Virginia Clarke Blakley

September 12, 1937 - May 25, 2026

Virginia Mary Blakley (nee Clarke) was born in Baltimore Maryland, to Frank and Doris Clarke. She was

preceded in death by her brother, Ernest, and her beloved husband George Robert (Bob) Blakley, Jr., to

whom she was married for 61 years at the time of his passing.

Virginia is survived by her son, George Robert (Bob) Blakley III and his wife Karen; by her two

daughters, Cynthia and her husband Charles, and Lydia and her husband Paul; and also by her two

grandchildren, Sean and his wife Amber and their daughter Estelle, and Laura and her husband

Connor.

Virginia attended the University of Maryland, where she met her husband and she worked in a

laboratory for the USDA during her time in Annapolis.

She co-managed a small health food store in Bryan, Texas with her dear friend Ann Burns while her

children were progressing through school; it was such a significant presence in Bryan that John Mackey

used to deliver produce to the store while he was building his own business - Whole Foods Market.

She believed in the healing power of healthy, local, whole, home-made food. She also served as an

administrator for St. Michael’s Episcopal School in Bryan.

Ginny, as she was known to friends and family, was an extremely talented seamstress and cook, and

was very skilled at fine porcelain painting, which she enjoyed with friends in Bryan. She was a troop

leader for her daughter’s Brownie troop, and was the 4H leader for both cooking and sewing programs

both of her daughters participated and competed in. She loved gardening, and was a lifelong animal

lover who never turned away an animal in need.

A devoted history buff, Ginny knew British royal family lore dating back centuries, and also took a keen

interest in the Kennedy genealogy and history.

An early adopter of technology, Ginny was ahead of her time in the use of email, the internet, and her

great and longtime digital love - the Kindle. She read hundreds of books per year, up to the time of her

death, and often shared recommendations via email with her extended family.

Ginny was a strong, independent woman from a long line of strong, independent women. She bore

prolonged and painful health issues with incredible fortitude, with the help of a group of skilled and

devoted caregivers led by her close friend Betty Velasquez.

She leaves behind a quick wit, a keen memory and the skills and moral compass she shared with her

children and grandchildren, who will miss her very much.

A memorial service will be held at Cook-Walden Capital Parks in Pflugerville, Texas at 2pm on Monday,

15 June 2026, with burial to follow at 3pm. There will be a visitation at Cook-Walden from noon until 2.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Wounded Warrior fund, which was

Ginny’s charity of choice.