Virginia Marie Kesthely

Virginia M. Kesthely

Born January 23, 1929 and welcomed into Eternal Life on September 27, 2025.

Born to Cecil and Marie (Straugh) Franklin, Virginia was preceded in death by her parents and all her siblings: Alberta Cristano, Georganna McAllister, Cecil Franklin, Earl Franklin, Arthur Franklin, and Marion Best.

Virginia was married on August 19, 1950 to Lawrence Kesthely who also preceded her in death in 2010. Virginia is survived by her two children, Karmel (Leo) Sowers of Cocoa, Florida and Scott Kesthely of Rochester Hills, Michigan. She is also survived by 3 grandsons, Leo Sowers III of Fayetteville, Tennessee; Travis Sowers of Denver Colorado; and Shane Kesthely of Rochester Hills, Michigan.

Virginia was a successful Amway distributor for over 55 years. When her husband could no longer work due to a medical disability, the Amway business provided the sole support for the family. She also served her community by leading a Blue Bird and Cub Scout groups for her children. She was also the glue that held her Franklin family together as the driving force behind family reunions. As the tail end of 7 children, her parents couldn't decide on a name so Virginia had the unique experience of choosing her own name before starting school.

Words to describe Virginia include feisty and generous with her time with friends and family. As a senior citizen, Virginia would often observe her January birthday by taking a sled down the steep hill of her street with her best friend. When neighbors and friends could no longer drive, Virginia was always the first to volunteer to drive. She demonstrated her love for her family by caring for her husband for 53 years after his multiple sclerosis diagnosis in 1957. She loved a good party or get together and enjoyed hosting "The Gang" for pinnacle parties. As the last of "the gang" to cross into Eternity, they are all playing cards again – picking up right where they left off. She also had a travel bug – traveling with her daughter on a cross-country train trip in 2012 from Pontiac to the Grand Canyon to Los Angeles and to San Jose, California.

Virginia will be missed by her friends and family but especially by her son who was her primary caregiver these last few years. She often wondered what she did to deserve such caring children – she raised her children with respect and good values. She was always a Christian and strongly believed that she would spend Eternity with the Lord, always smiling and laughing.