Virginia Dare Thurmond

Virginia Dare (Eisele) Thurmond was born on April 5, 1927, in Clackamas, Oregon, to Ora H. and Lena L. Eisele. The sixth of thirteen children, Ginny grew up in Clackamas County and graduated from West Linn High School.

While working in the Portland shipyards, she met the love of her life, LeRoy C. Thurmond. They were married on May 5, 1946, at Willamette Methodist Church in West Linn. Together, Ginny and Roy raised two children, Roilene and Craig.

Primarily a homemaker, Ginny also worked as a talented cafeteria cook and baker for the Salem School District. As Roy’s career took the family to various cities across Oregon, they eventually settled in Milwaukie, where they created a warm and welcoming home.

Ginny found deep joy in the simple pleasures of life. An avid RVer, she cherished journeys along the Oregon and Washington coasts, where she loved to fish, crab, and clam. A gifted cook and canner, she was renowned for her homemade strawberry jam, applesauce, pies, and legendary chocolate chip cookies. For eighteen years, she and Roy delighted in their snowbird winters in Indio, California. She was also an active member of the West Linn Women’s Lions Club and the Milwaukie Elks Lodge.

Above all, Ginny was remembered as “one tough Eisele woman”—strong, determined, and resourceful—yet equally known for her kind, humble, and loving spirit, and her unwavering dedication to her large and loving family.

She passed peacefully on July 2, 2026, in Vancouver, Washington, at the age of 99.

Ginny was preceded in death by her beloved husband, LeRoy C. Thurmond, in 2018, and by her grandson, Gregory R. Ottoman, in 2023.

She is survived by her daughter, Roilene J. Bennett; her son, Craig R. Thurmond, and his wife, Glenna; Heather Ottoman (wife of grandson Gregory); granddaughter Kerri L. Ottoman; grandson Derick C. Thurmond; and granddaughter Jennifer R. McCollum and her partner, Dave. She is also survived by ten great-grandchildren and seven great-great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations in Ginny’s memory to the Pancreatic Cancer Society or the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

A committal service will be held at Willamette National Cemetery on Thursday, August 13, 2026. Guests are asked to arrive by 1:00 p.m. to be escorted into the cemetery. Holman Hankins Bowker & Waud will conduct the service. A memorial reception will follow immediately at 2:00 p.m. across the street at Lincoln Memorial Funeral Home, 11801 SE Mt. Scott Blvd., Portland.

Ginny’s warmth, strength, and enduring love will be deeply missed by all who were blessed to know her.