Virginia Kalamyra Blake

Virginia Kalamyra Blake was born to Lena and Angelo Pappas on February 13, 1914 in Bushnell, IL. She attended school in Bushnell, IL and was freshman class president, editor of Hi-Life newspaper, and editor of the school yearbook, The Replica, at Bushnell High School.

She attended the University of Illinois, and was a member of Alpha Gamma Delta sorority. She was an 88 year member of that organization. She met William L. Blake of Gardner, IL at the University of Illinois. They were married in 1933. After college, they moved to Chicago, IL where her husband Bill was a buyer for Marshall Field. Their son, Bill, Jr. was born in 1938. In 1942, her husband was called up for World War II. He was assigned to the 1st Infantry Division during the war in Europe. During the war, Virginia was trained and volunteered as a Red Cross Gray Lady at Camp Ellis, IL. She was also a member of the Order of the Eastern Star and the White Shrine organizations.

In 1946, her husband was accepted into the regular US Army as a Captain. Their second son, Richard, was born at Ft. Riley, KS in 1946. They lived in many different locations in the military including Ft. Riley, KS, Ft. Leavenworth, KS, Ft. Knox, KY, Ft. Benning, GA, Arlington, VA and Paris, France. Virginia’s husband died in 1965 and she continued to live in Arlington, VA after his death. She served as Postmistress for the U.S. Soldiers and Airmen’s Home in Washington, D.C. for 8 years.

Virginia was a volunteer in the Arlington area for over 45 years. She served on the Commission for Aging, The Madison Day Care, President and co-chair of the Senior Adult Council of Arlington, VA, The Past President of AARP, Arlington VA Chapter 284, Past President of the Illinois State Society, Washington, DC, Elected by her peers to the Virginia Silver Haired Legislature, Senator District 31 in 1985, She was a member of the Virginia State Society, The Women’s Club of Arlington, VA, The University of Illinois Alumni Association, The Old Dominion Club of Alpha Gamma Delta, and NARFE. She received the AARP Community Service Award in 1985, and the Arlington County Community Service Award in 2011.

She previously lived in her home in Arlington, VA for 53 years before moving to The Fountains at Washington House in Alexandria, VA for a year and a half. She moved to Sarasota, FL in 2015, and was a 5 year resident of The Fountains at Lake Pointe Woods in Sarasota, FL. She celebrated her 106th birthday at The Fountains on February 13, 2020.

She is survived by her son, William and his wife Nancy, and 3 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren.

Donations may be made in her memory to the Alpha Gamma Delta Foundation, 8710 North Meridian Street, Indianapolis, IN 46260.

A memorial service will be held at a later date. Virginia will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.