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Squires, Virginia Ruth
February 10, 1923--
February 10, 2015
Virginia Squires was born Virginia Ruth Barbour on February 10, 1923. She was born in Tampico, Mexico, the daughter of American expatriates who worked for Standard Oil in the 1920's and 30's. At the age of 12, in 1935, she had the privilege of meeting Amelia Earhart at a lecture following aviatrix "Lady Lindy's" historic solo flight from LA to Mexico City.
In her teens, "Bunny", as she was affectionately known, explored by mule the active volcano field of the newly erupted cinder cone Paricutin, the first volcano ever to be studied by scientists from its birth to its death. She loved adventure. Virginia and her brother Robert came to the states in their late teenage years, settling in Texas with their mother.
Bunny was educated at the University of Texas at Austin, majoring in Latin American Studies and the Spanish language, but stopped school after three years to help support her mother and sibling. She was a renowned beauty, often mistaken for the movie stars of her time, especially Katherine Hepburn, with a radiant smile, infectious laugh, and innocent, elegant beauty.
She met her future husband, Lewis Walter Squires, on a blind date, and she remained his faithful wife through 42 years of further adventure as the wife of a naval officer and pilot. She and Lew heroically survived the devastating tsunami of 1946 in Hawaii, stopping their frantic escape from the rising water to help others survive. She was adept at organizing abrupt, frequent moves and was expert at managing her growing family, most of whom were born in different cities.
Bunny was blessed with, and is survived by, seven children, Robert, Linda, Catherine, Janet, Patricia, Richard and Roger. She was further blessed with eight wonderful and beautiful grandchildren and ten wonderful and beautiful great grandchildren. Her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren were her world, and we all will remember gratefully her unconditional devotion to her family and the love she radiated. She was a marvelous cook, sewed most of her young children's clothing, enjoyed tennis, traveling, wildlife (especially her beloved birds), and in her later years, took up piano. She loved Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata especially, but appreciated and enjoyed all varieties of music.
Bunny was an avid reader, and kept multiple journals listing titles, the date read, and short comments about the book. As her eyesight failed, she mastered the Ipad, listening to audio books and watching and listening to nature programs.
One of her dear friends described her as a "jeweled thimble of light in an increasingly darkening world". That she was.
Bunny was known for saying "I don't want to miss anything", and indeed she was actively involved in, and greatly enjoyed all aspects of her busy life.
Virginia died on February 10, 2015, on her 92nd birthday, surrounded by family, and blessed by many loving friends. She will be deeply missed.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
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