Virginia Germaine Purdy

Virginia Germaine PURDY Virginia Germaine Purdy, age 87, died peacefully on Sunday, September 26, 2010 at Stafford Suites in Kent, Washington. She was born May 10, 1923, to the late Baptiste and Madelena Ameny on their family farm in Kent, Washington where Mitzel's Restaurant and Holiday Inn are now located. She attended grade school in Kent and during her youth, she helped her parents by working at her family's vegetable and fruit stalls on their property and at Pike's Place Market. She graduated from Kent High School in 1941. In 1944, Virginia moved to Corpus Christi, Texas where she was united in marriage to Elsworth Leroy Purdy on March 4 of that year. While living in Corpus Christi, Virginia worked as an x-ray technician and her husband served in the U.S. Navy. She and Lee each owned their own airplanes and she became the first woman in Texas to receive a commercial pilot's license. Lee's service in the military took the couple to Memphis, Tennessee before they returned to Kent. They opened a record store and television repair business before Lee began a career with Boeing and Virginia took up pottery as a hobby which led to floral arranging. In 1981, Virginia purchased Valee Floral in Kent and designed flowers there for over 20 years. She was also a national floral judge and floral design teacher. Virginia was an active member in the Rotary Club of Kent, Soroptimist Club of Kent, the Horseshoe Club, the Kent Chamber of Commerce, the PTA and she volunteered for the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of America. She was recently honored by the Kent Historical Society for her contributions to the community. Virginia is survived by her son, Robert Purdy and his wife, Marilee of Houston, Texas; her daughter, Linda Purdy of Covington, Washington; her granddaughters, Jessica Crumpacker of Maple Valley, Washington, Ginger Defedericis of Covington, Washington and Stephanie Turpin of Covington, Washington; her grandson, Chase Purdy of Houston, Texas; her step-granddaughters, Angela Naccarato of Houston, Texas and Tania Laird Aoyama of Honolulu, Hawaii and ten great-grandchildren. She is predeceased by her husband, Elsworth Leroy Purdy and a grandson, James Leroy Purdy. Services will be held at 10:30 am on Thursday, September 30, 2010 at Marlatt Funeral Home, 713 Central Ave. N, Kent, WA 98032, (253) 852-2620. Place of internment will be Hillcrest Burial Park, 1005 Reiten Road, Kent, WA 98030. The family would like to express their gratitude to the staff of Stafford Suites in Kent for the kindness they showed to Virginia and to thank the staff and residents for their friendship. Sign Virginia's on line guest book at www.Legacy.com/seattletimes.