never allow myself to be bored,” Sloan said. “Even at home when I have free time, I’m into something.”

Over the years, she has served on boards, remained active in church and community organizations, and continued her involvement with her sorority, where she has been a member for more than 75 years. She is also often invited to speak at local events.

Sloan said the relationships formed through volunteering have mattered as much as the work itself.

“I started out in special services at the old hospital,” she said. “I had partners along the way, and we developed great friendships.”

Her family has remained central to her life. Sloan married at age 21 and was married for 56 years before her husband died. She has two daughters, four grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild.

That makes five living generations in the family.

“I just feel so blessed,” she said. “I have a lovely family, and I love them, and they all love me.”

Sloan has lived in the same home since the end of 1948. She has lived alone for the past 22 years, though her daughters help with transportation and keep a close watch on her.

She still has a driver’s permit and said she would drive in an emergency, but her family prefers that she leave the driving to others.

Her advice for a long and meaningful life begins with faith.

“First of all, I give the glory to God, because certainly He is my all in all,” Sloan said.

She also points to healthy habits, kindness, and staying involved.

“Eat right, and above all be kind to people,” she said. “Sometimes you get tempted from all sides, but just be good to yourself and good to other people.”

One of her favorite passages is Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”

She also shared a message from Micah 6:8:  “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”

Sloan said she has few regrets. One is that she started taking piano lessons in high school and did not continue.

“But otherwise, I’m content,” she said.

That contentment has never meant sitting still. Sloan continues to encourage others to find ways to help.

“There are lots of organizations in our community that need volunteers,” she said. “You’re never too old.”

As her 100th birthday approaches, Sloan remains grateful for the people, work, and faith that have shaped her journey.

“Some days I say, ‘How did I get here?’” she said. “But it’s been a journey — and it’s been a good journey.”

At Nearly 100, Lillian Sloan Still Shows Up to Serve at Warren Memorial Hospital