Virginia O. WHITEHOUSE

WHITEHOUSE, Virginia O. Virginia Ofsthun Whitehouse passed away Sunday, December 14, 2014 in Spokane at the age of 96. She was born to C.O. Ofsthun and Vendla West Ofsthun in Cyrus, Minnesota. She was the fifth of seven children in the family. Virginia is survived by two children, Pamela Whitehouse Hess and husband, Rob, of Olympia, WA and John Whitehouse, wife Colleen, residing in Mesquite, Nevada and granddaughter Alison residing in Olympia. Virginia was preceded in death by her husband Bruce Thorburne Whitehouse in 2008. Virginia graduated from Morris College in Minnesota and lived and worked in the Twin Cities before taking a secretarial position for the Navy in Wahpeton, North Dakota where she met her future husband, Bruce, who was stationed there. The young couple married there in 1943, and after the war they settled in Spokane where Bruce had grown up. Bruce's father became the well-known architect of St. John's Cathedral in Spokane where Virginia gifted years of volunteer service during her lifetime. In Spokane, Virginia worked in administration at St. George's Preparatory School during its earliest years, where she loved working because the offices were in the Louis Davenport mansion on his summer estate which became St. George's school. Of the many loved and energetic service endeavors that provided Virginia her focus, a favorite was the time she and husband Bruce served as international advisors in the Up With People organization. They were then able to follow their daughter Pamela during her travel and performing throughout the world with Up With People. In retirement, Virginia and Bruce both gave a great amount of love and energy to the needs and services of their church, The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Spokane. Virginia was a significant part of the founding of the Cathedral Bookstore and Gift Shop. She poured her time into imagining the inventory and then staffing it with herself and other church members along the way. Her energy and the success of the store were linked -- she loved the travel to seek new inventory and gift offerings relevant to a Cathedral "church" store. She then turned the profits over to the Cathedral's many programs and areas of greatest need. Finally, in retirement, the Whitehouses loved to travel and especially enjoyed wintering in Kauai where they made many friends and played golf daily. After Bruce's death, Virginia continued her travels in company with her daughter Pamela and her husband Rob. She spent her 91st through 94th birthdays with them in Princeville, HI where beautiful memories were created. A Memorial Service will be held Saturday, December 27, 2014 at 10:00 am at The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, 127 E. 12th Ave., Spokane. In lieu of flowers memorial gifts may be sent to St. John's Cathedral.