Virginia M North

Virginia North, 95, passed away peacefully, Thursday, April 8, 2021, at her home at Park Place Senior Living with family by her side. Virginia Mae Griffith North was born in Huntington, IN on January 6, 1926. She was the daughter of Ottis and Florence Griffith. They moved to Ft. Wayne when she was very young. She attended Ft. Wayne South Side High School. She worked at International Harvester in the office after high school. In 1946, she was introduced to a sailor just back from WWII, Wilbert D. North. After a whirlwind courtship, they were married September 7, 1947. They had four children. She made raising children and caring for her home her career. She was a strong woman, who had to deal with many hardships and illnesses over her lifetime. She was a very sickly child, suffering from severe chronic asthma. She lived through the Great Depression and the War years. She learned to make do with the little resources she had. She and Dad survived one of life’s greatest tragedies, the loss of their 4-year-old first-born son, Charles Devon North. She dealt with illness through her adult life also, until modern medicines were able to give her relief. She was loving, kind, and empathetic, and taught these Christian values to her children. We were all baptized and attended First Christian Church and later North Christian Church. She was a creative, multitalented woman. She continued to be a loving, devoted mother to two daughters and a son, sharing her love of children, animals, music, and flowers! She played accordion, and piano. She spent a great deal of time sewing and crocheting. She made most of the children’s clothing and lots of doll clothes. She often designed and made patterns to make the clothes the way she wanted them. She even designed and made her daughters’ wedding dresses. When the children were grown, she became a professional artist, working mostly in oil paints. She sold many, many wonderful paintings, but we still have many beautiful paintings to enjoy! Wib and Virginia sacrificed to purchase a small lake home and worked continuously to improve it. They loved their time at the lake and loved sharing those experiences with their children and grandchildren and great grandchildren and friends! They had a wonderful group of friends that they played cards with and traveled with for over 50 years! She was thrilled to get to travel in the continental United States, and to Hawaii and Europe. Virginia loved country music! She is survived by her daughters, Carolyn “Diane” (James) Stackhouse of , Peru, IN; Charlene Dea Hoffman, of Ft. Wayne, IN; son, Robert DeWayne (Rebecca) North of Rochester, IN; brother, Richard Griffith, Ft. Wayne, IN; sister, Barbara Eisberg, Ft. Wayne, IN; grandchildren, Kelly Stackhouse Newman and John, of Peru, IN; Adam L. Stackhouse and Mary, of Kokomo, IN; Jessica Stackhouse Kirk and Joshua, of Bluffton, SC; Jennifer Stackhouse Clark and Adam, of Westfield, IN; Shana Marie Hoffman, of Gahanna, OH; Marvin Vinluan and Amanda, Lemoore, CA; great grandchildren, Alexa Newman McQuinn and Jacob, Nathaniel Newman, Matthew Newman, Logan Vinluan, Andrew Clark, Addison Clark, Bode Stackhouse, Magnalena Stackhouse. She was preceded in death by her parents, her sister, Betty Fleming, her sister, Mary Koontz. Virginia North was an amazing woman and she was greatly loved! We were so blessed to have her as our mother (and Grandmother)! Private funeral service will be conducted at D.O. McComb and Sons Lakeside Park 1140 Lake Ave. Fort Wayne, IN. Masks are required for those attending. Burial in Greenlawn Memorial Park Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Riley's Children’s Hospital. To sign the online guestbook go to www.mccombandsons.com.