Bertha Viverette Bland died on November 13, 2025 after a brief bout with pancreatic cancer. She lived a vibrant and independent life and had celebrated her 79th birthday on October 31.

Bertha loved people, especially her daughter, Sonya. She leaves many relatives and a wide circle of friends who will miss her laugh, her enthusiasm for movies, music, books and travel, and her fierce loyalty to anyone she cared about. Those who know her best understand how much she missed her beloved Scottish Terrier, Michaela, her longtime canine companion.  She could never bring herself to get another dog after Michaela's death, but Bertha remained a great fan of other people's pets and always inquired about them.

A graduate of Peabody High School, Bertha was the only daughter of Marguerite Louise Ridley Viverette and Raymond Claude Viverette. She was educated in the Petersburg City Public Schools and attended what was then Virginia State College before a career with the federal government took her to Northern Virginia more than 50 years ago. She settled in Centreville, where she lived for 33 years. She remained active in retirement, including regular get-togethers with her social group GLO – Girls Lunch Out. She traveled frequently with Sonya, visiting her in Plano, Texas for extended stays. Bertha remained connected with relatives as far away as Canada. Everyone has a great Bert story from time spent with her. She is so very deeply missed.

Bertha was predeceased by her parents and her brother, Raymond A. Viverette. Along with Sonya, her survivors include a brother, William C. Viverette, Sr. of Louisa, VA; nieces, Wendy L. Viverette of Petersburg, VA, Juli M. Wyatt of Los Angeles, CA, and Aleta Payne McClenney of Cary, NC; nephews, William C. Viverette, Jr. of Petersburg, VA, and Todd A. Wyatt of Chester, VA; and 10 great nieces and nephews, and great-great nieces and nephews as well as a host of other relatives. She made and maintained friends at every stage of life, from childhood with Judy, Pat and Carol through her work years with Vivienne, Bobbi, Ilse and Jean, and into her retirement with Mary, Cammi and Candi. They enriched each other's lives through their many shared experiences.

Services will be held 1:00 P.M., Thursday, December 4, 2025, in the Chapel of J.M. Wilkerson Funeral Establishment, Inc., 102 South Avenue, Petersburg, VA, the Rev. Edward L. Fox III, eulogist. The interment will be private.

Flowers are welcome, however, in memory of Bertha's boundless love for animals and the family's great appreciation for the first responders who provided her with emergency care, memorial donations can be made to the Humane Society of Fairfax County, 4057 Chain Bridge Road, Fairfax, VA 22030 or to the Centreville Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department, PO Box 157, Centreville, VA, 20122.

J.M. Wilkerson Funeral Establishment, Inc., 102 South Avenue, Petersburg, VA, (804) 732-8911.