Virginia D. (Hoyt) Daniels, 87

Virginia D. (Hoyt) Daniels, 87, loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt and friend passed away Jan. 4, 2018, in Spokane.

Virginia was born on March 8, 1930, in William County, North Dakota, to Kenneth and Mildred Hoyt. The family later moved to Ferndale near Bigfork where she grew up and graduated from Bigfork High School. Virginia attended Montana State University where she studied hard to receive her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree.Nov. 15, 1952, she received her certificate from the Montana State Board of Nurse Examiners. Duly qualified to practice professional nursing, she was entitled to be “styled and known” as a registered nurse.

While working in Great Falls, she spotted a tall guy and told her friends, “That’s the guy I am going to marry,” which she did … twice! — Once for the Air Force and once for her mom and dad back in Ferndale. Virginia was the beloved and dedicated Air Force wife of Robert L. “Bob” Daniel; they were married for almost 54 years.

Virginia was known for her honesty, sincerity, kindness and devotion to God and commitment to family. She loved to tinker and was never afraid to fix and repair anything around the house — a gift she certainly got from her dad. She was so content in her life and never seemed to want for anything. She was thrifty, maybe a trait of her mother, and so she loved the excitement of a Saturday morning yard sale spree. Then there was that never-ending love of quilting, crocheting, knitting and sewing. In fact, the Ferndale Sewing Circle was a big part of her world after she retired from nursing.

There was a lot of traveling being the wife of a service man as evident from the list of at least 24 former home addresses. While raising her children, she worked and volunteered as a school nurse and school librarian. Following Bob’s retirement the family settled in Glasgow, where she was able to re-establish her nursing career working full time for the local hospital. Later moving to Spokane in 1977, she began working at Regency South and later transitioned to Sacred Heart nursing home facilities caring for the elderly.

When she finally retired, she and Bob traveled across the country in their travel trailer visiting family and friends. They later moved back to her homestead in Ferndale in 1992. Then in 2007 she moved back to Spokane, when Bob passed away.

Virginia was a devoted mother of three children, Aaron Daniel, born in Morocco, and Teresa and Hoyt Daniel, both born in Great Falls.

Virginia is survived by her children, Aaron (Sue) of Anchorage Alaska, Teresa of Spokane, and Hoyt of Burlington, North Carolina; seven grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren; sister-in-law, Marion Hoyt, of Ferndale; brother-in-law, Phillip Daniel (Ginny), of Denver; and sister-in-law, Dortha, of Denver.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert “Bob”; brother, Lyle Hoyt, formerly of Ferndale; and father and mother, Kenneth and Mildred Hoyt.

Family and friends will gather for a memorial service at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 11, at Heritage Funeral Home in Spokane.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Horizon Hospice & Palliative Care – Spokane, 123 W. Cascade Way, Spokane, WA 99208. (509) 489-4581, www.horizonhospice.com