Virgie Tyrene Leal, 90, passed away on November 11, 2015 in Hawaiian Gardens, California. It is not possible to summarize her 90 years of life in just a few paragraphs. A life is not just measured by its accomplishments, but is distinguished by a person's experiences; the things that make them who they are, are etched in their spirit and shared with those around them. In her life, Virgie was a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a great-grandmother, a great-great-grandmother, and a friend. Virgie was born Virgie Tyrene Judkins on July 2, 1925 in Pocatello, Idaho, to George and Tyrene Judkins. She was the middle child of seven children: Lena, Leonard, Melvin, Hazel, Jay, and Beth. George drove a dump truck and supplemented their income during the Depression by selling cottontail rabbits he had shot. Tyrene would typically work as a seamstress for places like J.C. Penney's. Times were hard for the Judkins' and they moved around quite a bit, but never seemed to do better than homes consisting of merely three bedrooms. That allowed one room for her parents, another for the four girls to share, and the three boys would pile into the other. Though this would seem miserable to most of us, some of Virgie's fondest memories were of her childhood and playing with her siblings. Not having many possessions, she and her sisters would cut the models out of her mother's catalogs to make paper dolls. The Idaho winters were her favorite time. She and her brothers and sisters would have snowball fights and sled down the hills - they would spend their whole day playing outside. Unfortunately, childhood dissipated quickly in those days. Virgie left school a few weeks into her ninth grade year and moved to northern Idaho to live with her aunt. She was married by 16, and had her first child by the time she was 17 years old. Her son, David Lee Merrill, was born on February 14, 1943. Her marriage ended quickly and left Virgie with her first child and only son. She became a single mother and joined the workforce to support her family. She took jobs as a waitress, in a bakery (making and cutting bread), and in an ice cream factory. Four years after she was divorced, she met and married Frank Leal - she was 21 at the time. Their union was a fresh start of sorts. They stayed in Idaho for another year or so while Frank finished his refrigeration repair training at the university. He had served in World War II and was anxious to return home to California and rejoin the family dairy business. During this time, their first daughter, Tyrene Marie, was born on February 7, 1947. One month later, the Leal family left Idaho and moved to California. California life seemed to suit Virgie and she settled in rather easily. She and Frank would have two more daughters: Sharon Kay was born April 15, 1950; and Anita Faye rounded out the family of six on March 24, 1954. Life continued, and their children grew, married, and had children of their own. In March of 1978, after 32 years of marriage, Virgie and Frank divorced, and she began a new chapter of her life as an independent woman. Shortly after her divorce, Virgie bought a mobile home and moved into the Lakewood Mobile Estates in Hawaiian Gardens. She began working at Cerritos College in October of 1980 as a switchboard operator and remained employed there until she was 83 years old. She reveled in her independence and came to insist upon it until her final moments. Ever since their birth, Virgie's favorite past time was spending time with her grandchildren. She would often visit them or invite them over to her home for weekend sleepovers and swimming pool time. As the years passed and families moved further away, it became difficult for her to see them all, but she made every effort to keep in touch. As her grandchildren had their own children, Virgie would extend the same attention and lavish the same affection on her great-grandchildren. She maintained a youthful exuberance well into her 70's thanks to "keeping up" with the little ones she so lovingly surrounded herself with. To this day, her home still has toys on hand for when the children come over to visit and/or swim in the pool. Being with her family was one of her greatest pleasures and she rarely missed an opportunity to do so. Even those outside of family benefited from Virgie's caring nature. She made a point of offering assistance to anyone who may have needed it. Friends were treated as family, and she gave them all she could. Whether it was taking on cumbersome chores, easing burdens, offering advice, or even just companionship; Virgie wore her heart on her sleeve and always offered her shoulder to cry on and her spirit to lean on. She was a natural caretaker, a strong supporter, an ever-present ally, and a beautiful friend. In June 2013, Virgie was diagnosed with breast cancer and lymphoma. Though she was 87 at the time, she was determined to fight and live every second of life her body would give. Her spirit never wavered, and her lust for life was inspirational to all those who came into contact with her. She passed away in her home four short months after her 90th birthday, with her daughter, Anita at her side. Virgie spent nearly a century living and loving, failing and thriving at life. She gathered more than a lifetime's worth of experiences and lessons that served as milestones of her years. If there's one thing we should all learn from her life, it's that time should not be measured by what is produced in it, but by what stands the test of it. Virgie Leal spent her 90 years on this earth imparting a familial love and spirit to all those in her life - as a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a great-grandmother, a great-great-grandmother, and a friend - and that is everlasting.
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