Virginia Kay Wattles

1939 - 2025

Virginia Kay Wattles

February 26, 1939 - January 30, 2025

Virginia Kay Wattles (Bunny) was born in Kearney, Neb. on February 26, 1939, to Vern and Verna Gard. She peacefully passed away in Scottsdale, Ariz. on Thursday, January 30, 2025. We lost a creative spirit on that day. She was surrounded by many of her paintings and her easel near by.

The youngest of four, she loved being with her family "more than anything in the world." Her nickname, "Bunny" was given to her when she was a little girl by the family doctor who thought she was as, "cute as a bunny." As a child, her mother often found her curled up with a book and a favorite dog while her siblings were loudly playing. From the time she was tiny, until her death, her favorite pastime was drawing everything around her. She spent hours observing much-loved animals, people, and nature with her sketchbook and pencil in hand. She was always intrigued by an incredible sky or the shapes of beautiful color in the world she lived. These serious pastimes were evident all of her life and led to her career in Visual Arts. She was a Nebraska artist who made sure her study of art reflected mastery of technique, talent, and taste. She inspired many students over the years and left a legacy of art to live on.

Virginia earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree and a Master of Arts in Education from the University of Nebraska/Kearney. Her twenty-seven years of teaching were mostly at Kearney High School. During those years, she kept her hand in the art world, participating in regional and national art exhibitions, which generated sales to many corporate, private, and collegiate collections. She earned the Nebraska Art Teacher of the Year and Artist of the Year award, along with becoming a signature member of the Pastel Society of America and the Society of Portrait Artists.

She published a book of her art a few years ago which shows some of her paintings of over forty years of her professional life. There are over 400 paintings in her archive. They offer views of the people in Nebraska and cowboys of the Southwest, the West and Colorado. There were also the many landscapes of Nebraska and Arizona, wildlife, pets, flowers, and many portraits of Kearney people. She and her husband, Melvin lived most of their lives in Nebraska, and several years were spent in Arizona. Her work documents that.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Melvin D. Wattles; grandson, Grant Urbom; sisters, Marilyn Wattles and Carol Sanders; brother, James Gard; and parents Vern and Verna Gard.

She is survived by her son, Todd M. Johnson (Vanda) of St. David, Maine; her step-daughter, Kelli Wattles of Fountain Hills, Ariz.; granddaughter, Kate Salokorpi of Portland, Ore.; grandson, Alex Urbom of Los Angeles; niece and nephews; and of course her beloved scottish terrier, Angus.

A memorial in Kearney is being planned for a future date. The newspaper will be notified.