Mary "Muriel" Alice Diggory Greenhalgh

This book, a life story, is prepared to tell the story of and to be a tribute to Mary Muriel Alice Diggory Greenhalgh. It starts with who she was and then what she did, a chronology of her events and experiences. She brightened the world around her for 85 years. She was loved by family and so many friends and she returned that love double measure. The phrase, “She will be missed” could not be more appropriate than for this beautiful person.

Who She Was

Muriel’s delightful sense of humor and uplifting personality endeared her to family and friends. When around Muriel, laughter was always present. She loved people and the companionship that came with shopping, dining, chatting, and exchanging crafting ideas together. She especially loved her family, both immediate and extended. She made friends for life. So many of the friends she made at various times of her life and in various places were very dear to her and she stayed in touch regularly by visits, phone, email, and letter, regardless of geographic distance. She had exceptional talent in entertaining, sewing, homemaking, and gardening. She had the reputation of being a Martha Stewart clone.

Most important to her husband, Jack, was her deep love and devotion to him. Looking back over 64 years of marriage, Jack says Muriel was a loving wife, a best friend and a source of unwavering support, encouragement, and trust. Jack cannot remember any instance where they seriously argued or got mad. They loved and respected each other deeply and always wanted to please each other. They discussed issues where they disagreed and always came to a mutually agreeable compromise. She helped him become more compassionate and sensitive.

They were a team. While Jack was in the Navy, she regularly entertained Jack’s superiors and colleagues. They participated together in a very active social life within his professional sphere. Muriel simply accepted whatever orders for duty station changes that came. There was only one occasion when she expressed a preference. After Vietnam, the Navy wanted to send Jack to Naples, Italy to serve as the Supply Officer for the submarine mother ship located there. It was a great job for his career. But Muriel did not want to take the young children overseas, so Jack turned it down. That is how they ended up in Springfield.

She was frugal and smart. Starting out living on $300 a month, she managed the money, and they always lived a comfortable lifestyle with their Navy pay. They never felt deprived. Later, when circumstances provided ample financial resources, she still was careful and sought out the best deal.

Muriel loved to sew and would construct clothes for herself and family, sometimes drawing her own patterns for something she only imagined. As an expert on the Bishop Method of clothing construction, she loved to teach others throughout her life. She also became an expert in Heirloom Sewing, involving fancy laces. She made her own wedding gown, a beautiful baptismal gown for family use, ring bearer pillows, clothes for children and dolls, etc. She made Jack a beautiful sports jacket. Over the years, she did drapes for her homes, slip covers for furniture, bassinet covering, felted mittens that were hot sellers, baby blankets for family, bedding, and other beautiful things. For the baby that received one of her handmade baby blankets, it became like Linus and his blanket in the Peanuts comic strip. Throughout Jack’s Navy career and business career, they frequently attended formal dinner dances. This involved her making a new formal gown, which she loved doing and then showing it off. Everyone that knew Muriel marveled at the beautiful sewing and homemaking creations that she constantly produced. It would feel good for anyone to receive the steady tributes that she received in wearing or showing her workmanship. It was inescapable. She was surrounded by it. She was justifiably very proud, and it only inspired her to do more.

She loved to entertain and did so often. Most often, it would be a dinner for friends and family. She would achieve five-star ambiance. She would break out the fine china, silver service, lace tablecloth, candelabrum and candlelight and place tags for the table. She would prepare wonderful food, from hors d’oeuvres to dessert. This was simply how she wanted to do it and never expected others to follow that pattern when they entertained her. It was not a competition in her mind. It was more about pleasing herself than the guests.

She was very generous with her time and energy. For many years she devoted a significant time to helping others in a support group, she volunteered with Mended Hearts, visiting heart patients and their families in the hospital. She served as guardian for WWII veterans with the Honor Flight organization. She served as a Grey Lady volunteer in the hospital in Great Lakes IL while they were assigned there. She joined several sewing associations, including the American Sewing Guild (ASG), and proudly made hats, gloves, and blankets for babies in the hospital.

She devoted extensive volunteer time to developing and conducting training programs for ASG meetings to help other members learn new techniques and apply them to projects.

She treasured her time with the ASG and her friends there, including Noreen Dobratz, Katherine Wassink and Louise Williams. Trips to conventions and training meetings around the country were terrific fun for her. She loved to model clothes that she had made. Creativity was the core of her sewing and cooking. For example, at one convention, she, Katherine, and Noreen took on a sewing challenge. They all started with the same fabric but were tasked with creating something different and of their own design. They modeled the resulting outfits at the conference. The results were beautiful. She hated alterations because of the lack of creativity. Muriel also knitted, crocheted, and cross-stitched. She would read recipe books like most people read novels. Literally, these were bedtime reading for her. She developed new recipes of her own. Having her granddaughter, Ashley, and great-niece, Christina, spend time at her home giving Muriel an opportunity to teach sewing and cooking was something she absolutely loved. Her dog, Bou, would follow her everywhere she went all day long, right on her heels. When she sat at the sewing machine, Bou would lay down at Muriel’s feet. After a few hours of sewing, Bou would be covered in pieces of thread and would need to be brushed.

Muriel had a wonderful sense of humor and was easily brought to intense laughter. That laughter was so infectious. Once she started, everyone around her found themselves laughing hard, even if they weren’t sure what they were laughing at. Often in groups, especially when traveling, Muriel would blurt out comments. Taken out of context in the future, they were meaningless, but at the time they were uttered, they were hilarious. Often, she wasn’t trying to be funny. Her friends called these Murielisms and they served to endear her to everyone.

Jack loved to surprise Muriel with gifts and trips. She always reacted with such joy. She would burst into tears of joy that would get everyone present laughing belly-laughs. Those were truly happy times.

Muriel was a black-belt shopper. On browsing any store, you could count on her pointing out what she liked, and it was probably the most expensive things in the store. She could judge quality instantly and accurately. But she rarely bought it then. If it was a clothing item, she might use the idea to make something like it herself. She could sniff out fantastic deals and get excellent quality at low process. She loved to go shopping with friends and help them find these opportunities, especially for clothes.

Muriel always loved good music, especially Symphony POPS orchestrations and religious hymns. She and Jack were season ticket holders to the Virginia Symphony POPS for decades and were regulars at the Ferguson Center in Newport News for many music performances every year. Scott and Wendy, their children, went along to these concerts for many years when they were younger, exposing them to quality music. As the capability to watch YouTube on the TV became available, she could listen to Andre Rieu’s orchestra and other famous artist for hours.

She adored her grandchildren, nieces and nephews and every opportunity she had to be together with them. She was proud of them all and loved to brag about them to friends. During many summers, Matthew would visit for a week. She loved these times and exposing him to new foods. Matt always loved them. Muriel was always so grateful to his mother, Michelle, for allowing him to come for these visits and to Matt for wanting to come. She loved playing games with the grandchildren and making them laugh. She loved her frequent phone conversations with Wendy, Scott, and Shirley. She loved to telephone lifetime friends and cousins around the country and in Canada to keep their acquaintance very alive.

As much as Muriel loved the experience of traveling to interesting places, she especially loved the fun times with family and friends (old and new) that came with it. For Muriel, the good and happy times in life were simply being with other people in any kind of social setting. She could be in a check-out line at a store and would know the life story of whomever was in front and behind her by the time she reached the cashier. Most of the extensive travel Jack and Muriel enjoyed were done with a tour group. One of the important reasons for her was the opportunity to meet and socialize with new people.

There were many occasions when Jack had to sign loan guarantees to support his business initiatives and the bank required Muriel to sign as well, waiving her homestead exemption. This meant the bank could take her home. Muriel signed without hesitation. She understood the risks involved but signed anyway. Without this support, his participation in these initiatives would not have been possible, and whatever success Jack had in his second career would not have happened. Jack had a very deep sense of appreciation for the sacrifices she made to help him concentrate on his career, both in the military and after. While it allowed for financial benefits and a great quality of life later, it took its silent toll on her. He had no doubt that she was the wind beneath his wings. He absolutely adored her and never ceased being so thankful that she selected him to be her husband and life partner. Nothing gave Jack and Muriel more pleasure and a sense of contentment than simply holding each other in their arms and cuddling.

In her final years, as her health deteriorated, she suffered with depression, severe pain from spinal stenosis and Alzheimer’s. Despite these conditions, she found the inner strength to retain her sense of humor and love for others.

What She Did

It began on a very cold winter day, February 20, 1938, with lots of snow in the ground in Montreal, Canada. The world welcomed baby Mary Muriel Alice Diggory. Her father, Claude Winton Diggory was from an English family. He was a highly skilled machinist. Her mother, Rollande Riopel Diggory, was from a French family. She spoke both French and English. She was a homemaker who had a wonderful sense of humor and a special gift for creating a light, warm and fun atmosphere in their home. Her sister, Shirley, was born four years later.

They lived in downtown Montreal for many years, until her father built a home in St Eustache, a suburb West of the city. They moved in while he was still finishing the interior, so the temporary conditions bring memories of life in the Far West in the 1800s. It involved a weekly bath on Saturday in a large tub in the kitchen beside the stove shared by all. To keep hot water available from the stove until everyone had bathed required trips to the coal bin outside, sometimes requiring shoveling through the snow to create a path and to be able to open the door to the bin. Until the indoor bathroom was completed, a honey pot was in that space which had to be emptied outside. The school wasn't far beyond a field in front of their home. Ice skating to school was possible when the top of the snow had a heavy enough crust. The heavy snow that came with Canadian winters led to wonderful memories of tunneling through high drifts, building snowmen and neighborhood snowball fights. One of her favorite memories was going to downtown Montreal with her mother for shopping and having lunch at the fancy restaurant in the main department store.

Muriel was a bilingual speaker. She spoke French with her mother during the day and the family spoke English when her father came home from work. She had very fond memories of holiday meals with very large family gatherings, Aunts, Uncles, Grandparents, and cousins, first with the English speakers on her father’s side and then with the French speakers on her mother’s.

When Muriel was eight years old, the Diggory family moved on a Greyhound bus to Los Angeles, CA to avoid Canadian winters and in the hopes of living the American Dream. They were following her mother’s sister, Gaby Banville, and her husband, Michael, who had lived next to them in Canada but had previously moved to LA. While in California, Muriel attended a catholic school where she discovered her aptitude for math and science, which she would continue to use throughout her life in cooking and later sewing. Her French foreign language class was obviously a breeze for her. She frequently spoke of her international and multiracial friends from that time.

After several years in California, the Diggory family followed Michael and Gaby again and drove across country to Rockville, MD, where they eventually settled. She graduated from Richard Montgomery High School. Her parents enrolled her in a multi-day “charm school” in Washington, DC to learn the behavior and etiquette of high society.

Muriel was deeply religious. She lived a life honoring her catholic faith and tried to impart strong faith to the rest of the family. When challenged about religion by people she cared about, she would say,” It’s ok if you don’t believe. I have enough faith for both of us and I will pray for you.”

By the age of 17, Muriel was already extremely accomplished in sewing. Initially, her mother introduced her to sewing but then it became self-taught. She worked at the local sewing store and taught lessons for adult store customers. Even at that young age, she demonstrated her skill and maturity to local school officials and was hired to teach sewing in the Montgomery Country Adult Education Night School Program. She was very popular and had boyfriends but none that she felt were serious. She liked to think of them as friends. Some of these remained good friends for many years and were happy to do favors for her.

At this time, a new concept in home sewing was emerging. The Bishop Method was based on studying methods used by manufacturers of expensive clothing and adapting them for use by the home sewer. At that time, people could detect homemade clothing by simply looking at it. Following the Bishop Method changed that. Their spokesman for the mid-Atlantic Region, Kitty Roechuck, selected Muriel for special training. Muriel went with Kitty to an intense training experience in South Carolina. She used this knowledge for the rest of her life in training others in Bishop Method sewing techniques.

Muriel was asked by the local Navy recruiting office to help at a recruiting event. They certainly attracted a lot of young men to talk to because of the outfit she was wearing.

In 1957, when she was 19, her cousin, Joan Banville, had a date with Dick Bannister, a Naval Academy midshipman, but he was staying with his midshipman roommate who lived in Alexandria, VA. They were on a long weekend Spring Break leave. That friend would also need a date if he was to drive Dick to Rockville. Joan really wanted to have this date with Dick, so she needed to arrange for someone to date his friend. Muriel told Joan that she had sworn off blind dates but would do just this one for her. Muriel reluctantly agreed to a blind date with Jack Greenhalgh. Joan had insisted that the boys wear their uniforms so, when they picked up Muriel and met her parents, they made a very favorable impression. Both had a wonderful time at the Bethesda Naval Medical Center Officer's Club. The atmosphere at this club was much more formal than she was accustomed to, but she was so mature, confident, and poised, she fit into Officer’s Club atmosphere perfectly. Her sense of humor delighted everyone at the table. Jack had never dated someone with her qualities and was completely taken immediately. They both sensed that this was going to be the start of something very special. When Muriel got home that evening, her mother, who never waited up for her, was waiting in the kitchen. She told Muriel that Jack was going to be the man she would ultimately marry. Jack has joked ever since that her mother was an excellent judge of character. Jack never dated another girl after meeting Muriel.

As a plebe during the rest of that school year, Jack was not allowed to date in Annapolis. But the Naval Academy organized monthly Tea Dances for the plebes to teach them social graces. Young ladies from area churches and colleges were invited to come to Sunday afternoon dances. They were semi-formal, and the girls all came dressed to the 9s. The plebes were supposed to learn to dance and to dance with ladies they had never met. Muriel managed to get her church to recommend her for these dances. She received an invitation, and she would go, looking beautiful in gowns she had made. Muriel and Jack managed to avoid disclosing that they already knew each other to avoid him being put “On Report” for dating.

At the end of his plebe year, she came for the June Week (graduation week) as Jack moved from plebe to third class midshipman. She was there when Jack and his classmates had to climb the 21’ Heron Monument, a century old tradition. It is a granite obelisk monument unveiled in 1860. It was heavily slathered with fifty pounds of grease. Jack and his classmates had come directly from the graduation ceremonies and were climbing in their dress white uniforms. They had to replace the plebe dixie cup cap that was on top of the monument with the upper-class cap before their class would officially become third class midshipmen. She cheered them on as they built a four- level human pyramid while covered in grease and while being sprayed with fire hoses by upper class midshipmen. It was a tough final plebe year test of teamwork, determination, and organization. It was mostly meaningful to her because she knew it marked the end of plebe year restrictions and the start of much more time together.

With some other plebes and their girlfriends, they rented a home in Annapolis and enjoyed a full week of almost constant activities. Within a few days after June Week, Jack left for a two-month training cruise to Puerto Rico and Brazil. When Jack returned from the cruise, they spent the next thirty days enjoying each other every day during his leave before returning to Annapolis. His parents were still living in Springfield, Virginia, about an hour from Rockville. He drove to Rockville every day to be with Muriel. His parents complained that he returned home at night after they were in bed, and he was still asleep when they both left for work. At that time, they had not yet met Muriel and felt left out. Just before that leave ended, Jack brought Muriel to meet his parents and they fell in love with her immediately. She was everything they wanted for their son. Muriel and Jack were engaged that summer. The tradition at the Naval Academy for engagements was for the midshipman to “pin” the girl, which meant giving her his class crest pin. She wore that pin very often for the rest of her life, most frequently as a necklace with the crest on it as a charm.

Muriel continued to work at the sewing store, becoming the manager, while Jack completed his undergraduate studies at the Naval Academy. Muriel drove to Annapolis most weekends and stayed at bed and breakfast homes that catered to midshipmen’s girl- friends that were visiting for the weekend. She went to Philadelphia with girl friends that were dating Jack’s friends for the annual Army Navy Game. During Jack’s third year, Jack had a two-week Exchange during which he would take a cadet’s place at West Point Military Academy in New York for two weeks and the cadet would take his place in Annapolis. During the weekend, Muriel went to West Point, and they enjoyed the beautiful campus and activities set up for them, including a fancy dinner dance. One of the memories from that weekend was finding the “kissing rock”. It is a very large rock that hangs over the walking path down a steep hill toward the river. Tradition is to kiss under the rock, and they added their names to the thousands that had gone before them.

A tradition at the Naval Academy was for the midshipman to receive his class ring during their third year at a formal dinner dance. The dates would wear his ring around their neck on a ribbon during dinner. At the dance, it would be dipped in waters collected from the seven seas and given to the midshipman inside a massive replica on the ring. If the couple were engaged, he would give her a miniature of his ring as their engagement ring, replacing the class pin. Jack always loved to surprise Muriel so; although he had the miniature to give her, he wanted it to be a surprise. He told her the miniature had not been received in time for the dance. He had already told her mother what he was going to do. Knowing she was not getting the ring that night, Muriel wore long gloves that would prevent putting a ring on. After getting their photo taken inside the large ring, she gave him his ring. He then pulled out hers and gave it to her. She was crying in joy, mad that he did this and ripped off the glove so she could put the ring on. The surprise made the evening even more special. He had pre-arranged for another midshipman to film the event with a movie camera.

During the summer before Jack’s senior year, he was assigned for two months to a submarine in Key West, FL. Muriel went to Key West for a week, and they had a fabulous time. The submarine’s operational schedule for that week allowed Jack to take a lot of time off to be with Muriel. Her hotel was directly on the water looking south toward Cuba and they loved to sit out at night to watch the fireworks. Storms well out over the water produced fantastic lightning displays that lit up the whole Southern Sky. During the day, they went into the water at the hotel’s beach. It had a large swimming area protected by nets to keep fish out. Very small fish could swim though the net. Late in the week, Jack made the mistake of pointing out that many of these tiny fish were baby barracuda. Muriel immediately got out of the water and never went back in.

The day before he was to return for his thirty-day leave, he had an accident aboard ship that badly damaged his hand. His parents had moved to Albuquerque, NM but he wanted to be near Muriel. He convinced the Navy to send him to Bethesda Naval Hospital, which was close to Rockville, and they did. He was in the hospital for about a week and then recuperated at Muriel’s home. Muriel would take him to the hospital regularly for rehab sessions. Muriel’s mother and Muriel nursed him during that month as he slowly recovered the use of his hand.

She made some life-long friends during these years at the Academy. Most of these couples later married and stayed married. Muriel and Jack would go back to Annapolis every five years for class reunions, and she felt these were as much her reunions as his because of these friends. Muriel's parents got to know Jack very well and Jack’s parents got to know Muriel well. They were both delighted with their child’s choice.

Midshipmen were not allowed to be married while still in school. As graduation approached and the midshipmen got their orders to their first duty assignment, Jack was ordered to a Navy cruiser operating out of Norfolk. This would involve a fair amount of at sea time away from Muriel. Jack’s father was concerned that being married right after graduation would create a lot of distraction for Jack from concentrating on getting established in his duties on the ship. He recommended that they wait a year. When Jack told Muriel of this suggestion, her response was immediate and emphatic. “No. I have waited three years. No More. End of discussion.” And it was! It was never discussed again. Jack didn’t agree with his father, so he was happy with that. A marriage ceremony at the Naval Academy Chapel was special and was considered but the large number of graduates doing ceremonies in the days immediately after graduation resulted in ceremonies being limited to 15 minutes. They didn’t want their wedding to be rushed. Muriel and Jack married three days after graduation on June 11, 1960, at St. Jude’s Catholic Church in Rockville, MD, surrounded by family and friends. The priest, a retired Air Force chaplain, explained to them that weapons were not allowed in the church. He would make an exception for them and allow the crossed swords as they came down from the alter and then again outside. Six of Jack’s fellow midshipmen served as sword bearers. One of his best friends and classmate, Dan Roth, served as his Best Man. Her sister served as Maid of Honor. She had made her own wedding gown and the flower girl’s dress. As was tradition, they cut their wedding cake with Jack’s Navy sword. There were no two happier people to be found anywhere than Muriel and Jack on that day.

They honeymooned in the Pocono Mountains, at the Cove Haven Resort. On the first morning, as they were leaving their cabin, they ran into a couple wearing clothes with a Naval Academy logo. The husband was a classmate of Jack that he didn’t know at school. But this began what became a life-long relationship with Joe and Rowena Jaap. They lived close to each other for much of the remainder of Muriel’s life.

Jack’s first duty station was on a Navy cruiser with homeport in Norfolk, VA. Muriel discovered the impact of separations while Jack was at sea. His ship was the flagship of the Commander, United States Second Fleet, responsible for all Navy ships in the Atlantic. He had a long cruise to Northern Europe in late 1960. April 1961, he was on another lengthy deployment when the flagship was near Cuba during the Bay of Pigs invasion, in case President Kennedy decided to bring US Navy ships into the conflict. They were ready but he didn’t.

They rented a very small one-bedroom apartment near Ward’s Corner, close to the Navy Base. She already had a bed. Jack’s parents gave them a couch as a wedding gift. Muriel’s parents gave them a TV and Jack’s grandmother gave them a folding leaf dining table. Muriel built upon that start and created a warm comfortable living space for them. They were totally happy.

Bob Rutherford, a classmate of Jack’s, and his wife, Mary Ann, lived directly across the hall in the same apartment building. Mary Ann was wonderful support and company for Muriel when Jack was at sea, and they remained friends for many years. Jack’s brother, Bill, and his wife, Dianne, were also on duty in Norfolk. Bill was also a Naval Academy graduate and now assigned to the Naval Amphibious Base in Little Creek.

Then she discovered the life of frequent moves that goes with his chosen career. After one year, Jack was reassigned to the Navy Supply Corps School in Athens GA as he transferred to the Supply Corps of the Navy. Jack was in class during the day and studying at night. But they still found time to have fun with other couples at the school. But that area was famous for regular late afternoon thunderstorms, with lightning striking close to their house and thunder that would rattle the dishes and windows. Muriel was terrified of these lightning storms and would jump high off the ground with each thunderclap. She would come into Jack’s den where he was studying and wanted to sit on his lap and be held. He gladly accommodated that.

After six months in Athens, he was assigned to the Submarine School in Groton, CT. They lived in Groton for two years. At first, they rented a tiny apartment while Jack was in the six-month Submarine School. After graduation, he was assigned to the new construction crew of a ballistic missile nuclear submarine under construction at Electric Boat Company in Groton. They were then able to move into a very nice town house (government quarters). As the submarine neared completion, it went out on sea trials to test out all the ship’s systems. This would be the first time the ship dove under water so its ability to withstand water pressure at depth was also being tested. While Jack was on one of these sea trials, the USS THRESHER, a nuclear-powered submarine being overhauled in Portsmouth NH sank with all hands while on their sea trials. The anxiety level among the wives of the crew of Jack’s submarine was sky high until the ship returned from its sea trials. It remained very high every time the ship went out for another trial. It took many months for their confidence to be restored. Muriel received many calls from family members worried about Jack’s safety. He constantly reassured her that she did not have to worry. But she knew that a submarine just sank, and she was silently scared.

When the ship was commissioned, its homeport became Rota, Spain. Families were relocated to Charleston, SC. Muriel moved to a small carriage house near the Charleston battery (coast) and was only two blocks from Sandy Wishart. Tom Wishart, her husband, was also assigned to the same submarine that Jack was on. While Jack and Tom were deployed on long submarine cruises, Muriel and Sandy were joined-at-the-hip, with Muriel staying at Sandy's home many nights for sewing and because Sandy had air conditioning. Later, when both couples adopted children, the kids became like cousins. The Wishart’s were Uncle Tom and Aunt Sandy to Muriel’s kids. During their training and leave time between deployments, they met with the Wishart’s and Brent and Marsha Jacobs for board games and often went to the Isle of Palms Ocean beach, cooking dinner out on the beach. Playing with the Wishart’s dog, Taffy, on the beach was a joy for Muriel.

The mission of the ballistic missile submarine like Jack’s was to go to sea, submerge and be undetected for two months, even by our own Navy surface forces. There were no outgoing communications of any kind. The anti-war protesters of that time took advantage of that situation to try to demoralize the families of the crews by calling and telling them that the submarine had a casualty and sank. Until the ship was scheduled to return, there was no way for even the Navy to confirm that all was safe. By that time, Muriel had gained enough confidence to help reassure other wives that received such a call to disregard it. It was a stressful time, but she was incredibly brave.

After only a year in Charleston, they moved to a new duty station back in Groton, CT. They were there for two years. During this time, they met many new life-long friends, including Phil and Mary Lou Cunningham and Tom and Ruth Cox. The three couples often met to go out to dinner or play penny anti poker. Muriel and Ruthie, as Muriel called her, were in telephone contact frequently for the next fifty years, until Ruth died.

After less than a year of doing a lot of work to decorate the new rented home, the real estate agent that rented the home to them told them they had to move out. He did not have authority from the owner to rent it for a term of more than one year. The owner was coming back and wanted to move in. At the agent’s expense, they had to move again. Thankfully, they were able to move to another home in the same development and with the identical floor plan. That made it easier for Muriel to decorate the new place.

While in Groton, they received the gift of a black standard French poodle puppy that had been bred by Jack’s parent in Albuquerque, NM. They called her “Robin” and trained her to do many tricks. They had the opportunity to meet the puppy and her mother while visiting his parent’s home before moving to Groton. After they moved into their new home, his parents shipped Robin to them. Muriel groomed Robin herself and always made her look like a show dog.

In 1965, they went to New York City to see the World’s Fair. They spent most of a few days at the fair with only a little sightseeing in the city. All the amazing new things on display there fascinated her.

In 1966, their next assignment was in California, where Jack would be studying at the Stanford Graduate School of Business for an MBA. The Wisharts were at the Navy Post-Graduate School in Monterrey, CA and many visits were exchanged between them during a fun two years. Muriel loved the evenings in San Francisco with the Wisharts. Muriel and Jack visited the Wisharts in Monterrey, including for the Submarine Ball, a formal dinner dance honoring the Navy Submarine Force.

Muriel and Jack had been trying to have children for seven years but were unsuccessful. The doctors had no explanation for this. Over the years, many changes on prescriptions were tried. She had a seven day stay in the hospital for testing, but nothing helped. One doctor said he was sure that she was getting pregnant but was losing the baby right away. It was another thirty years before a blood disorder was discovered that would cause immediate loss of any fertilized egg. After this discovery, Muriel was tested and she had that blood disorder, so that original doctor was correct. A treatment had become available, but it would be far too late to help her. Accepting at that time that they might not have children on their own, they decided that adoption was just as good. In July 1967, they adopted Scott David, the apple of their eye. Pat Brown, the wife of another Navy student at Stanford, gave a baby shower for Muriel. Muriel really appreciated the shower, and they received a lot of things that they would need. Not knowing about the blood disorder at that time, she continued for many years to try to become pregnant.

At Christmas 1967, Muriel, Jack, and Scott started a new tradition that lasted for many years. Before Christmas, they would go to a tree farm and cut their own Christmas tree. Muriel picked out the tree in the Santa Cruz Mountains and created a beautifully decorated masterpiece. She also started her tradition of baking dozens of decorated Christmas cookies. She put Jack to work helping with the decorating. The Wishart’s visited for the holiday from Monterrey with their daughter Amy. While they were still there, Muriel and Jack threw a fancy Christmas Party for all the Navy classmates at the business school and it was a terrific hit.

Another tradition that Muriel began was the “Super Supper”. She wanted to create a romantic five-star dinner atmosphere for just the two of them. She would prepare a gourmet meal, set a fancy table, and Jack would put on soft music. The kids would be in bed already. They might take two hours just enjoying each other. Sometimes she would use the occasion to try out recipes she was considering for entertaining others. She would do this a couple of times a month and continued the tradition for many years.

In 1968, they were transferred to Great Lakes, IL. On the drive back East, they made stops to proudly show off Scott in Phoenix to Aunt Gaby and Uncle Michael Banville and then to Albuquerque, NM to Jack’s parents. They went to Rockville, MD to Muriel’s parents and to Shirley and her husband, Bill Hilton. On their way to Great Lakes, they stopped in Wilmington DE to see Jack’s Aunt Dora and Uncle Earl and in Pennsylvania to Jack’s grandfather, William Carty.

While in Great Lakes, they were assigned very nice dual-level and spacious government quarters. It was a duplex and next door were Dave and Spatz Eizenhoefer, the next couple to become life-long friends. This is the first home she lived in that was suitable for fancy entertaining and Muriel jumped in with both feet. She had parties for up to thirty and dinner parties for up to twelve. She loved it. The Commanding Officer where Jack was assigned asked Jack to volunteer in his spare time to be the social director for the thirty officers of his command. The winters in the area were harsh so activities during those winters tended to be only getting together with friends in their homes. This meant that incoming officers and their wives each spring needed to become socially integrated during the summer of their arrival to be included in these winter social events. Jack and Muriel took this on with gusto. They arranged many frequent dinners and parties at the Officer’s Club, a bus trip to the Budweiser Beer Plant in nearby Milwaukee, an ice-skating event returning for dinner at her home and other dinners and parties at her home.

In Great Lakes, she was introduced to golf. The officers and their wives played nine holes every Sunday at the golf course, which was less than a mile from their home. She also started gardening. The Navy Base set aside a good size plot for the personnel assigned to the base to use for gardening. Each person had a plot in a fenced in area that they could plant whatever they wanted. Muriel loved trying different things and particularly loved the fresh corn and tomatoes. She proudly showed off her garden to her mom when she visited at Easter in 1969.

Sadly, in July of 1969, Muriel's mother, Grand-mere, suddenly died from a stroke. Muriel had regularly talked to her mother by phone and relied on her advice on many occasions. The loss of her mother was extremely difficult for her.

In February 1970, on Muriel's birthday, they adopted Wendy Ann from Catholic Charities in Chicago, IL. The family was now complete. Lynn Monroe, one of the wives of another officer working with Jack, gave a baby shower for Muriel. Wives of other officers there came bearing very useful gifts. Lynn made it a very lighthearted and fun event and Muriel was very happy.

With two young children in tow, they rented a UHaul trailer and loaded it with his and her bicycles, crib, toys and too many clothes for a trip to Lake Splendid, New York in the Adirondack Mountains. It was a one-hundred-yard walk from their cottage to the lake beachside. Scott could play in the shallow water. They took a day trip to the Lake George Amusement Park and Scott loved that. With baby seats on the back of each bike, they rode around town. On the way home, they stopped at Niagara Falls.

For both adoptions, the authorities in Santa Clara County CA and Catholic Charities in Chicago, undertook a four-month investigation of their suitability. They checked their financial situation and home environment. They interviewed Jack’s superiors and they interviewed many of Muriel’s friends and other family members. During these investigations, Muriel had a very high anxiety and impatience as she worried that they would not approve the adoption.

There was snow on the ground in Great Lakes from Thanksgiving to Easter. It was always windy, making it feel colder. Muriel loved to take the kids out to play in the snow. There was a small hill less than two hundred feet from the house that she used to introduce Scott to sledding. With her Montreal background, she was very comfortable with the very cold winter there.

In 1971, Jack was assigned to duty in Saigon, Vietnam for a year. They put their household goods in storage and Muriel, the kids, and Robin lived with her father in Rockville, MD. In early 1972, Muriel flew to Hawaii to meet Jack for his Rest and Relaxation (R&R) from Viet Nam. They spent two marvelous weeks together, one in Honolulu and the other at a luxurious hotel on the island of Kauai, the garden island. The had a lovely cabin perched on top of a cliff looking west out over the NawillwiliI Bay, within a short walk to the main hotel. The sunsets were spectacular. It was a magical time and was like a second honeymoon.

The kids stayed with their Grandparents, Jack’s parents, in Albuquerque, NM for the two weeks. Muriel was nervous the entire two weeks because the children had never been away from their mother. She was worried about how they would behave because his parents were strangers to them. Jack reassured her that his parents would be capable of handling anything. The kids were fine, and his parents loved having them. His father absolutely fell in love with Wendy.

On Jack’s return from Viet Nam, they moved to Springfield, VA and purchased their first home. She met next-door neighbors Al and Jean Oliva, starting another life-long relationship. Jean’s daughters were frequent babysitters for Muriel’s kids. While in Springfield, there were frequent get-togethers with Muriel's sister's family and Jack's brother's family, which allowed the cousins to become good friends. This made many family get-togethers over the years ahead especially meaningful. Muriel truly loved these events. Muriel entertained frequently. In addition to the family, the Cunningham’s, the Wishart's, Jack and Ann Kavanaugh and couples from Jack’s workplace were guests. One of her favorite relaxing and fun activities was for them to go with another couple to the Carter Barron Amphitheater and spread a blanket on the grass to listen to whichever artist or orchestra was performing. A basket of fried chicken, grapes, cheese and crackers, sandwiches, cookies, and wine were always taken. Most of the time, the Oliva’s were with them.

Muriel took the kids to Boston in 1974 to visit Ruthie. It was so wonderful for her to renew their friendship and show off her kids.

In 1975, the family went to Disney World in Florida for a week. They stayed in the park at the Polynesian Village Hotel. Muriel loved it when the kids would encounter costumed Disney characters around the park. She made sure to get the kids back to the hotel in time for some swimming pool time to burn off whatever excess energy they had left. They took the overnight auto train home from Orlando to avoid a two-day drive,

She loved it when her sister would invite her and Jack to visit with them at Shirley’s farm in Pennsylvania. Shirley had a lovely cottage there. The property was so large that the cottage was too far away from any public roads to hear any vehicles that could be seen in the far distance. Bill had gotten a pistol for Jack, and he could practice with it. The kids could ride on the tractor. Muriel and her sister would frequently retell a story from one of those visits. Jack and Bill had taken the kids to fish at a small pond. Wendy was about four years old, and Scott was six. Neither had ever fished. The first time Wendy put her hook in the water, a fish almost immediately took it. They all laughed because she hadn’t put any bait on the hook. While Jack and Bill were busy with the kids at the pond, Muriel and Shirley took the truck to a neighbor’s farm and helped themselves to food for the dinner that night. They picked corn, collected some string beans, and dug up some potatoes. While they were doing this, they had forgotten to turn off the 2-way radio in the truck and everyone on the circuit could hear them laughing hard and having a grand ole time. Bill saw that neighbor later that afternoon and they had a chuckle about the girl’s raid on his farm. Bill did not think to tell Shirley about that meeting. That evening while still at the dinner table, the neighbor came to the door of their cottage and asked if anyone had seen anyone stealing from his fields. He said he was going to call the police and they would deal with these criminals. Neither of the girls admitted their role in this. Muriel was really scared. Then he laughed and told them he was kidding. He knew all along that it was them. He recognized Shirley’s voice.

Muriel was continuing to experience severe cramping pain and the doctors thought it was likely due to the aborting process of failed pregnancies. Muriel decided to have a hysterectomy at the Naval Medical Center, Bethesda MD. That successfully ended the cramps.

While in Springfield, their dog, Robin, died. They were able to get another poodle, Bou. Muriel saw an advertisement that an Army General was retiring and planning extensive travel. He decided to give their dog away to the “right” family so the dog would not have to spend long times in a kennel. They were interviewing families. Jack and Muriel took their kids along for the interview. Bou looked just like Robin and was about the same age. The kids started playing with her immediately, running around the General’s house and obviously loving it. The dog hadn’t seen that much exercise in a long time. Jack and Muriel fell in love with Bou at first sight. The General and his wife were so impressed with how Bou fit right in, they decided to give her to them. The whole family was delighted. She was too old to train her the way Robin had been trained but she became just as much a member of the family. But Muriel fed Bou, so the dog thought she was really Muriel’s dog.

Also in 1976, the family moved to Virginia Beach, VA. They purchased a newly constructed home in the Haygood Point development. It was a beautiful English Tudor style brick home with many high mature trees on the property. It had cathedral ceilings in the family room and master bedroom. Haygood Point was surrounded by the water of the Lake Smith reservoir. They were the first owners, so Muriel had a blank canvas for designing the landscaping. She used a lot of azaleas, and they were gorgeous when blooming. Muriel continued to entertain frequently and especially loved it when family visited.

In 1979, the family was introduced to skiing by Bud and Suki Futch, neighbors in Haygood Point. They went to the Wintergreen Resort on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia. Suki had two daughters that were friends of Wendy. They all loved the skiing and doing it as a family. In partnership with Bud and Suki, they bought a condo in Wintergreen. They planned to rent it out when not using it themselves. After two years, Bud and Suki received Navy orders to move to England. They sold their interest in the condo to Jack and Muriel. Jack and Muriel maintained a condo in Wintergreen for most of the next thirty years. Muriel loved the mountains and especially spending time with family and friends while there. Every time they visited Wintergreen, she would explore the Route 81 corridor for clothing and antique stores, with friends or without. She loved the Book Fair near Harrisonburg. Sometimes, she would drive to Charlottesville to shop along Route 29. They loved introducing the grandchildren to skiing there.

In 1980, after twenty years in the Navy, Jack retired. Throughout that career, Muriel was a true partner. It was as if they were in the Navy together. Gourmet meals in her home for senior officers and peers, grey lady at the Navy Hospital in Great Lakes, very frequent social activities, leadership in the Officer's Wives Club were just examples of her role.

Muriel had an adverse reaction to almost any prescription medicine given to her. She had a two pages list of medicines she couldn’t use. It was likely caused by the way her body processed it. Likewise with alcohol. During the late 1970s, she experienced problems with alcohol and decided to seek help from a twelve-step study group meeting in a nearby church. She stopped drinking anything with alcohol in it and continued with that for the rest of her life. The cold turkey stop also showed the enormous self-discipline she could muster. For the next twenty years, she continued meeting with this group and delighted in helping other people. She was an inspiration to others.

Jack began a civilian business career. For the next 24 years, they lived in Virginia Beach.

In 1983, they sold the Laurelwood condo in Wintergreen because they were too busy to use it and to care for it.

In 1984, they sold their Haygood Point home and built a gorgeous new home on an acre lot directly on the Lynnhaven River, on Blue Heron Road, looking West at the sunsets over the water. They rented a home on Consolvo Drive for one year while the new house was under construction. Muriel helped to design and build the new house. She worked very closely with the architect in the beginning and then visited the construction every day. She was a real thorn-in-the-side of the builder, but the result was a home with extraordinary attention to detail and superb quality throughout. She outdid herself on the interior decorating and outside gardening. She designed in a dedicated sewing room.

A few years after Jack retired, Bill and Dianne moved to Virginia Beach from Bill’s final Navy duty station in Korea. This allowed them to have full family dinners together again. A tradition was started to have Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, alternating which home was used. Both Muriel and Dianne made these events exceptional. One Christmas dinner was particularly memorable. In addition to his brother Bill’s family, Woody and Lisa Hilton were there with their two young daughters from Barnesville MD. Their daughters, Brittany and Stephanie were worried that Santa would not know where they were to leave gifts for them. Susan, Bill’s daughter, was there with her family, including four young kids. Jack’s Mom was also visiting. It was a full house. Muriel had hired a man to come to the house after the dinner playing Santa Claus. He looked so real, even the adults could be fooled. Muriel had coordinated with him in advance, so he had a scroll that listed all their names and had a small gift for each. The kids were in awe. When he read off Brittany’s and Stephanie’s names, their eyes lit up and the smiles were ear to ear. Muriel was so happy to see that. When he left through the front door, the kids all ran to the windows to see him leave but he disappeared. Whatever he did to make that happen, the kids were convinced he went to the roof and flew away on his sleigh.

Another of the fun memories of that time was the weeklong visits to the Cheatham Annex Navy Base near Williamsburg. The base had large RV units parked along the shoreline of a large lake. None were close enough to see each other. They provided each RV with a boat with trolling motor and fishing gear. There were a lot of other activities on the base, including cruising around by car at night looking at the large deer herds on the base. Muriel loved finding fun things to do with the kids while there.

During her over twenty years in this home, she became an empty nester, a mother-in-law, and a grandmother. She continued with her gardening skills and especially loved azaleas and hydrangeas. The hydrangeas were later used in Wendy's wedding bouquet. The crape myrtle trees and the profusion of azaleas in the front of the home made it a showplace. She was very proud of her handiwork. Muriel loved to host events, dinners in her beautiful home where she made all the gourmet meals by hand and decorated according to the occasion. Her home cooked meals were the best. She enjoyed hosting her family and extended family the most. It didn’t matter who she was entertaining, family, close friends, or Jack’s business associates. Muriel would use fine china, silver utensils, fine glasses, lace tablecloth, candlelight, and soft music. Guest felt they were in a five-star restaurant. At Christmas time, the decorations were over the top. She tied red ribbons to almost everything. After watching Muriel go around the house trying ribbons, Jack’s mother, who was visiting from Albuquerque, commented to Jack that she had to keep moving or Muriel would have had tied ribbons on her.

Scott went to the Frederick Military Academy in Portsmouth and did very well there. In 1985, he earned an appointment to the Military Academy in West Point, NY from Congressman Whitehurst. Jack and Muriel were so proud. Muriel was so excited when the whole family went to West Point for Scott’s Induction Day as a cadet. It brought back memories to her of her visit there when Jack was a midshipman. He left West Point in 1987 and transferred to Old Dominion University in Norfolk. Wendy had gone to a school in Vermont and then central Virginia.

Muriel missed the fun times the family had in Wintergreen so they decided to buy another condo but one they would not rent out. In 1987, they selected a new condo in the Diamond Hill development. It was directly on the Diamond Hill Ski slope with large picture windows looking out over the slopes. It also looked east toward Charlottesville and Richmond. The morning sunrises were spectacular. She loved decorating this condo and entertaining family and friends there. She loved that they could simply go down the stairs to ski off. The condo had a jacuzzi bathtub and Muriel would put bubble bath in it for Matthew when he was a young boy, and he loved the mountain of bubbles that were generated. She showed Matthew the sun “waking up” each morning.

Later in 1989, Jack had to undergo heart double bypass surgery. It was a scary time for them both. They did not know what to expect and she was very worried that there could be serious risk during the surgery or of limitations after. They rented a hospital bed to put on the first floor Sun Porch of their home and she became his nurse during his recovery. Thankfully, all went well, and he was cleared to resume normal activities. It was a very stressful time for her but with her steady self-discipline and resolute approach, she made Jack feel calm and comfortable throughout the process. They both joined the Mended Hearts Association for which they would visit the hospital to visit heart surgery patients. Sometimes it would be with people in the Waiting Room while their spouse was undergoing surgery. Sometimes it would be in the patient’s room, before or after surgery. She was able, from her own experience, to provide encouragement, practical tips on caring for their loved one, and a shoulder to cry on. When she told people that Jack, after his surgery, was still doing downhill skiing in high mountains, she could see the reassurance in their faces.

She accumulated many more special friends during this time. Paul and Alice Eadie were frequent visitors, along with their kids. Jack and Paul had started a computer software business together. Noreen Dobratz was a sewing buddy, and they would take early morning walks on the Chesapeake Bay beach behind her home. Study Group friends Gail Durica, Barbara Reider, and Betty Burwell were important to her. Muriel’s Aunt Gaby and her husband, Mike, visited from Arizona with their RV multiple times. Muriel’s father and the Hilton’s visited regularly.

Jack took her to Montreal in 1989 where they saw the places where she lived there and the special areas in the city that had meaning to her. They rented a car and drove to St Eustache to see the home her father had built. It looked very different to her. It was much smaller than she remembered, and it had additions done by subsequent owners. She found her school. Unsurprisingly, the field in front of the house was now fully built up with houses. She had lunch at the department store she remembered. They visited St. Joseph’s Oratory where St. Andre Bessette spent most of his life. He had died only one year before Muriel was born. He wasn’t beautified until 1982 and canonized by Pope Benedict in 2010. He was credited with curing hundreds of people of fatal and other crippling diseases in his lifetime. St. Andre cured one of Muriel’s family members in Montreal of Stage 4 cancer and she purchased a charm at the Oratory honoring him. She wore it almost every day for the rest of her life. She was so happy to have had this opportunity to see Montreal again.

In 1990, they went to Orlando on their own to visit Epcot Center in Disney World and the new Universal theme park. It was as particular enjoyable vacation because they were able to take everything unhurried and relaxed. She was especially impressed by many of the venues at Epcot. The Universal Theme Park was more about rides that were like indoor roller coasters. Her back was beginning to be a serious problem for her so the bouncing around on the rides was painful. She was happy when that day was over. She particularly loved a Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme concert. They had never seen them in person before.

A year later, they flew to Boston to tour the attractions in the area, steeped in colonial history. They attended the newly restored Wang Theater to see the stage performance of the Phantom of the Opera. They both really loved it. She had the opportunity to get together with Tom and Ruthie Cox, probably the highlight of the trip for her.

In 1991, Jack and Muriel went back to Hawaii. This time it was on the Big Island of Hawaii. The whole experience was fabulous for her. They swam with the dolphins in a large pond at the hotel. They arranged for a helicopter excursion that flew low over active volcano lava fields. She was in the front seat. The front of the aircraft was a large glass bubble, making her feel like she was out in front of the aircraft. The heat of the lava was so intense that, despite the helicopter downwash, she could feel the heat. The north shore of the island has a series of deep parallel valleys that go back from the coastline. The pilot would dive down into a valley, pull up sharply to get over the other side and then dive down into the next one. It was like an amazing roller coaster ride. She was so excited and happy with the experience.

Her excitement when her children became married was palpable. She gained a daughter-in-law, Michelle, in 1993. The whole wedding experience was over the top for her and made her so happy. In 1995, Scott’s wife Michelle gave birth to Muriel’s first grandchild, Matthew. Muriel was now “Mimi” and she loved that. Visits to or from Matthew were always an exciting experience to her.

Jack and Muriel joined the Wintergreen Ski Club with whom they traveled to beautiful ski resorts in Germany, Switzerland, and France. Her favorite was Zermatt, Switzerland. She loved this small resort town at the base of the Matterhorn Mountain. No gas-powered vehicles are allowed. They went with the club to Zermatt in 1993 and 1997.

It was on the trips to Europe that she met Clyde and Phyllis Nash from Utah. Later, Muriel stopped skiing because of the risk to her back. She had spinal stenosis and later had spinal fusion surgery. Phyllis had also stopped skiing because of her health issues. While Jack and Clyde were skiing, Muriel and Phyllis would spend their days sightseeing, shopping and just having fun together. They made side trips to places available on day trips. Jack took a day off from skiing to go with them sometimes. That included a visit to the Neuschwanstein castle while on a club trip in 1995 to Garmisch, Germany. While on a club trip to Maribel, France, they went to Lyon, the third largest city in France. On these European ski trips, the group would go to a large city for the flight home, with enough time to tour the city and have a wonderful group dinner together at a fine restaurant. Muriel visited Bern, Munich, Zurich, Geneva, and Lucerne. She loved the atmosphere in Europe, the food and shopping everywhere. The time with Phyllis alone made the trips worthwhile for her. On her second trip to Zermatt, Phyliss decided she wanted to go parasailing off the mountain down to the city of Zermatt.

After Muriel watched her do that from the landing area, and with prodding from Phyliss, Muriel decided to do the same parasailing herself. A photographer on the mountain took pictures of her sailing by and those pictures became her favorite souvenir of all the European trips.

Jack and Muriel were so proud of Wendy when she graduated from ODU in 1996 and then graduated again with her master’s degree in 2004 from Norfolk State. She often reminisced about a conversation she had with Wendy about her indecision on what to major in. Muriel told Wendy that she should take courses supporting being a counselor. Muriel believed she was ideally suited to help other young people. In the years the followed, Wendy pursued a career in counseling, and Muriel always felt good that she had given her good advice. More important, they both was very proud of what Wendy had accomplished.

Jack’s classmates from the Class of 1960 began a tradition of meeting once a month for lunch, usually stag. But at least twice a year, they would invite their wives to join the event. These were usually a Valentine’s Lunch and a Christmas Dinner. She loved these events and the chance to regularly renew acquaintances. This was especially true of the Christmas dinners. These were dress-up affairs at fine dining locations. She could wear one of her beautiful outfits. Some classmates came from other cities, and she loved to host them to stay at her home while in town for the dinner. She never missed one of these dinners for the rest of her life, except when her health prevented her from going to the one two months before she died. Even then, one of those from out of town came to see her the next day.

Jack and Muriel took a break from the Europe ski trips in 1996 to join Sunny and Bo Bobo in Crested Butte, Colorado for skiing. They had met on previous Wintergreen Ski Club trips. Crested Butte was a very different experience than Europe. The condo they rented was directly next to the ski lift take off location, unlike the long process in Europe to get to the ski slopes. The slopes themselves were all below the tree line, which Muriel loved. She was never an aggressive skier. She preferred gentle green slopes that she could cruise smoothly and effortlessly. The snowed over roads there were perfect for her, especially when they were surrounded by tall snow-covered trees. This resort gave her that. They also loved going into town for dinner at the wonderful restaurants there.

In the European Alps, she was frequently skiing above the tree line on wide-open glaciers. Often there would be short but relatively steep drops in the slope, even on green trails. There were also very narrow trails from one slope to another, with a steep unfenced fall off on one side. It was risky for the novice skier, and it scared her. She was not comfortable with these situations. But both she and Jack would love the frequent situations were the vistas looking out over multiple countries and mountains were amazing and breathtaking. They would stop and just slowly take it in.

Muriel took Jack on an American Sewing Guild trip to Hong Kong in 1997. There were thirty women and two husbands. The husbands became pack mules for the packages the women accumulated shopping every day. There was a little sightseeing, including a day trip into Communist China. But the trip was about browsing all day in countless stores related to sewing. There were thousands of fabrics, notions and other accessory choices, a dozen stores a day. Muriel was in 7th Heaven touching everything, debating it with others on the trip and buying some unique things to use herself at home. These items could not be found in stores at home.

The following year, the ski club went to St Moritz. This is a very upscale city, so Muriel and Phyllis loved the shopping and sightseeing. At the end of the week, the club was moving on for another week of skiing in Zermatt, but Jack and Muriel were returning home. They rode with the club on the Glacier Express train to Zermatt before going on to Geneva for their trip home. The Glacier Express was an amazing experience. The entire trip is through the Alps. There were many long tunnels and very high bridges. The train had bubble top first class dining cars so they could see the amazing scenery moving through the mountains. Some hills were so steep, the train had to use cog machinery to get up. Muriel absolutely loved the scenery of Switzerland and never tired of enjoying it. This train ride was one of the best opportunities to observe the beauty of it all. Doing it with Phyllis made it extra special.

On another trip that year, she spent a week cruising on Lake Powell, Utah embarked on a large houseboat, owned by Clyde and Phyllis Nash. It was heavenly. Her time with Phyllis that week was special. Two other ski club couples were on board. It had a powerboat and two jet skis towed behind that were used to explore the fantastic tall canyons that line the lakeshore. Before coming home from that cruise, they visited many of the National Parks in Utah with Clyde and Phyllis.

Muriel’s back problems continued to get worse. She often would get on the floor and could not get up. As much as she hated the prospect, she finally decided it was time for surgery in 1999. She had spinal fusion surgery on L2,3 and 4. The recovery was difficult, especially because she could not tolerate the pain prescriptions that they tried for her. But the results were ultimately good, and she was pain free for the next fifteen years.

Later that year, Wendy married Jason and she was absolutely delighted with Wendy’s choice in a husband. She loved Jason, calling him “her boyfriend”. She was so happy helping Wendy with all the planning and then the event itself. The whole family was there. There was a wonderful reception at the Dam Neck Club and then the family came back to Muriel’s home. This was the first time Matt had met most of his cousins and he was so excited.

Muriel had made Matt a pair of pants that had a front fly zipper. When he tried them on, he exclaimed, “These are big boy pants, Mimi!” This was his first zipper fly pants, and he was thrilled. He could not wait to show them off at the wedding. Returning from the reception, Wendy went by the nursing home with their rented limousine to show Jack’s mother the wedding gown. Jack’s mother was very touched by her gesture. When everyone was back at the house, the cousins all went outside to play. Matt insisted that he would not take off his big boy pants. He was so proud of them. Muriel said he could not go outside to play in them with his cousins. He needed to change into play clothes. He reluctantly accepted the rules because he wanted to get to know all these new cousins that he had not even known that he had.

When Wendy had her children, she was so happy to have grandchildren nearby. Matthew was in Northern Virginia, so she only saw him a couple of times a year. She loved reassuring Wendy as Wendy adjusted to motherhood. When Michelle moved to Richmond, Matthew was closer and that gave her more time with him.

In 2001, they sold the Diamond Hill condo and purchased one in the White Oak section. It needed a total refurbishment, and she loved designing that and supervising the builder. She had great fun with this project, and it ended up fabulous. While this construction was going on, Jack had another heart surgery but far less extensive than the first. He needed two stents put in where blockages had formed, and recovery was quick.

In the summer of 2002, Wendy was scheduled to give birth to a daughter, Ashley. Jack and Muriel had made plans over a year before for them to join a large group of his classmates on a trip to Alaska (one week on the ground in Alaska and one week cruising to Vancouver). They had non-refundable tickets. As much as she wanted to be here for the birth, the trip was a chance of a lifetime. She had her fingers crossed that the birth would come before or after the trip. That was not to be. While on the airplane at the Seattle Airport waiting to take-off for Fairbanks, Alaska to start the Alaska cruise, Muriel was on the phone for a step-by-step monitoring of the birth of Ashley. The stewardess forced her to end the call for take-off. She was distraught until she later learned that all went well. Although she was having a wonderful time on this trip, she was constantly anxious to get home to see Ashley.

Jack and Muriel would drive to Dickie Brothers Orchard in the Blue Ridge Mountains every Fall to pick one, sometimes two, bushels of apples directly off their trees to use in making her famous applesauce. Nothing but apples. There were no additives and no added sugar. She often enlisted Jack’s help in crushing the apples. It was delicious and was a favorite for Ashley and Ethan. She might eat five or more apples on the long drive home from the orchard.

She loved to walk, swim, play golf and ski. She had to give up golf after only ten years because of the arthritis in her hands. Daily early morning long and fast walks with friends were routine for many years, both in Virginia Beach and Williamsburg. She and Noreen would take early morning walks on the Chesapeake Bay beach in Virginia Beach and all-around Colonial Heritage in Williamsburg. She loved those walks. She also especially loved spending time gardening.

After ten years of skiing in the Alps, they joined the Peninsula Ski Club and shifted their trips to North American ski areas. If the ski area did not have activities for non-skiers or good shopping, she would not go. Jack would go alone. When the Peninsula Ski Club went to Vail, CO and Park City, UT, she went. Phyllis lived near Park City. Clyde would join Jack in skiing and Phyllis and Muriel would share fun days together. While on the Park City trips, Muriel would also visit her cousin, Joan, in nearby Salt Lake City for a few days. This is the same Joan that arranged the blind date for Muriel and Jack in 1957. One year, Scott joined them for a week of skiing with his dad at Park City.

Regular visits by her father, Pop, from Barnesville were special to both Muriel and Jack. Jack took him to the Oceana Naval Air Station, where he could watch the flight operations of Navy aircraft. On one of his visits, in 1990, Jack had arranged for Muriel, Pop, Scott, Wendy, Woody and Brent Hilton and Jack to go to sea on an aircraft carrier for the day and watch flight operations off the flight deck. Watching a plane pass by at very low level going faster than the speed of sound created a loud sonic boom. Pop was temporarily in shock. He thought the plane had blown up. It took a few minutes for Muriel to help him regain his composure. It was a never-to-be-forgotten day for everyone.

Muriel’s father passed away in 2002. She was at his bedside holding his hand when he died. Muriel cared for her mother-in-law, visiting her frequently in the nursing home, sharing memories with her until her passing in 2003.

Muriel was again blessed with another grandchild when Ethan John was born to Wendy in 2004. She was so happy for Wendy and Jason, and for herself to have another grandchild. With a middle name of John, Jack said he was going to call him “Jack”. Muriel told him, “Forget it! He is Ethan.”

In 2004, they joined (classmates) the Wisharts, the Jaaps and Ray and Mary Jane Taylor for a two-week trip to France (one week in Paris and one on the Riviera). This trip was so much fun for her. Ray had lived in France for two years and was fluent in French. Muriel and he could handle any communications they needed in France. Ray was incredibly knowledgeable about what to see in Paris, so the days were very productive. For the second week, they rented a gorgeous condo owned by a friend of Jack. It was on a foothill north of Cannes and had a breathtaking view looking South over Cannes to the Mediterranean Sea. They drove around the area every day visiting fantastic very old cities. Eight people were crowded in a small SUV. The kidding around, the navigator having trouble figuring out what turns to make and the backseat driving resulted in constant laughter. Muriel was throwing Murielism out all day, off the top of her head comments that were, in the moment, hilarious. One day, they hired a gourmet chef to prepare their lunch and dinner at the condo. Time at the condo was also a week of almost constant laughter. Muriel couldn’t have been happier. Sitting on the deck behind the home, being served a fantastic lunch by the chef, looking out over Cannes, was an amazing experience.

Later that year, Jack and Muriel moved to Colonial Heritage in Williamsburg, VA. It was an Active Adult 55 and Over Community just beginning construction. They had visited the Oliva’s in Northern Virginia in a development called Heritage Hunt the year before. It was exactly what they wanted for their next move, a scaling back as they got older. They had been searching for something comparable in Southeastern Virginia for over a year, but it did not exist. Someone told them about the new development called Colonial Heritage in Williamsburg, so they decided to check it out as they went by on their next trip to Wintergreen. There was nothing but a real estate office in a mobile home on the side of the road but, they discovered this was the same company that did Heritage Hunt and they planned to create the same kind of development in Williamsburg. They were only there twenty minutes, and they knew knew this was what they had been looking for. They signed a contract for a new home to be built for them.

The Wisharts had moved to Virginia Beach only a couple of years before, partially to be near Muriel. That evening, when Muriel told Sandy that we were moving to Williamsburg, the Wisharts went the next day to learn about the development. They immediately bought a home there as well. She then told Joe Jaap about it. Joe also looked at it and bought a home there. The three couples all moved in at about the same time and all three were only about a hundred yards apart.

Muriel again had a heavy hand in the design of their new home. The developer wouldn’t accept some of the customization that Muriel wanted so we instructed them to install only the most basic kitchen that the city would accept to get an occupancy permit. Immediately after closing and before they moved in, they gutted that kitchen. They hired another company to do the kitchen upgrade and other custom cabinetry throughout the home. She designed a custom gourmet kitchen and selected all the cabinets, deep sink, counter-tops, appliances and fixtures. The basic kitchen that the builders had installed was replaced. The replaced cabinets and sink were used elsewhere in the home, primarily in the laundry room and in a workshop, Jack included in the basement. The basement also included a 20’ by 20’ sewing room with furniture items that were specially made for sewing rooms and with very large closet spaces for her tremendous inventory of fabric. Again, she was overseeing the builder almost daily. It was a perfect home for her hobbies and for entertaining. She loved that they had frequent family visits. Phyllis and Clyde Nash visited for two weeks, with side trips to Wintergreen and Annapolis. Jean Oliva came from Northern Virginia. Marcelle, her cousin, came from Montreal, Canada and she loved showing them around the Williamsburg Restored Area. June Marwood and her husband, Ron, came from Peterbourough Canada. Jack’s brother and his family members and the Hiltons visited often. Muriel and Sandy spent a lot of time together exploring what Williamsburg had to offer and doing sewing projects. Noreen Dobratz had also moved to Colonial Heritage and lived only a few houses away. Sewing together and morning walks were a very frequent activity for them together. She and Sandy also spent a lot of time together shopping and sewing. She created a small garden to grow tomatoes, herbs, and spices.

In 2005, Muriel had hernia surgery that left her with continuing serious pain. The surgeon had no treatment or explanation for what was wrong. He implied it was all “in her head”. Other doctors offered no help. It was extremely debilitating for her and there seemed to be no relief in sight. Jack researched on-line and found a doctor in Cleveland that specialized to repairing botched laparoscopy hernia surgeries. That doctor told them he was too busy to see them. With the help of Muriel’s general practice doctor’s intervention, they were able to get an appointment in Cleveland just for an evaluation. They arrived for a Friday afternoon evaluation appointment. The doctor there was so shocked by her condition, he set up a surgery the next morning, on Saturday. His report of what he found at the site of the original surgery was frightening. It was no wonder she was in so much pain. He had to open her up to repair the damage. After a few weeks of recovery, she was fine. It had been a terrible year for her.

The next spring, Jack was part of a small group of people that founded an Honor Flight Chapter for the national Honor Flight organization. The National WWII Monument on the Mall in Washington, DC had recently been completed and the mission of Honor Flight was to assure that every WWII veteran had the opportunity to visit this new monument, from anywhere in the country. The organization raised the money so these trips were free to the veteran. WWII veterans were now of advanced age, so everyone had a guardian accompany him or her on the missions to assure their safety. If they needed a wheelchair, that was accommodated. Muriel immediately volunteered to go as a guardian and did so on two missions. She was proud of her participation in this worthy cause.

Later that year, the Jaaps went to Key West FL in their RV and the Wisharts and Jack and Muriel went to join them for a week of fun and frolic. They rented a beautiful condo with a large deck and commanding view of the Gulf of Mexico. Christy Jaap, who was always the life of any party, had everyone laughing all week. Muriel loved being with some of her favorite people and added to the joy with her Murielisms.

In 2006, Scott married Kathy, who also loved to sew and decorate as did Muriel. When they got together, they enjoyed sharing their sewing experiences. Muriel appreciated her decorating suggestions for the new home.

In 2007, Jack and Muriel went to Disney World again but this time it was with Wendy and her young family. Every day with the grandchildren in Disney World and at the rental house was an amazing joy to her.

The next year, Jack and Muriel traveled to Canada to visit June Marwood, her cousin, and her husband Ron. They stopped along the way to enjoy the quaint city of Niagara by The Bay. They stayed overnight in Toronto in a hotel room looking out over the falls. It was beautiful. She loved seeing the Marwoods. She loved their labradoddle, Dempster. They went on to explore Ottawa and to visit her Aunt Grace. She was delighted about everything on this trip.

Muriel and Phyliss continued frequent telephone conversations from then on until Phyliss died.

Muriel and Jack traveled to many other non-ski destinations, including a Northern Caribbean cruise and a St. Lawrence Seaway- New England cruise (Toronto to Boston), a tour group trip to Paris and a tour group trip to the California National Parks.

They did a tour group trip to Yellowstone National Park, with a stop at Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Monument. They were able to see an amazing number of different animals in their natural habitat. Their hotel room one night looked out directly at the Old Faithful Geyser.

She was especially happy about a tour group trip to the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Starting in Calgary, they went up the mountain range. They stopped at Lake Louise and Banff. They walked on a glacier. They took a helicopter flight over mountains and glaciers near Calgary. She made wonderful new friends with folks on the tour. One couple on that trip from Singapore came to visit her in Williamsburg a couple of years later.

In 2009, they sold the White Oak condo in Wintergreen, VA and started having a ski week for the whole family once a year in February. They would rent a large house in Wintergreen that could accommodate everyone. It was a wonderfully fun week for everyone. They could ski together during the day and enjoy each other’s company during the evening. Muriel loved these events and felt the love of her family.

In 2010, Jack and Muriel celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary by renting a large home on the ocean in Myrtle Beach. It had a pool and a short walk across the dune to the ocean. The kids were back and forth from pool to ocean all day. The whole family was there. Shirley had a second home in Myrtle Beach at that time and Jack’s brother and his daughter, Susan, and her husband, Ross, lived there. It was a fabulous family reunion and Muriel couldn’t have been happier. Wendy created a DVD presentation for the occasion that recapped their lives together. In was incredibly moving for both Muriel and Jack that she had invested so much time to make such a fantastic DVD. Later, they loved showing the DVD to friends and other family members that couldn’t be there.

Muriel had saved the top decoration from their original wedding cake, and they put it on top of a new cake for this occasion. They cut the cake with Jack’s Navy sword, just as they had done at their wedding reception. It was a special moment for both Muriel and Jack.

One evening the whole family went to the Medieval Knights Dinner Show. It is in a stadium setting with a large area in the middle for the riders and horses to perform. Suzi’s son, Will, was one of the performers, playing a knight. At one point in the show, they put a garter on the end of a long lance held by the knight, and he rides around and then presents the garter on the end of the lance to one of the ladies in the audience. Will rode up and presented it to Muriel. It was totally unexpected, and Muriel was so excited, pleased, and proud. What a special moment!

In 2012, they visited New Orleans with Jack’s brother, Bill, and his wife, Dianne. Dianne had researched the best restaurants to enjoy fabulous food and places to go in the city. Jack and Bill visited the World War II Museum. Muriel had a fabulous time.

Later that year, Muriel was diagnosed with breast cancer and a left breast mastectomy was performed. No further treatment was deemed necessary. She and the family were very relieved but sorry that she had to endure it.

in 2014, Jack and Muriel moved to Patriots Colony, a continuing care community, and found a whole bunch of new and old friends. Tom and Sandy Wishart and Joe Jaap had already moved there. Sandy had been urging Muriel to move there for at least two years. Shortly after arriving, the Patriots Colony Chorus needed a backdrop for their concerts, so she made a 12' high by 20' wide red velvet curtain. Jack helped by making a wood frame to hang it, and it has been in use ever since. She enjoyed participating with the group of resident crafters, sharing their work knitting, sewing, and quilting. She took advantage of a three foot by fifteen-foot garden plot, fenced in to protect it from animals. She grew tomatoes and flowers. She loved giving away her excess tomatoes to others that did not have a garden. She also put a lot of effort into flower beds in front and alongside the house to brighten up the street. Unfortunately, she tripped in the garden and broke her right wrist. It required surgery and pins to secure the bone placement. It healed well and did not create lasting problems.

At the time she was moving away from Colonial Heritage, Bob and Sharon Ochsenhirt were moving into the home next door to hers there. That started a very important friendship for both Jack and Muriel. Sharon was extremely active with the Colonial Williamsburg Restored Area, and they introduced Muriel and Jack to a wide variety of activities there. They would frequently attend events with the reenactors of important colonial figures, including Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Adams, Patrick Henry, Martha Washington, etc. They met the Ochsenhirt’s, along with Jack and Kathy Harry, for brunch every Sunday after church at alternating area restaurants for many years until just before her death.

In 2016, the family rented a home in Sandbridge in early July with Matthew, Scott, Wendy, Jason, Ashley, Ethan and Wendy’s dog, Shyla. Muriel was so happy to see everyone having such a good time. She was especially pleased to see how Matthew engaged with his younger cousins.

After the age of ten, Jack had almost no contact with his cousins. Likewise, after Muriel left Canada, her contact with her cousins was very infrequent. Both Jack and Muriel wanted Matthew, Ashley, and Ethan to form a deep life-long friendship and they felt that it was happening.

Matt graduated from Virginia Tech in 2017 and Jack and Muriel went to Blacksburg for the ceremony. On the way, they stopped to spend the night with Tommy and Janet Hudgins. Janet is Jack’s niece. They were so proud of Matt. On the way home, they stopped to see the Natural Bridge Zoo, where Suzi’s daughter, Teddy, was working. Teddy gave them a wonderful hands-on tour, sometimes in the cage with the animal. Muriel was so impressed by Teddy, and they appreciated the time she spent with them.

Wendy’s biological sister, Lynn Duggan, visited Patriots Colony and Jack took her and Wendy on a tour of the Williamsburg Restored Area. Muriel’s back problem made it too hard for her to join the tour. But they all had lovely meals together. Longtime friends from Navy days, Lew, and Nan Mabie, moved to Patriots Colony and the two couples began to have many social activities together. Other classmates, Bob and Gloria Antonio, Dick and Joy Hamon, and Don and Barbara Schlicht, also moved to Patriots Colony.

During 2018-2019, Muriel’s back became a major source of pain for her. They tried injections and implanted electrodes but noting helped. Her only option was surgery, a five-hour operation to fuse the whole back from L1 to S1. The surgeon told her that it would have a devastating impact on her memory and that he did not know what he could prescribe for the post surgery pain that she could tolerate. He said her bone density test made him worry that the bones in the spine would not grow back around the pins as they did when she was younger. He told her that, if Muriel were his mother, he would advise against it. The result could be that she has even bigger problems after the surgery. He agreed to do it only if they both insisted. Muriel decided to not do the surgery even though that left her with the constant pain and with Tylenol as the only medicine she could tolerate. She was also being treated for depression and dementia. The doctor recommended that she continue with any exercise that she could tolerate. She met Elaine Cummings most mornings for water walking in the Patriots Colony indoor pool.

In 2019, Muriel helped Sandy and her family during the time of Sandy's passing. Muriel was deeply impacted by the loss of her best friend. They went on an overnight trip to her inurnment at the Naval Academy. Her back pain and early-stage dementia made the trip very difficult. Jack decided that this would be their last trip anywhere. Traveling was now too hard for them. She was transitioning from being able to walk with a walker to having to have a transport chair.

A few months later, Tom Wishart died. Sandy’s family gave Muriel Tom’s power wheelchair.

As her health began to fail, many of their favorite activities had to be eliminated. Travel was the first to go. It was necessary to begin to have companion care aides come for many hours every day, at least five days a week. The most important of these was Tessa McGowan. Other new friends emerged that helped her and were especially loved by her, including Betty Somoloi and Carrol Bailey.

In 2021, they moved from the single-family house to an apartment, still in Patriots Colony. She would not have to get into the car to go up to the main building for the pool and other activities. They went to the dining room every night now and had dinner with the Baileys, Betty, and Karen Shoberg. She enjoyed this social activity and was anxious to go down every afternoon.

For almost two years, Tessa took Muriel on activities that exploited whatever capability she had left. They browsed the stores in New Town and Merchant Square and took the Colonial Parkway to Yorktown. They toured housing developments and passed judgment on homes there and they took long drives during which they sang 50s songs at the top of their lungs. She took her to Anderson’s Garden Center in Newport News, and they would spend hours looking at all the flowers and having lunch. She took her to the pool. Even when Muriel could no longer go in the car, Tessa was able to cobble together activities here at Patriots Colony that Muriel really enjoyed. They would watch Home and Garden TV Shows and pass judgment on the projects. She loved YouTube videos about babies, puppies, baby animals and music. Tessa would take her in her transport chair for walks around Patriots Colony and, in the villas area, they would give scores to the wind-chimes people had up outside their doors. They would have conversations with everyone they passed in the halls. Muriel loved Tessa. Tessa became her best friend and Muriel couldn’t wait for her next visit. Shirley visited often, sometimes with Lisa, as did Scott and Matthew. Wendy also visited regularly. Muriel really loved all those visits.

For the last two years of her life, there was a pandemic from COVID and almost all the activities that she loved the most were eliminated or seriously curtailed. For a long time, she was virtually confined to her apartment, with Jack picking up their meals and bringing them to their apartment to eat alone. Ferguson Center concerts were cancelled. Theaters were shut down. Restaurants were closed. All social activities at Patriots Colony and much of the community were stopped. She could not meet Elaine at the pool, so Jack took her. Only a single individual or a married couple could be in the pool at the same time. This was torture for her, and it fed the depression she was experiencing. At least she had Tessa for part of the time.

Her depression and dementia continued to get worse. She was diagnosed as having alzheimer’s. It was a progressive and incurable disease. The Patriots Colony medical staff had a meeting with Jack and Wendy. They recommended that Muriel be transferred to the Memory Care Unit, also at Patriots Colony. Jack agreed to have her evaluated for such a move. The evaluation indicated that her mobility had deteriorated beyond what the Memory Care Unit was capable of handling. If Jack were no longer able to care for her safely in the apartment, she would have to move to the Convalescent Center (CC). That is the nursing home portion of Patriots Colony.

During the last year of her life, there were many events when Muriel was literally out of control. It was irrationality borne of alzheimer’s disease. During those times, Wendy and Scott by telephone, and Carrol Bailey in person, were vital helpers to Jack in calming her and restoring some sense of normalcy. Wendy and Scott visited when they could, and Muriel loved those times. Shirley and Lisa visited. Tessa continued to be a vital resource when she could be there. Jack would arrange with Tessa so that she could come with them to assist him for events away from Patriots Colony. This included Military Association of America luncheons, Jack’s class lunches, and a church Christmas concert.

In October 2022, Matthew married Raquel Gilbreath in Williamsburg, at a location that was only a few miles from Patriots Colony. That made it possible for Muriel to attend the ceremony.

Jack, Muriel, and Tessa were able to see her first grandchild marry. That was truly special to her. She loved Raquel and her family.

Chaplain Travis Greenman was as source of great comfort to both Jack and Muriel. Muriel loved Travis. Jack, Muriel, and Tessa attended a weekly bible study meeting that she conducted. It was clear that, because of her dementia, she could not follow the material, but she stayed attentive and seemed to love it. She may have felt like she was in church. Travis had organized a Dementia Support Group for caregivers of spouses with dementia. Jack went to these meetings while Tessa was with Muriel, and it was very educational. The group provided vital emotional support to him.

Scott visited in December while Jack was recovering from cataract surgery. He helped determine a med schedule that managed her severe anxiety attacks. Wendy also came often.

As her mobility continued to degrade, it became very hard to transfer her from chair to bed and chair to toilet. She fell multiple times and Jack had to call for outside help to get her back up, sometimes 911. It was only a matter of time before a fall would cause serious injury, such a broken hip or shoulder. That would require an operation and devastating anesthesia. It became necessary to move her to CC where they had staff and equipment to better care for her safely. She hated it there and constantly said she wanted to die. She continued to get worse and after two months, she was dying. Hospice care was requested but she only lasted two days after that was approved.

For the first six weeks that she was in CC, there was a new pandemic lockdown of the facility. No one could visit. Tessa stopped coming after the first month. She was not allowed to go out into the other areas of Patriots Colony where she would have had the opportunity to chat with people she knew. She was only allowed to go outside for a walk. Jack tried to do this as much as possible, but it was February and too cold most days. The lack of social contacts fed her depression. When the lockdown ended, friends and family could come to see her. Shirley came to spend some time with her, and she loved that. She did not reach the stage where she did not recognize people.

Father Anthony from St. Bede’s Catholic Church, who would later preside at her funeral mass, was there the day before she died to give her the last rites. That evening, Scott and Wendy stayed behind after Jack left. They sang songs and kidded with her. She told them that she loved them. It was a very special moment.

She passed the next afternoon, February 23, 2023. Jack, Scott, Wendy, Jason, Ashley, Ethan, and Tessa were all there on her last day when she died and helped see her off to her next destination in Heaven.

A funeral mass was held at St. Bede’s Catholic Church. As she had requested, the Ave Maria was sung. Scott gave a beautiful eulogy. Over 125 people attended. Most of the family was there. Jean Oliva came. Tessa came. Wendy’s biological sisters came. Many classmates and their wives were there. Many Patriots Colony residents that cared about Muriel were there. The family returned to Patriots Colony to continue celebrating her life in the Liberty Lounge.

Three months later, the family gathered at the Naval Academy for her inurnment at the columbarium there. Jean Oliva also came. After lunch at the Severn Inn, across the Severn River from the Academy, the family went back to Shirley’s home in Barnesville MD for the afternoon and evening.

Five years before she died, her friend Sandy Wishart gave her a table-top cactus plant as a gift. It never bloomed until immediately after Sandy died. Muriel believed that this was a message from Sandy that she was happy. It never bloomed again until two days before Muriel passed. Jack took the plant to Muriel, and she was aware of it blooming. Jack and Muriel believed this was a message from Sandy that “It’s ok. I am waiting for you.”

Muriel’s life was an 85-year journey of love, laughter and craftmanship. Her family and friends will never forget this wonderful woman. She will be missed deeply.

* * * * * * * * * *

Muriel Diggory Greenhalgh left this world for the peace and love of our Heavenly Father on February 24, 2023 in Williamsburg, Virginia.

She was born in 1938 in Montreal, Canada and was the daughter of Claude and Rollande Diggory, a bilingual family, English and French. The family immigrated to Los Angeles, California when she was eight and then to Rockville, Maryland when she was 14. Muriel graduated from Richard Montgomery High School in 1956.

We will never forget her infectious laughter and happiness. She never passed up any opportunity to help anyone. A “Martha Stewart of Homemaking”, she put her passion and expertise into everything to do with the home and family. She was a gourmet cook and was devoted to teaching others how to sew.

Muriel was an expert in the Bishop Method of clothing construction and incorporated it in all her teaching. The Bishop Method was a revolutionary advance in the art of sewing that saved time, resulting in faster, easier sewing and custom-made clothes of high quality. By 17 years old, she was managing a fabric store and teaching sewing for the store’s customers. At that same time, she was also a sewing teacher for the Montgomery County Adult Education Program. She was making all her own clothes, including her wedding gown.

After 3 ½ years of dating Jack Greenhalgh, a midshipmen at the United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD, they married upon his graduation in 1960 and she became a navy wife. It was a true partnership with lots of social activities and entertaining in their home. After 20 years and 20 household moves, they settled in Virginia Beach and then to Williamsburg, Virginia. She was very active in the American Sewing Guild, including making a variety of items for charitable causes. The active community of US Naval Academy Class of 1960 graduates and their other Navy friends were a source of much joy. Homecomings in Annapolis and travel to Alaska and France with classmates were never to be forgotten fun for her. The highlights of her favorite memories were family holiday dinners and skiing vacations. Dear friends from the American Sewing Guild and the Wintergreen and Peninsula Ski Clubs were very important to her.

She leaves behind her husband of 64 years, Jack Greenhalgh; her son, Scott David Greenhalgh and daughter-in-law Kathy of Danielson, Connecticut; her daughter, Wendy Ann and son-in-law Jason Harris of Chesapeake, Virginia. She also leaves behind grandson, Matthew Greenhalgh and granddaughter-in-law Raquel; granddaughter, Ashley Harris; grandson, Ethan Harris; sister, Shirley Hilton and brother-in-law Bill of Barnesville, Maryland; brother-in-law, Bill Greenhalgh of Virginia Beach, Virginia; step-granddaughter, Charity and her husband Dave of Rhode Island; step-great-grandchildren Patience, Christian, Sabastian, Channing and Felicity; and many loved nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.

The family wishes to express their appreciation to the Patriots Colony medical clinic, Dr. Basciano and his staff, Patriots Colony Convalescent Center and to Riverside Hospice for the love and care they provided to Muriel.

A Celebration of Life Mass will be conducted at Saint Bede’s Catholic Church, 3686 Ironbound Rd, Williamsburg, VA at 11 AM on 9 March, 2023. A reception will follow at the church. Muriel will be inurned at the United States Naval Academy Columbarium at 11 AM on 2 June 2023.

In lieu of flowers, donations would be welcomed by Grove Christian Outreach Center, 8800 Pocahontas Trail, Williamsburg, VA 23185. Condolences can be expressed at www.nelsenwilliamsburg.com