Virginia Stanley Owsley

Virginia Stanley Owsley was a modest woman, quiet and observant in her ways. She was trustworthy and traditional in her relationships, and was a tough-minded, meticulous woman who lived a disciplined life.

Virginia was born on May 27, 1937 at Porter Memorial Hospital in Valparaiso, Indiana to her parents William Sherman and Lola (McCune) Stanley. She was raised in Valparaiso, Indiana and Michigan City, Indiana with her 6 siblings. She had one older sister, Betty Jo; two older brothers, Dallas and Ray; a younger sister, Lee Ann; and two younger brothers, William "Doc" and Larry.

As a young child, Virginia developed a variety of interests and was always curious about the world around her, often eager to explore it. She enjoyed reading books, riding horses, and spending time with her friends.

Virginia graduated from Elston Senior High School in 1956. She enjoyed some courses more than others, but her favorite class in high school was English. Although English was her favorite class, her favorite teacher was Mr. Warren Jones, her Geography teacher. Some of her favorite memories during High School came from eating lunch at the dime store every day with her friend Shirley Hebb.

Virginia continued her education, earning her Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from Purdue University in 1972. She went on to graduate school, earning her Master of Education with a specialization in both Special Education and Gifted Education. Her favorite courses to take were the Gifted classes, but despite her love of learning, her true passion in teaching was Special Education, followed immediately by the Vocational Education classes she taught to her high schoolers. Her favorite professor was Dr. John Feldhusen at Purdue University. While getting her degree, she worked full time, took care of her house, and raised her three children.

Virginia was fortunate to be blessed with several remarkably close friends throughout her life. She was a woman who preferred to form opinions about other people not through assumptions or other people’s thoughts, but through her own experiences; as such, she would truly take the time to get to know people she cared about, and thus was valued as a true friend. Her devotion to her friends was fierce, so it was not uncommon for Virginia to go above and beyond for those she loved. As well, friends frequently sought her out for advice because she had a knack for coming up with practical solutions to almost any type of dilemma. While growing up, two of her dearest friends were "Skeeter” Turner and Shirley Hebb. Years later, she became remarkably close friends with Willie Mae Thomas, Sally Petro, and Jacque Brown, all the while maintaining her close friendship with Shirley Hebb.

On February 15, 1957, Virginia married Jimmy Owsley at the First Presbyterian Church of Michigan City, Indiana. She held traditional values about marriage and family life, and so she took the responsibility of marriage and family to heart, giving it her total commitment.

Virginia brought those same traditional values in marriage to how she raised her children. She was a good parent to them, and any of the three would say she was firm, yet fair, in her dealings. She always listened carefully and thought things through before acting, even if she was in an adverse situation. She was also a walking schedule, always seeming to know what everyone in the family needed to do, where they needed to be and when they needed to be there, while still keeping her own schedule straight. Virginia was blessed with three children: two sons; Stephen Kelly and Patrick Sherman; and one daughter, Leatena Kim. She was also blessed with one grandchild, Cody Alexander Bozek.

Virginia greatly enjoyed what she did for a living. She was a hard worker who expected the same in return from both her co-workers and her students. She was skilled at working effectively in small groups and in one-on-one situations as well as handling solo assignments efficiently. Her primary occupation was in the field of education. During her teaching years, she was heavily involved with the local teacher’s union, holding various offices. She retired from the Michigan City Area Schools.

Virginia liked to experience things first-hand as well as learn about them. This trait carried over into her off-time, where she was methodical in how she organized her activities and categorized things. Since she enjoyed her private time, Virginia always tried to allocate specific time for taking care of herself. Her favorite pursuits involved reading and volunteering for her church. Virginia was content to enjoy her time alone but was also willing to share her interests with others.

Virginia found some pleasure in sports, but only ones that involved any and all of her children. Some of the other kids at her children’s school would say, "Hey Mrs. Owsley. Are you coming to the game? We need you to help cheer the team on!” She was known to be vocal from the stands, making her opinions known. Virginia did not like to watch sporting events, UNLESS one of her children was watching a game on TV -- then she would happily sit down and watch it with them.

As a woman who always showed great commitment to the things she believed in, it is little wonder that Virginia was so active in her community. Being practical and mentally disciplined, Virginia preferred to base her decisions on first-hand experiences. She was never afraid to roll up her sleeves and dig right in.

Virginia was dedicated and devoted to her faith. She was a member of Central Christian Church and Pines Bible Church her entire life, depending on what part of the country she physically was in. She loved the Lord more than she loved anything. During that time, she volunteered as a door greeter, taught Sunday School classes, and participated in numerous Bible Study groups.

Virginia enjoyed traveling and taking vacations. Since she was an early starter and had a knack for planning everything, traveling with Virginia appeared effortless. Her favorite vacations included going to Hawaii, going with her best friend, Shirley, to participate on a Mission in Papua New Guinea and a vacation in Australia.

Virginia was a lover of all animals and cherished her pets. Two of her favorites were the family dogs - Calvin and Hobb. They were best friends for 13 and 15 years, respectively. Her family was rounded out by her love of several other dogs through the years – Sunny, Kishka, and her current dogs - Bismark and Francesca.

When Virginia’s retirement finally arrived in 1998, she was well prepared. She had begun the process early and had her retirement all laid out well in advance. Her new life involved a relocation to Las Vegas, Nevada to be closer to her children, although she still returned to Indiana yearly. In retirement, she found new pleasure in homeschooling her grandson, working part-time preparing taxes, and staying active in church activities. Even in retirement, Virginia continued to stay in touch with her old friends while making plenty of new acquaintances. She was active in her new community and felt fulfilled.

Virginia Stanley Owsley passed away on June 11, 2020 peacefully at home in Las Vegas, Nevada with loved ones next to her. She is survived by her daughter, Leatena Kim Bozek; sons, Stephen (Tracy) Owsley and Patrick (Leslie) Owsley; and grandson Cody Bozek. Services were held at Palm Mortuary in Henderson, Nevada. Virginia will find her final resting place at a future date.

Commitment is the best word to describe the life of Virginia Stanley Owsley. She was committed to living the life of a good woman who was both practical and trustworthy. She was committed to the traditional values that she upheld her entire life. She was committed to being a hard worker who expected the same work from those around her. Most of all, she was committed to those she knew and loved.