Virginia F. Noble Holt

1915 -2010 Virginia was the youngest of five children raised in the small town of Mott, ND. Summers were spent swimming and jumping off of the bridge on the Cannonball River; snowy winters were spent curled up with a book. She was on the honor roll in High School and after graduation she and a friend went to college in Portland. She later moved to San Francisco to continue her education, but on her way to class she saw a poster for Red Cross volunteers, signed up and served in Guam and New Caledonia 1944 - 1945. After the war she worked briefly in Los Angeles before moving back to Sausalito. She loved the Bay area and spent her early adult years, enjoying friends, playing bridge and dancing the nights away to the big bands. During this time she met her husband, John Holt, and started their family of four girls in Concord, CA. before moving south to Whittier, CA. Virginia worked as a librarian, a bookkeeper, and after studying library science at Fullerton State, as the librarian for Instructional Materials for Lowell Joint School District. She retired to Santa Cruz, and traveled in Europe and Asia before joining two of her daughters in Arcata, CA in 1998. Virginia was deeply engaged in civic and political life wherever she lived. As the VP of the League of Women Voters in Concord, she lived what she believed: that we must be informed voters. She had a wonderful talent for surrounding herself with intelligent and interesting people, and she loved nothing more than getting together with family and friends for a good discussion. She was intolerant of intolerance, and always mindful of those less fortunate. She laughed easily, and loved geography, golf, babies, and books. She gave the coziest hugs, smiled sweetly, left us the blessing of wonderful memories, and will be missed tremendously. Virginia is survived by her four daughters and their families: Sue "Penny" Holt and Ed Saunders, of Arcata, CA, Leslie and Scott Dupree of San Diego, CA, Kate and John Monahan of Arcata, CA, Jennifer and Jim Dwyer of Montclair, NJ. She was very proud of her five grandchildren who are all avid readers: Kyle and Andrew Dupree, Emi Monahan, and Brendan and Ian Dwyer The family would like to thank the Arcata community and many friends for extending their hearts and families to include our Mom in her final years. A special thanks to the wonderful caregivers and friends at Timber Ridge in McKinleyville and Eureka, and a note of gratitude to the outstanding staff at Hospice for their support and guidance through these precious final months. Please consider donations to Hospice of Humboldt and the Light House of the North Coast. Support your Local Libraries and small Independent Book Stores. Family and friends are invited to a celebration of her life on Sunday Oct 24th from 2:00 to 5:00PM at 1165 15th St, Arcata, Ca. Please sign the guest book at www.Times-Standard.com, click obits.