Virginia B. Gross, a longtime domestic worker and cook who ran a restaurant on Pennsylvania Avenue in the early 1940s, died of a heart attack Thursday at her Baltimore home. She was 93.

The former Virginia Banks was born in Saxe, Va., and moved to Baltimore in 1931. She worked as a cook in several restaurants and operated her own, All People's Dining Room, for several years.

Called "mama" by four generations of descendants, Mrs. Gross would still occasionally cook big meals for her family and recently prepared a pre-Christmas dinner.

"She could never pass up an occasion to cook a meal and invite her family over," said granddaughter Deborah G. Randall of Baltimore. "That was really her life. She was always cooking. She couldn't cook just enough for herself, she would always cook for a lot of people."

Mrs. Gross began domestic work in Virginia at age 9 to help support her family shortly after her mother died. Eventually, after moving to Baltimore and working as a cook and restaurateur, she did domestic work for notable Baltimore and Towson families for more than 50 years before retiring.

Her 1928 marriage to James Taylor ended in divorce, and she was predeceased by her second husband, Howard Gross, whom she married in 1940.

Mrs. Gross was a member of Fountain Baptist Church for more than 40 years, and since 1985 had been a member of Mount Zion Hill Baptist Church. She sang in choirs and taught Sunday school classes.

"She was strong-willed and she loved going to church and loved church activities," Mrs. Randall said.

Through the years, Mrs. Gross became an avid baseball fan. She memorized Baltimore Orioles player statistics and personal facts, attended games, and became a regular caller to sports talk radio shows, especially those of "Stan the Fan" Charles.

"She used to drag us out to double-headers when we were children and keep us out there all day," Mrs. Randall recalled. "If you asked her anything [about the game], she would know it."

Mrs. Gross and Mr. Charles became friends, and Mrs. Gross was once the fan selected by his program for Orioles tickets and a chauffeured limousine ride to the game, Mrs. Randall said.

Services will be held at 9:30 a.m. today at Mount Zion Hill Baptist Church, 4800 Harford Road.

Mrs. Gross is also survived by a daughter, Rosalee T. Walker of Juneau, Alaska; a sister, Anna Marie Bruce of Charlotte Courthouse, Va.; another granddaughter, Karen G. Smith of Baltimore; an adopted grandson; five great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren.