Margaret Spratt Little

Margaret Rebekah Spratt Little lived her life believing there was always room for one more child to love, one more student to encourage, one more person to teach, and one more soul to serve.

She spent nearly a century quietly changing lives through kindness, faith, education, and an unwavering belief that every child deserved someone who believed in them. Margaret died peacefully in her sleep on Thursday, July 30, 2026, at the age of 96, leaving behind a legacy reflected in the countless lives she touched.

Born on September 23, 1929, in Elkins, West Virginia, to Tom Gannaway Spratt and Marion Virginia Spratt, Margaret grew up in Pulaski, Virginia. She first attended Radford University as an art major before marriage and motherhood redirected her path. With six young children at home, she returned to college to earn her bachelor's degree in education from Ohio State University, later completing her master's degree at Virginia Tech, a remarkable accomplishment for a busy mother determined to continue learning.

Her own love story began at a neighborhood drugstore soda fountain. David Arthur Little, a young minor league baseball player passing through town, spotted the beautiful young woman sitting at the counter and told his teammate, "That's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. I'm going to marry her one day." He did. They shared 46 years together before David's death in 1995.

Family was the center of Margaret's life. She and David devoted themselves to raising six children while building a home that welcomed others as well. Several foster children found refuge there over the years, and one ultimately became their seventh child. Their family grew not only by birth, but by choice, a testament to Margaret's belief that every child deserved to be loved.

That same compassion guided her life's work. She taught Head Start in Columbus, Ohio; kindergarten and special education in Bristol, Virginia; and later served as an educational consultant for children with disabilities and complex medical needs throughout Southwest Virginia. She fiercely advocated for children who often had no voice of their own, believing every child was capable of learning if someone cared enough to help them succeed.

Retirement did not slow her down. She became an adult literacy tutor, finding immense joy in helping others discover the gift of reading. She loved books and was rarely reading only one, often keeping five or six going at once. Yet the books she returned to most faithfully were her worn King James Bible and the Book of Common Prayer. Her faith wasn't reserved for Sundays; it shaped every corner of her life. She was a founding member of The Good Shepherd Anglican Church in Abingdon, where she served on its vestry and taught Sunday school for many years.

She also found joy in watercolor painting, gardening, and caring for a menagerie of dogs, cats, and other farm animals. She became surprisingly handy through necessity, happily maintaining the 160-year-old farmhouse where she lived after she and David moved their family to Bristol in 1973.

Margaret was preceded in death by her beloved husband, David Arthur Little, Sr.; her sister, Sue Spratt Coleman; her brother, William Barringer Spratt; and her grandson, Seth Grady Pruner.

She is survived by her children, Kathryn Little Borror and her husband, Billy; Amy Little Wilson and her husband, Raymond; David Arthur Little, Jr. and his wife, Donna; Mary Little Wiedrich and her husband, Kim; Elizabeth Little Campbell and her husband, Mark; Alice Little Davis and her husband, John; and Kelly Little Huffstetler and her husband, Spence; sixteen grandchildren; sixteen great-grandchildren; and seven nieces and nephews.

Margaret believed that children knew when they were loved. She lived accordingly. Her family, her students, the foster children who passed through her home, the adults she taught to read, and everyone fortunate enough to know her are living proof that one compassionate life can change countless others.

If you wish to honor Margaret's memory, read to a child. Help someone learn. Encourage a struggling student. Open your heart to someone who needs a family. Those were the things that mattered most to her.

A memorial service will be held on at 10:30 am on Saturday, August 8, 2026 at the Forest Hills Chapel of Farris Funeral Service, 19415 Lee Highway, Abingdon, VA. The family will receive friends following the service.

The family of Margaret Little is being cared for by Farris Funeral Service & Crematory.