Viola Lilly Pope

Viola Lilly Taylor was born to John Sylvester and Johnnie Mae Drake on November 4, 1941, at 10:01 am at Elizabeth Steel Magee Hospital. We can’t say much about Mom’s childhood because we weren’t there. But we do know she attended Snowden High School in South Park, PA and we know she loved to fight. At least that’s what she told us, but in her defense, it was usually to take up for her little brother (King). Viola became a mother early in life and married Dad (Calvin Francis Pope) on March 15, 1958. (We all know how that turned out) Viola went to work at the famous Kaufmann Restaurant in downtown Pittsburgh. She quickly decided waitressing wasn’t for her when 4 grumpy old men continued to leave her a ten cents tip everyday (for all 4 of them). Viola went back to school and received her GED and enrolled at the Connelly Skill Center obtaining her certification in the hottest new technology (word processing). She then accepted a position at the Midland Ross Corporation. After working for a few years, she decided to leave because it was a boring position. So, Viola went back to school at the Bidwell Training Center and studied Medical Record Keeping. We are not sure that was any less boring, however she was okay with it, so she stayed at Mercy Hospital for 25 years. In her later years, she experienced being a Senior Model One day while dragging me to the mall to shop a woman handed her a business card . It was Donna Belajac, owner of one of Pittsburgh’s top modeling agencies. It didn’t last long but she had fun. Viola loved her family. Every family gathering she enjoyed complaining that everyone was sitting around while she did the dishes. This was approximately 3.5 seconds after we had taken out our last bite. She wasn’t fooling us, she knew she wasn’t going to let us wash those dishes, although we were allowed to dry and put them away. Let’s keep it real, Viola may have had a teeny -weeny bit of OCD when it came to cleanliness. She once told our Aunt Dale that the toothpaste should be in the medicine cabinet with the cap facing the bathroom door. Viola had been some places and done some things. She once rode a scooter on the bottom of the ocean floor. It took some convincing that her precious hair wouldn’t get wet. She was called Silver Fox in the Bahamas, which was eventually shortened to Silver. Viola/Midget was kind, smart and generous to a fault and as men would say “She was one fine lookin woman”. But don’t get it twisted, she always spoke her mind. She’d tell you what, when, how and if you should be doing whatever it is your doing. While she loved her family the most important thing in her life was God. She was a lifelong loyal servant to God and the Mt. Zion Baptist Church of Library, PA (where she also allowed no one else to wash the dishes, although I’m sure they had clearance to dry). Viola departed this life on August 22, 2024. She was preceded in death by her father and mother, John Sylvester Taylor and Johnnie Mae Taylor; siblings, Margaret Taylor, Sylvia Irving, Wilbert Moore, and James (King) Taylor. She leaves behind to miss her and remember good times her daughter, Tandra Pope Potts (Mecah) and son, Calvin Francis Pope Jr. (Mariciel) (Sky); siblings, Ronald Taylor (Brenda deceased) Dale Taylor, Christian Ruffin (Pete) and L ora Allen (Ashton, deceased); four grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren; and a host of other very special friends and

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