Virginia Holes Beattie

1928 – 2015

It is with sad hearts that we announce Virginia “Dadie” Beattie’s passing the morning of August 30, 2015. Virginia died of natural causes; she was surrounded by family.

Virginia was born on June 14th, 1928, in St. Cloud, Minnesota, daughter of Ariel and Wilbur Holes, and sister to Bill, Jim, and Elizabeth—“Peachy.”.

She grew up in St. Cloud, attended the Walker Art School and graduated from the University of Minnesota. She spent summers working as a waitress at Yellowstone, Cedar Point Lodge in Ohio, and Grandview Lodge in Minnesota, enjoying hiking and the outdoors.

After college, she became a stewardess for United Airlines, serving the New York and California routes. During this time, she lived in the Magnolia neighborhood of Seattle where she was chosen to be a Seafair Princess during the summer of 1952. It was in Seattle (Mercer Island) that she met her husband Flavel “Buzz” B. Beattie Jr., eventual president of F. B .Beattie and Co. Buzz and Virginia married in the summer of 1955. They lived in London for a year, traveling the continent, before returning to Mercer Island where they raised their children, Jay and Mandy. A stay-at-home-mom, Virginia spent many mornings driving Mandy to skating lessons before dawn, baking bread, and cooking dinners, including, to the dismay of her children, Christmas Eve oyster stew. Christmas morning gifts helped erase the memory of the stew the night before!

Summers were spent at cabins on Big Sand Lake and in St. Cloud, MN with extended family who she loved; or traveling around the U.S. in the family “RV”. Regular days were spent walking with neighbors, swimming, or playing bridge with friends.

Virginia and Buzz divorced in 1988, while Jay and Mandy attended Macalester College in Minnesota. A few years later, Virginia moved to Tucson, and years after, Phoenix. While living in Arizona, Virginia enjoyed extensive travel, visiting 50 countries, and spending time with family members overseas. She had a passion for cruises and was a frequent passenger on the Crystal Cruise Line where she loved to dance. An aspiring interior designer, her Tucson house was featured in the Arizona Daily Star.

After a difficult summer in 2003, Virginia returned to a beautiful condominium on Mercer Island where she lived for the last 12 years of her life. Sadly, she was preceded in death by her daughter, Mandy, who died in July, 2004.

Virginia is survived by her son Jay Beattie, his wife, Jessica, and granddaughters Emelie Beattie and Alexandra Olivo, her sister Elizabeth “Peachy” Baumgartner, and devoted caretaker and friend, Kari Hess. The cheerful, humble way Virginia greeted each day, her sense of humor, strength, and love of all people and creatures, will be missed. Virginia was known to say, “Life can be hard, but people make up for it.”

We love you and we will see you again someday. Love your family—everywhere.

A celebration of Virginia’s life will be held on October 10th, 2015 in Seattle. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Humane Society in memory of Virginia.