Virginia June Huestis completed her life’s journey in Oak Harbor, Washington, on March 7, 2018, at the age of 85.
Virginia was born on September 5, 1932, in Los Angeles, the daughter of Calvin Trowbridge and the former Margaret Allen. She was adopted by her stepfather, Pharos LeBard, at an early age and lived with her parents and younger brother John in the Ventura County communities of Piru, Fillmore, and Ojai. She attended Buckhorn School in Piru and Fillmore schools, graduating with the Fillmore High Class of 1950.
She began work as a teenager at Harry Lechler’s store in Piru. The exactitude she learned from high school business teacher Miss Hobenicht served her well in positions with schools, churches, financial institutions, and other employers.
She also began volunteer service as a teenager, leading the area in collecting scrap metal for the war effort. In recognition of her service, she was invited to christen a ship.
Virginia married Robert F. (“Bob”) Huestis of Fillmore, a veteran of that war, on October 11, 1951. They enjoyed 60 happy years together and raised three children. Dearly loved by her children and grandchildren, Virginia freely shared her time and treasure encouraging their interests, attending their many activities far and near, and making her home their favorite venue.
Ever active in the community, Virginia and Bob built the Fillmore Jaycees agri-cultural display at the Ventura County Fair in the 1950s. A long-time member of the First Presbyterian Church, she taught Sunday school, served meals to the bereaved, hosted many guests and events in their home, and served at countless wedding receptions.
In 1970, Virginia and Bob left the comforts of home and joined New Tribes Mission (now Ethnos 360) of Sanford, Florida, which specializes in evangelizing unreached people groups. After preparatory training in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Missouri, they spent five years in Papua New Guinea, where Bob was in charge of purchasing and shipping for mission personnel located in remote areas of the country and Virginia maintained the books and operated a guest house for mission personnel in the coastal town of Wewak.
Bob was diagnosed with a chronic form of leukemia and suffered a back injury while on furlough in 1978, resulting in their retirement from the mission. Virginia returned to the work force as a bookkeeper and later as a utilities clerk at Fillmore City Hall. They moved to Ventura in the late 1980s. She retired as a medical transcriptionist in the Pathology Department of Community Memorial Hospital in 2005.
They moved to Fairview, Kansas, in 2007 to live near son Sam and his wife Linda, who had just established a home there. As Bob’s health declined, Virginia was at his side constantly until his death in 2012, when she moved to Oak Harbor, Washington, to live with daughter Alice and her husband Jim. She enjoyed many visits from family from around the country and looked forward to heavenly reunions as Parkinson’s disease took its toll on her body.
Virginia will be missed by children Sam Huestis of Ventura and Fairview, Alice Mikos of Oak Harbor, and Margaret LaRue of Ventura; grand¬children Nathan Huestis, Ryan Huestis, Kimberlee Mikos, Matthew Mikos, Christina Mikos Anderson, Aimee LaRue Sywulka, Rachel LaRue Culver, and Bobby LaRue; and nine great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her firstborn, Robert Mitchell Huestis, and husband Bob.
Interment will be at the Leavenworth National Cemetery. The family requests that Virginia be remembered by gifts, acts of kindness, or service to someone in need in lieu of flowers.