Virginia Ann Hilken

Virginia (Wion) Hilken, life-long Oregonian, loving mother and grandmother, volunteer extraordinaire, and delightful hostess, comfortably passed away on Oct. 15, 2026, in Portland Oregon, to enthusiastically enter the House of the Lord. She was 96.

Born in Gresham, Oregon, Virginia grew up in a loving household with her older sister Lois, her Father, Raymond, and her Mother, Lula. She often recounted tales of her parents’ deep faith, which Virginia carried and adopted as her own until the end of her life. Raymond worked for decades as the store manager at the Gresham JC Penney and instilled in his family that everyone was an equal in the eyes of God. Virginia’s mother taught her the wonderful virtues of kindness and laughter.

Virginia met her eventual husband and love of her life, Robert Hilken, on the first day of Freshman English at Lewis and Clark College, when he entered class late, lost his alphabetically assigned seat, and had to sit in the back of the room next to Virginia Wion.

Virginia developed deep relationships with others at college. Most fondly, she enjoyed a collection of approximately 20 women friends, who playfully referred to themselves as “The Birds.” They kept in touch after college with annual gatherings and even dabbled with publishing a cookbook of their favorite recipes, which they tongue-in-cheek named “The Bird Feeder.”

Virginia and Bob courted through college, and she graduated in 1952 with a degree in Home Economics. Immediately following, they married, briefly honeymooned in Victoria BC, and barely arrived on time at Camp Pendleton in San Diego, where Bob reported for duty, and Virginia became an officer’s wife. She worked as a substitute teacher and office clerk until they returned to Cedar Hills in the 1960’s. They designed and built a new house in the West Hills of Portland in the mid-1960’s which had a beautiful view of the coast range. They lived there together for over 40 years.

Virginia cherished making a home, raising a family, sewing, cooking, growing a vegetable and flower garden, arranging flowers and playing bridge. The couple welcomed two children into their family, Douglas (1955) and Barbara (1962). Always the hostess, Virginia’s dinner guests could consistently count on two things: 1) Every place setting would have a place mat and a salad fork, and 2) It was going to be a fantastic meal.

The consummate homemaker, Virginia expanded her home arts for the enjoyment of others by forming a Christmas bazaar that ran for more than 20 years. “Holly House” became known in the Beaverton/Cedar Hills community as a premiere holiday shopping destination. Virginia’s pinecone wreaths, aprons and fruit jellies were a hot commodity with prospective customers waiting in line for hours before the doors first opened. She also enjoyed traveling the world.

Bob and Virginia were pillars of the Beaverton Lutheran Church community, where they first attended Pilgrim Lutheran for more than 25 years. In the mid 1980’s they both helped establish the mission church of Our Redeemer Lutheran in Tigard, where Virginia remained. She served on countless committees, helping with planning, building, and welcoming the Pastors who served the congregation, all the while raising her voice in song and singing in the church choir. Together with Bob, she was an enthusiastic supporter of Concordia University in Portland. They helped establish a new nursing school* and also helped build the Hilken Community Stadium.

Virginia loved others well. She never spoke ill of another and always carried herself with graciousness and humility. She loved Jesus, loved a good laugh, and had a charming quick wit that never disparaged. She adored her grandchildren (Neil, Sean, Maddie, and Peter) and had the pleasure of being with her first great-grandchild (Daisy) for more than one year.

Virginia brought hope and a ray of sunshine into every room she entered. Heaven welcomed home one of the best. All who knew her will deeply miss her.

*Concordia Nursing School: https://absn.csp.edu/absn-sites/portland/