Thelma Martin Hudson

Thelma Martin Hudson, of Lynchburg, known lovingly as “Ga Ga” or “Thel,” passed away on Friday, September 12, 2025. She was preceded in death by her husband of 56 years, Claude Edward “Eddie” Hudson, Jr., in November 2006.

Born in Campbell County near Brookneal on March 19, 1929, Thelma was the daughter of Mary Holland Lipscomb and Richard Brian Martin. After the tragic loss of her parents in 1936, she was raised by Pattie Callaway Johnson and Thomas Stanhope Johnson, together with their daughter Edmonia “Monie,” on a farm in Bedford. The Johnsons gave her a truly loving home, and she carried their love and support with her always.

Drawn to caring for others, Thelma trained as a nurse, beginning with critically ill children at a Philadelphia hospital before completing her degree at Virginia Baptist Hospital. There, she met her future husband, Eddie Hudson, her very first male patient. Eddie liked to recall that, he proclaimed she would one day be his wife right from his hospital bed. The way Thelma told it, he never asked for her hand, he begged for years.

Together, Thelma and Eddie built a full and joyful life. They traveled widely to China, Europe, and Mexico, fished at Timberlake, and played golf and tennis at Wintergreen and Boonsboro Country Club. But their happiest times were always with family. They were devoted parents, and when grandchildren arrived, Thelma happily answered to her new name, “Ga Ga.” After Eddie’s passing, Ga Ga found new joy as matriarch to a growing family of grandchildren and great-grandchildren, who lit up her later years.

She is survived by her sister, Edmonia “Monie” Chase of Deerfield, Massachusetts; her daughter, Pattie Hudson Burgh of Charlottesville; and her son, Claude Edward “Ned” Hudson III and his wife, Susan, of Lynchburg. She will be dearly missed by five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren (so far): Stuart Edward Burgh and his wife, Nicole Zawitkowski, with daughters Jana and Thella, of Richmond; Mary Ashton Burgh and her husband, Colin Healey, with sons Iggy and Fleetwood, of Los Angeles, California; Coty Hudson Clarke and her husband, Alan Clarke, with sons Blayne and Hudson, of Lynchburg; Holly Hudson of San Diego, California; and Claude Edward “Ned” Hudson IV of Lynchburg.

Ga Ga will be remembered for her kindness, humor, beauty, grace, and unwavering devotion to the people she loved. She will also be remembered for her uncanny ability to find anything - especially golf balls hidden deep in the woods or sea shells buried in the Sanibel sand.

Being loved by Ga Ga was like being loved by the sun. To walk into her home was to be drawn into her warm orbit. Her mashed potatoes and gravy could mend any wound. She was the heart of our family, the star around which we all revolved. A constant, nurturing light that you could always return to.

Let us raise a glass to Ga Ga. You can hear Frank Sinatra playing, as well as the gentle ding of her wind chimes she collected on trips to visit her sister, Monie. You can feel the warmth of the sun as you rock on her glider on her porch. And there is her laughter, bright, warm and bubbling over as you pour another glass of wine.

The family will receive friends on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Tharp Funeral Home in Lynchburg. A memorial service will be held on Thursday, September 18, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. at St. John’s Episcopal Church, with the Reverend Chris Rousell officiating. Graveside to follow at Spring Hill cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to The VBH Foundation, 3961 Stillman Parkway, Glen Allen, VA 23060 (designated to the Employee Crisis Fund to support Summit Assisted Living staff), and to the Lynchburg Humane Society, 1211 Graves Mill Road, Lynchburg, VA 24502.

Tharp Funeral Home & Crematory, Lynchburg, is assisting the family.