Obituary of Virginia Hale

Virginia May Hale passed in the early hours of February 19, 2014 at Sunshine Villa, Santa Cruz, CA, surrounded by people who loved her. She is survived by her children: Larry Hale (wife Jan); Janice Hale-Levin (husband Barry); and Sharon Hale (husband Harry). Her grandchildren include Allison and Colin Hale; Samuel and Emilia Levin; and Miranda Harrington. She was the type of mother who gave the best birthday parties for her children, made Christmas special, and sang, "Oh what a beautiful morning" to wake everyone up for school. She taught us all to grasp tightly to the tail of a kite and soar as high as we could possibly go, and along the journey, to laugh heartily, to search for adventure, and to cherish good friends. She was an avid bridge fiend and played with three long-time cronies who liked to bid with a cocktail by their side. She was so good at golf we called her "down the middle Ginny." She was a terrific dancer and she made her conservative, southern husband take dance lessons so he could keep up with her. She could hardly wait to sink her teeth into a good mystery. She was renowned for the heartiness of her midwestern cooking and she baked everything from scratch. When she wasn't having the time of her life, she helped manage a law office and we believe she saved her boss from many malpractice suits. In her declining years it was an honor to care for this woman who gave us so much. We will miss her to the end of our days. Her memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 29, 1:00 pm at Messiah Lutheran Church, 801 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA. Donations can be made to Canine Companions for Independence, www.cci.org.