“Goodbyes are not forever.
Goodbyes are not the end.
They simply mean I’ll miss you,
Until we meet again!
Remember to wish upon a star
My very special friend.”
-Jiminy Cricket
Musician and retired middle school counselor Virginia Grace Strickland’s love for life didn’t come to an end with her death. Ginia passed away on Monday May 3rd at the age of 80, after a long and courageous battle with cancer, surrounded by loved ones who will continue to honor her legacy by living their lives to the fullest.
Ginia is survived by her husband of 55 years, Marshall {Mark} Strickland; her two daughters Angela Marie Glatz and Jessica Grace King; her 5 grandchildren: Ilia Grace King {14}, Niana Faith King {12}, Alesia Marie Glatz {12}, Esme Juliette Glatz {10}, and Reiner Karl Marshall Glatz {6}; her two sisters Patricia Kuehlwein and Marcia Wilson.
Her light was born into this world in Los Angeles, CA. She lived most of her young life in Portland, OR. As an undergraduate she attended Wittman College in Walla Walla, WA, and later attended graduate school at University of Oregon receiving Masters in Education and Counseling. Ginia married Mark on July 2, 1966 in the Mt Hood National Forest. Shortly after, they moved to his hometown in NW Arkansas where they lived for over 15 years. She taught at Siloam Springs High School and both her daughters were born there.
Ginia and her family moved to the Oregon Coast in the Summer of 1981. She was the Middle School counselor at Waldport Middle School from 1982-1999 where she devoted herself to the wellbeing and uplifting of many students in challenging times in their lives.
Music was a major source of joy and devotion for Ginia throughout her entire life. She learned to play violin at a young age {her father conducted the Portland Junior Symphony}, and she was active in performing professionally & casually on a continual basis in every community she lived in. She was a founding member of Newport Symphony Orchestra, where she played as 2nd violinist for over 20 years. And she was a founding member of Sea Strings Quartet, bringing beautiful chamber music to many weddings and events. Ginia played for countless plays, productions and venues on the Oregon Coast, Corvallis, Monmouth, Portland, in NW Arkansas and even throughout many cities in Europe. She was a proud member of Porthole Players, Red Octopus, Western Oregon State University Orchestra, Oregon Chamber Players of Portland, and the Corvallis Waldorf School music program, to name but a few. Her favorite way to play music in her later years was with her grandchildren.
Ginia had a passion for traveling. Her excellent map reading and internal navigation system were impressive to many. She never really got lost and had a joy for adventure. Her favorite places were Salzburg and Prague in Europe, Lake Louise in Canada, and any and every mountain stream with small waterfalls she could find. Taking day hikes and going on camping trips in her Casita with Mark and family and friends were some of her very favorite things to do.
She was a talented swimmer – a registered life guard and competitive synchronized swimmer and diver in her youth. She continued to swim for fun throughout her life and always had a strong attraction to water. She loved walking by the Pacific Ocean, and loved to kayak in lakes and rivers. One of her favorite places to be was sitting by a waterfall or mountain stream with a picnic, enjoying the gurgling, splashing water and beautiful scenery while eating Cheetos and sipping on tea.
As an avid gardener, Ginia loved planting, nurturing and watching things grow in her garden – herbs, vegetables, flowers, houseplants – she truly had a very green thumb. She often remarked on how much she loved butterflies, daffodils, trilliums and she loved to share the bounty of her gardening efforts with friends and neighbors.
Many of Ginia’s family and friends were the recipients of another of her great talents: knitting and quilting. It meant so much to her to create something unique for her loved ones that would keep them warm or comfort them. She could often be seen with knitting needles in her hands, or collecting fun fabrics for the 2-3 quilts she was always planning. Her blessings will continue to comfort us as we remember her kindness, wrapped in a beautiful quilt or a cozy cable-knit.
She got pure joy from being supportive, never needing to be in the lime light, she was a harmonizer through and through. Ginia was the best at showing compassionate thoughtfulness. A treasured example of this: she had a huge list of birthdays and special dates for everyone she knew. It’s likely that most of you reading this have received cards from her in your mail box – a rare treat in this digital era.
Ginia was an eternal optimist who was always encouraging the best in others. Her legacy of light and love will live on through her loved ones as we strive to follow our joys and show each other compassion and thoughtfulness in our own special ways as a continual honoring of her.
At her request, no funeral services will be held and no flowers need be sent. She preferred that a fund be set up to support the Newport Symphony Orchestra’s youth scholarship and endowment programs. Please feel free to give in her name via the link on this site.
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