Viola Mae Dubay

Viola Mae DuBay, 80, passed away peacefully in her sleep at home on August 25, 2023. A rosary will be said for Viola at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in West Des Moines at 10:30 am on Wednesday, September 6, 2023, with visitation from 11:00 a.m. to 12 p.m., and funeral mass at 12 p.m. at Sacred Heart. Entombment will follow at Resthaven Mausoleum in West Des Moines.

Viola was born June 4, 1943 in Adair, Iowa, to Wayne and Veronica Long. Viola’s dear mother passed away when Viola was ten. She was raised by her father on the farm, with extra love from her Aunts Marie and Lena. After graduation from Anita High School, she moved to Des Moines, and worked for Mercy Hospital. During this time, she met and married Doug DuBay. She raised her boys Kevin and Brian, and her beloved Dachshunds, Clancy and Buffy at their home on Briar Ridge in West Des Moines. Viola enjoyed singing in the choir at Sacred Heart, bowling, calling bingo, and socializing especially with longtime friends Don and Alice DeVore. Viola was especially proud of her grandchildren and loved coming to Iowa to visit the girls. Viola and Doug were well known in the Lionel toy train community, and operated the Valley Junction Train Museum.

When the boys were grown, Viola and Doug left Iowa for Arizona to escape the cold weather. After Doug’s death in 2005, Viola married Steve Chaimson in Viola’s home church in Adair, IA. They made their home in Goodyear, AZ. In Arizona, Viola worked for the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Orpheum Theater and the Phoenix Symphony. Viola, Steve, Don, and Alice had many good times traveling together.

Viola is survived by her husband, Steve Chaimson of Goodyear, AZ; sons, Kevin (Jennifer) DuBay of West Des Moines, IA, and Brian DuBay (Sonia Fahr) of Des Moines, IA; grandchildren, Lily DuBay, Ava DuBay, Sloane DuBay, and Poppy DuBay of West Des Moines; step-daughter, Beth (Mike) Ladd of Chino Valley, AZ; step-son, Nick Chaimson of Goodyear, AZ; step-grandchildren, Tami Kimbrell and Tony Kimbrell of Phoenix, AZ; Gabi Chaimson of Savannah, GA and Rafe Chaimson of Fort Worth, TX. She was preceded in death by her husband, Doug DuBay.