Virginia M. (Dempsey) Woods Meyer, age 98, died Friday, Oct. 22, 2021, attended by family, having lived her years to the fullest. She passed out of this life in the same way as she lived it, on her own terms.
Virginia was born to Ward L. Dempsey and Gladys M. (Dissmore) Dempsey on July 2, 1923, in Clarkston. She had two siblings, older sister, Marjorie, and younger sister, Margaret Jane. The young family moved around, living at various times in Lewiston and Kamiah before settling in Grangeville.
Virginia was a very talented pianist, having begun lessons at age six. Her parents gave her a Baldwin baby grand piano for her eighth-grade graduation. She only reluctantly parted with it when she moved into a retirement community in Spokane.
Virginia attended high school in Grangeville, making good friendships that she maintained throughout her life. She went on to college at the University of Idaho and was a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority. She graduated with a degree in home economics and began an early career. She taught school in Oregon, and traveled throughout Idaho as a home economist for Washington Water Power Company.
In January of 1948, she married Ivan D. Woods, a Grangeville classmate, and they lived at different times in Moscow, Seattle and Grangeville. Placing her career on hold, they raised three sons, Stephen, Mark and Lee Woods. She and Ivan divorced in 1980.
When Virginia’s oldest son began high school, she went back to work teaching home economics at Grangeville High School. As a teacher, she touched the lives of many students and was, on occasion, a mentor. At that time, according to Virginia, female teachers were paid less than their male peers because “they were not the family bread winner.” The entrenched unfairness of this attitude motivated her to earn a master’s degree in home economics at the University of Idaho and begin teaching as an assistant professor at Montana State University in Bozeman. Later she moved on to Washington state, becoming a cooperative extension agent and chairman in Asotin County, before transferring to Davenport, Wash., to become the county agent in Lincoln County until her retirement in July 1985.
Virginia was a lifelong learner and retirement was a renewal for her. She traveled extensively, but travel needed to be educational, not frivolous. Traveling — often with Elderhostel tours which at that time provided workshops and educational experiences all over the U.S. and Europe — she made many friends.
In 1989, Virginia married James H. Meyer, another former Grangeville classmate, in Spokane and moved to Davis, Calif. They divorced in 1993 and she moved back to Spokane, a community she truly enjoyed.
Her desire to share her family history, travel experiences and point of view on life led her to get serious about a life long interest — writing. Writing became her passion. She joined a writing class in Spokane which developed into a supportive writing group and led her to completing increasingly accomplished pieces. She was a published author — of particular note, a history of the Kamiah area, “Peaceful Valley;” and “Tough Enough, Twenty-five Years in Hells Canyon.”
After moving to the Touchmark retirement community near Meridian, Idaho, she continued her interest in writing and started a writers group for residents. She enjoyed many friends in the Touchmark community and was known to be an instigator of the glass of wine before dinner social group. But it was only one very small glass of wine for her. Her motto was “all things in moderation.”
Virginia had one failing that her family, friends and sometimes employers would give her grief about — she was almost always late ... Perhaps most famously, she caused one of her sons to be late for his own wedding.
Virginia had an incredible constitution, overcoming numerous serious health complications over the years including a broken hip at age 96. She hoped to reach 100 years and had even told her sons the week before she passed, “I’m not done yet!”
She was preceded in death by her parents, Ward and Gladys Dempsey; her sisters, Margaret Jane (Fred) Humphreys and Marjorie (Woodrow) Fitch; her son Lee M. Woods; and infant granddaughter Rebecca Ann Woods. Also preceding her in death were former husbands Ivan Woods and James Meyer.
She is survived by sons Stephen (Peggy) Woods, grandsons Jesse Woods and Jeffrey Woods, and granddaughters Lexi and Charlotte; son Mark (Joyce) Woods, granddaughter Nichole Woods, grandson Will (Tara) Woods, and great-grandson Grayson; daughter-in-law Annie Woods, granddaughter Mackenzie (Daniel Ibarra) Woods, great-grandsons Marshall and Augustine; and grandson Dace (Cassie) Woods, great-granddaughters Addison and Ellee, and great-grandson Truett.
A family memorial service will be organized for a future date.
