Virginia M. Bulone

Virginia was born on October 14, 1920, in Cleveland, Ohio. She was the third oldest in a family with eight children, and the only girl. She helped her mother raise her seven brothers. Virgie was a seamstress for Richman Brothers in Cleveland before moving to Fullerton, California in 1955, finding a job as a seamstress in Los Angeles. She never married but was devoted to caring for her mother after her father’s passing. Later in her life she worked part time as a school crossing guard for the Fullerton Police Department, a job she was very happy and proud to do.

If you lived in or near Fullerton in the 1970s, ‘80s or ‘90s you would often see Virginia driving her “Electric Shopper,” a three wheeled electric vehicle. That was her mode of transportation to work, to the store, to take her mother to the senior center and to one of her favorite places, Knott’s Berry Farm. She also loved to travel, taking the train, by herself, cross country to visit family back in Cleveland. Virgie would frequent the El Cortez in Las Vegas where she had a lucky slot machine and only used ice cold nickels to earn “hot” winnings. In addition to travel, Virginia enjoyed gardening and finding bargains at yard sales or thrift stores. In the last two decades, Virgie was a regular at the Fullerton Senior Center herself and worked to organize the library. She had a gifted memory and could do large jigsaw puzzles without looking at the picture. (Looking at the picture was cheating.) That exceptional memory came in handy because, although she had no children of her own, she had twenty-four nephews and nieces who each held a special place in her heart.

Virginia was preceded in death by her father, Dominick Bulone, her mother, Margaret Bulone (née DiDomenico), her brothers, Angelo (Marge), Mike (Violet), Joe (Fran), Louie, Tony (Lylis), Dominic “Mimi,” three of her nephews, Donny, Thom, and Vince and two nieces, Roseanne and Teresa. For several years she had a beau named Roy, who also preceded her in death. She is survived by her brother Rego and two sisters-in-law, Angie Bird and Roma Singell, as well as nineteen nephews and nieces.

We will be celebrating her life with a Memorial Service and Burial on the 102nd anniversary of her birth. Details are below. We all know she would love flowers, or feel free to donate or volunteer at your local senior center in her honor.