Virginia Houze

Virginia Vivienne Houze, nee Sorter, passed away peacefully at the age of 89 on Nov. 17, 2012 in Surprise, Arizona. Ginny was born in Springdale, Ohio on April 12, 1923 to Rose Douglas Sorter and Frank Andrew Sorter. She spent her childhood in Springdale, graduating from Mt. Healthy High School in 1941. She began a nursing program at Deaconess Hospital, but left upon her marriage to William Cunningham Houze to begin the adventure of being the wife of an Army Air Corp pilot during WWII. After the war, they raised their 6 children in Springdale and Glendale, Ohio. Bill’s work also took them to Scottsdale, AZ and Southern CA where Ginny fulfilled her lifelong dream of being a Registered Nurse. Ginny, bill and their son Geoff owned W. C. Houze & Co., an executive search firm. They retired to AZ where Bill preceded his Ginger in death in 2002. Ginny enjoyed reading, puzzling, traveling through Europe, making lists, gardening, politics, tools, jazz and making a lovely home for her family. She valued education for herself and her children. Proper grammar, punctuation and spelling were important to her, thus the dinnertime tutoring. She was a whiz at Jeopardy. Ginny loved her high heels, manicures, restaurants, cats and driving the convertible she won at age 85, continuing her lucky streak. She leaves behind her children Will (Lyn), Judy Land O’Brien, Stephen (Susan), Nancy Hume (Graham), Victor (Laverne) and Geoffry (Barbara). In addition, she had 18 grandchildren and 28 great grandchildren and 5 great great grandchildren as well as her sister Evelyn Coad and brother Frank Sorter, Jr. (Wanda). The service will be held Dec. 14, 2012, 2:30 pm at the National Memorial Cemetery of AZ in Cave Creek. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Hospice of the Valley Fund Development, 1510 E. Flower St., Phoenix, AZ 85014-5656 or www.hov.org/donate.