Walker, Virginia Lee

78, of Mesa, Arizona passed away on September 14, 2010. 
Virginia Walker (Adams) Feb. 16, 1931 - Sept. 14, 2010 passed 
away from complications following surgery. Virginia was born in 
Phoenix, a fourth generation daughter of two pioneer Arizona 
families. On her father's side she was a great-granddaughter of 
John Greg, the first doctor in Hayden's Ferry, the town that later 
became Tempe. On her mother's side, she was a granddaughter 
of Cyrus Young, the founder of Young, Arizona. She attended 
Capitol and Osborn elementary schools, and North High School 
in Phoenix. She graduated from Arizona State College (later 
renamed Arizona State University) with a B.A. in primary 
education in 1954. At "A.S.C" she was active in student 
government, and was a member of the pom-pom line that 
performed at all school sporting events. She was also a 
member of the Gamma Phi Beta sorority, and was listed in the 
Who's Who in American Colleges for her academic record. After 
college she briefly taught kindergarten in Glendora, California, 
returning to Arizona to teach kindergarten in the newly opened 
Kachina elementary school in Scottsdale in 1955. In that same 
year she met Charles, another Arizona native, and they began 
their 55 year journey together. She soon left teaching to raise 
her three kids, finally returning to the profession when her 
baby son Chris turned 18. Though Virginia had many teaching 
assignments over the years, she spent most of her career at her 
beloved Adams Elementary in Mesa, where she taught 
Kindergarten for over 18 years. She was an outstanding 
kindergarten teacher and was dearly loved by her students and 
her fellow faculty at Adams. She never really retired formally 
and continued to substitute teach in the Mesa district for many 
years after leaving Adams. Virginia and Charles spent a large 
number of their golden years either building or spending time 
at two vacation homes constructed in spectacular places they 
had visited over the years with their growing family, the first 
near Durango, Colorado and the second, (at Virginia's 
urging),on the beach in Rocky Point, Mexico. Spending time at 
(and frequently remodeling) their gorgeous house in Mexico in 
particular was one of the great pleasures in Virginia's life. 
Virginia was fiercely proud of her Arizona native heritage and 
spent much of her life involved in many Arizona-related causes. 
She recently acted as the benefactor of an effort undertaken 
with the local historical society of Young, Arizona that resulted 
in moving the gravesites of two of her great-aunts (and 
founders of Young, Arizona) to their rightful place in the Young 
heritage cemetery. Virginia was also a staunch and life-long 
member of the Arizona Democratic Party and served as precinct 
chairperson in Mesa for many years, and even hosted a 
candidate meet-and-greet in her own backyard in Mesa in the 
spring of this year. Virginia Walker is survived by her husband 
of 55 years Charles and her three children: Mark Walker of 
Beaverton, Oregon, Susan Miller of Flagstaff Arizona, and Chris 
Walker of Mesa Arizona, and the 8 grandchildren that were the 
light of her life: Kyle Miller (20 years), Kory Miller (17), Karis 
Miller (14), Samantha Walker (20), Sarah Walker (17), Alexandra 
Walker (12), Christian Walker (12) and Tessa Walker (7). Virginia 
was proud to be an educator, proud to be an ASU alumni, 
proud to be a native Arizonan, but most of all she was proud of 
her large extended and immediate family. She was a gentle, 
caring, and giving person who loved life. She was loved very 
much by her family and will be forever missed. We take solace 
in the fact that she is reunited with her parents and loved ones 
in Heaven that have passed on before her, and have been 
waiting for her with open arms. God Bless you Mom. Services 
will be Sunday, Sept 19, 2:30PM at Aldersgate United Methodist 
Church, 3530 N. 32nd St, Phoenix. Share memories and 
condolences by visiting the online obituary Guest Book at 
www.obits.azcentral.com