Rebecca Virginia Key Wetzel (Becky) passed away peacefully at her home in Glen Allen, Virginia, on December 30, 2025, after a long illness. She was born on December 31, 1948, in Haleyville, Alabama.
Becky is survived by her devoted husband of 53 years, Richard Carl Wetzel Jr. (Rick); her two sons, Richard C. Wetzel III, of Glen Allen, VA, and Matthew E. Wetzel (Steven DeRosa), of Washington, DC; and her granddaughters, Olivia Grace Wetzel, of Charlottesville, Virginia, and Emma Rose Wetzel, of Glen Allen, Virginia.
She was preceded in death by her parents, James W. Key and Imogene O’Mary Key; her sister, Mila Key Johnston; and her brother, J. Frederick Key, all of Greensboro, Alabama.
Becky grew up in Greensboro, Alabama, where she was her high school class valedictorian. She graduated from the University of Alabama in 1971 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Political Science, and earned a Master’s degree in History in 1972, also from the University of Alabama. She was a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
After her sons were school-aged, Becky returned to school at Millersville University to pursue her calling as an educator. She spent 20 years teaching at Hempfield High School in Landisville, Pennsylvania, where she taught Political and Economic Systems and AP Government.
She was deeply involved in student life, including leadership of the National Honor Society, the Student Historians of Pennsylvania, and participation in the school’s annual Dance Theater program. Teaching was not simply her profession, but her passion, through which she encouraged disciplined thinking, civic responsibility, the importance of respectful discourse, and a lifelong engagement with history and public life.
Becky grew up the daughter of a football coach, and Alabama football remained a lifelong passion. Crimson Tide game days were a religious experience for Becky and Rick alike, and friends and family knew better than to call the house during an Alabama game.
Becky was a woman of Christ and Christ’s word, and her commitment to Christ carried her through any and all troubles. She was deeply active in her church communities throughout her life.
While living in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, she was a devoted member of Highland Presbyterian Church, where she served as an elder, chaired the Christmas Giving Campaign for several years, led the Silent Samaritan program to help individuals access counseling services, and was a leader in Stephen Ministries, providing care and counsel to those facing difficult life circumstances, including the end of life.
In 2013, Becky and Rick relocated from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, to Glen Allen, Virginia, where they became active members of Third Church, continuing a life rooted in faith, service, and community.
In addition to her professional and church commitments, Becky was an avid genealogy researcher, devoted to understanding and preserving family history, and tracing many branches of her family tree across multiple generations.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, January 9, 2026, at Third Church in Richmond, Virginia. The Rev. Ed Satterfield will officiate. Interment will be at 1:30 p.m. at Mount Vernon Memorial Park Cemetery in Glen Allen, Virginia. Bliley’s Funeral Homes of Richmond, Virginia will direct the services.
In lieu of flowers, the family encourages gifts in Becky’s memory to Stephen Ministries, a Christ-centered lay care ministry that equips trained caregivers to provide one-to-one spiritual support to those facing difficult life challenges
(https://www.stephenministries.org/donation/donation.cfm[stephenministries.org]);
or to the Guy & Kim Caldwell Lab at the University of Alabama, a research laboratory focused on neurogenerative diseases like Parkinson’s (https://sites.ua.edu/wormshack/contact-us/[sites.ua.edu]).
