Virginia Irene Richards

Virginia Irene Jones was born December 1, 1931, in Kansas City, Kansas, the oldest child of Gilbert and Erma Jones. She attended elementary schools in Topeka, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri. In 1943, her family moved to Oregon and settled in LaGrande. She graduated from LaGrande High School in 1949.

After high school, she stayed in LaGrande to attend Eastern Oregon College (now EOU) to study pre-nursing. She went on to receive a BS in Nursing at the University of Oregon Nursing School (now OHSU) in 1954.

She continued her education in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she learned to administer anesthesia and ultimately became a member of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists. She worked for a brief time in Chicago before returning to Portland to work at different hospitals, including Holladay Park, Good Samaritan, and Vancouver Memorial.

She married Edward Richards in 1963, putting her career on pause to raise their four children. After raising her family, she returned to nursing and worked at various nursing homes in the area.

In her retirement, she was the grandmother of six grandchildren, supporting each in their educational journeys. She was a longtime member of the Madeline community, where she attended Mass regularly, served on the Altar Society, and attended various Bible study classes throughout the years. Her faith was a central part of her life and remained strong to the end of her time here on Earth.

She is survived by her four children: Douglas of Happy Valley, OR, Gary of Los Angeles, CA, Janice of Beaverton, OR, and David and his wife Beth of Gorham, ME; and her six grandchildren.

The funeral mass for Virginia will be held at 1:00 pm Monday, November 1st at The Madeleine Parish, 3123 NE 24th Ave, Portland, OR 97212. There will be a viewing prior to mass at the church, from 12:00 to 12:30.

Following the church service, she will be laid to rest at 3:00 pm at Lincoln Memorial Cemetery in SE Portland. All are welcome.