Arlene Collins Hassell, 81, passed away Saturday, Nov. 4, 2017. A native of Richwood, W.V., she had been a Battery Park resident since 1970. Mom was always a hard worker and it showed in how she lived her life.  Raised in the coal fields of West Virginia, she started work early in life working at a clothes pin factory before traveling down to North Carolina in the summer of 1958.  It was there she met the love of her life, Vernon, and they married in November 1958.  Together, they raised three sons and in the summer of 1970 moved to Battery Park.   A Proverbs 31 type woman, mom was a former member of Battery Park and Carrollton Baptist and most recently Harvest Fellowship Baptist Church where she attended as much as her health would permit.  

A beloved wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, Arlene was preceded in death by her husband of 47 years, Vernon, and is survived by three sons, Nathan (Mary), Donald (Tracy) of Smithfield, Jack (Anita) of Carrollton., and grandchildren, Joshua, Daniel, Hannah, John, James, Emerald, Cory, Robin, Jalee, Cody, Caleb and Basil; and great grandchildren, Gabrielle, Kaden, Zoey, Eric Jr., Philip and Addison; a sister, Elaine Piper, and a brother, Leo Collins.  

A celebration of life service will be conducted Tuesday Nov 7, 11 a.m. at Harvest Fellowship Baptist Church with the Pastor Randy Green officiating. Burial will follow in Battery Park Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 7 – 8 p.m. Monday, Nov. 6 at Little’s Funeral Home, Smithfield. 
The family wishes to express their special thanks to Tina Henry and Georgina Foumthim for the love and care they provided mom for the last two years of her life.  The family suggests memorials to Harvest Fellowship Baptist Church Building Fund, 19290 Battery Park Road, Smithfield, VA 23430. Condolences may be registered online at www.littlesfuneralhome.com