Mrs. Francisca Gesina Stoddart

Francisca Gesina Maria van Nassau Stoddart passed away Tuesday, May 5, 2026 at the age of 93. Born on December 6, 1932 in Sassenheim, Holland to parents Helena and Pieter van Nassau. She and her only sister were primarily raised by their paternal grandmother after their own mother died. Much of her childhood was spent struggling to survive WW2 after Holland was occupied by the Germans. The family lived through food scarcities, no heat or electricity, bombings, etc. Upon completing her all girl Catholic high school education, she entered the workforce where she was employed as a correspondent in the foreign department with a large bulb grower/exporter firm where she put to use her fluency in French, German, English, and of course Dutch. In her early 20’s, Cisca joined the Dutch Royal Air Force where she met and married Louis Axt and had her first child Wally. They immigrated to the USA with only their clothes, and 3 years later Jeff was born. Immigration officials found employment for them on a chicken farm in New Jersey. Cisca held down various different jobs, even bluffing that she could do shorthand to obtain a job in a realtor’s office, and then diligently teaching herself to do so, after divorcing, Cisca and her sons moved to VA Beach where she found employment as a temporary real estate secretary. This led to more training to become a paralegal. She met her second husband Paul while living in VA Beach, They eventually bought land in Mecklenburg County and built their dream home. She was employed at a local law firm for some years before pursuing certificates needed to become a building inspector. She was highly regarded as such, being the first female building inspector in Mecklenburg County and a force to be reckoned with. Once widowed and after many wonderful years in the South Hill area, Cisca moved to Mechanicsville to be closer to family, For the next five years, she enjoyed many good times with friends and family, including lots of birthday parties for her great-grandchildren, holiday events, and Friday shopping excursions with her granddaughter, She loved doting on her two cats Charlie and Piper, and was an avid reader until her eyesight diminished. Cisca was an amazing matriarch with a beautiful soul. She was a strong, independent, stylish, feisty, witty, intelligent, worldly, and a courageous woman. Her family and friends adored her. She was the best Mom, Oma, and Great-Oma!! Cisca was preceded in death by her husband, Paul Stoddart, her parents Pieter and Helena van Nassau, her grandson Blaine Humphrey, and her sister Giena. She is survived by her two sons: Wally Axt (Laurie) of Mechanicsville, and Jeff Axt (Lynne) of Ashburn, two stepdaughters: Cindy Almurshidi of Roanoke and Robin Humphrey of VA Beach, former daughter in law Ariane Muccio, nine grandchildren: Allison Axt, Corey Axt (Cindy), Molly Axt, Kevin Axt (Rachel), Eric Axt, Dillon Axt, Brittany Engle, Zayne Almurshidi, and Layla Almurshidi, seven great-grandchildren: Beckham, Stella, and Camden Kelly, Alex and Lacey Jarrell, Logan Axt, and Camden Moore. A funeral service will be held on Saturday, May 9 at 3:00 pm in Bethany Baptist Church in Baskerville, VA with burial following in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends after the burial. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Hearing Loss Association of America at P.O. Box 736444 Chicago, IL 60673-6444 or through their website : www.hearingloss.org. Online condolences may be made through our website www.crowderhitecrews.com. Crowder-Hite-Crews Funeral Home and Crematory is serving the Stoddart family.