Virginia Elizabeth Chambers

Virginia Elizabeth Chambers

Virginia Elizabeth Chambers died in comfort and peace with family at her side at Overlake Hospital December 11th, five days after suffering a stroke. She was born December 16, 1926, in Salina, Kansas, to Lillian Elizabeth (Stoll) and William Tyson Beazley. Virginia was smart, fun loving, proudly liberal, a loving and attentive matriarch, teacher and friend to many.

Upon graduating from Lindenwood College in 1947, Virginia accepted a fellowship to the UW Sociology Department. In 1948, she obtained her MA and married Robert (Bud) Lincoln Hertzler of the UW Dept. of Journalism. They moved to Vancouver B.C. for two years where Bud headed British United Press and she was a social worker for Catholic Children's Aid. When they returned, Virginia became assistant controller at the Seattle YWCA, and Bud worked first for the Seattle Times and then United Control Corporation. They had two children, Robert (1953-1982), and Gretchen (1957- ) and a home in View Ridge. Bud was killed in an auto accident in 1961. VIrginia's mother moved out from Kansas to help her. Friends and neighbors, Betty & Jimmy King, seeing a match, introduced her to Roger Chambers, Boeing engineer, inventor, Navy pilot, and great dancer. They were married in 1963. They designed a house on Lake Washington in Bellevue and moved the family there in 1965. Virginia loved her lakefront home. Here she raised her children, cared for her mother and grandchild, gave wonderful dinner parties, played piano, watched the weather and wildlife on the water, and grew roses. She never left it, choosing to live there independently after Roger's death in 2009.

In her teaching career, Virginia taught at schools of all levels, including Acorn Academy, Shoreline CC, The Overlake School, and the UW. She volunteered as an ESL instructor. After specialized training at BCC and Seattle U in the early 70s, she tutored children in reading, math and spelling.

Virginia loved the arts and subscribed to the theaters, SAM, and Seattle Opera, of which she and Roger were charter members. She traveled in Europe and Asia. She enjoyed playing bridge, especially with her old View Ridge friends.

To her final day, two communities were of profound importance to Virginia: The East Shore Unitarian Church and Chapter A of the Seattle PEO Sisterhood. Virginia became an active member of PEO when her mother, also a PEO, arrived from Kansas. Enduring friendships ensued. At East Shore, she contributed most effort to the Gallery Committee on which she served with dear friends since 1967. In recent years, she greatly enjoyed her Covenant Circle.

Virginia's devotion to kin and friends and the love they returned sustained her through terrible loss and illness. Also, her appetite for fun always came back. She turned small excursions into adventure, especially with her granddaughter, who shares her sociability. Virginia is survived by her daughter, Gretchen Chambers, son-in-law William Ames, granddaughter Ava Virginia Ames (20), and, in CA, the family of her cherished older brother, Tyson.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, January 12, 2013, at 2:00 p.m. at the East Shore Unitarian Church.

The family thanks the physicians and nursing staff of Overlake Hospital for their informed and tender care of Virginia.