Viola A. Chihuly's Obituary
Viola A. ChihulyViola A. Chihuly passed away on Wednesday, January 4, 2006 in her home in Tacoma, WA. She was born in 1908 in Spokane, WA and relocated to Tacoma, WA when she was in her twenties.She met George Chihuly in Tacoma and married him in the early 30Â's. They had two sons, George and Dale, who were both born in Tacoma. Viola was a proud and hardworking mother who raised her family on both Lawrence Street and on 33rd Street in the north end of Tacoma. She was the head of the PTA for Franklin Grade School where both George and Dale attended school.Her children remember her amazing cooking and baking. She gardened, sewed, and enjoyed a busy life as a wife, mother, and homemaker. She loved the company of her women friends who she fondly called Â"The GangÂ". She enjoyed entertaining at home and hosted many parties for friends and relatives. She maintained close relationships with her siblings and their spouses including Coy and Mary Magnuson, Eldon Magnuson, Naomi Cyr, and Harold and Marie Magnuson from Wenatchee. Both her husbandÂ's family on the Chihuly side and her side of the family, The MagnusonÂ's, enjoyed her sense of humor, her generosity and her wit.Her son Dale remembers a welcoming and loving home life, always feeling comfortable to drop in with his fellow artists and friends. As a high school student, all of his friends liked to hang out at Â"MomÂ's House.Â" Many of DaleÂ's artist friends from the Pilchuk Glass School remember ViolaÂ's incredible hospitality.Viola lost both her son, George Windsor, and her husband, George S. Chihuly, tragically in the 50Â's. She went on to support herself and her son and insisted that she send her son, Dale Patrick, to college and encouraged his travels. In later years, she enjoyed trips with Dale to Europe. Dale bought her a ticket on the SS France to meet him while he was on a Fulbright Scholarship so that they could travel the continent together.During the last decade or more, she has been cared for by a loyal and steadfast group of caregivers who loved her deeply. These strong and caring women gave Viola loving and nurturing care.Viola is survived by her son, Dale Patrick Chihuly, his wife Leslie Jackson Chihuly and her grandson Jackson Viola Chihuly. Her sister Naomi Cyr currently lives in California with her daughter Meriel and granddaughter, Kari. She will be deeply missed by friends and family including many loving cousins on both the Magnuson and Chihuly sides of her family.Private services will be held for her on Sunday, January 8, 2006.The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorials be donated to either the Â"Viola Chihuly Memorial FundÂ" at the Museum of Glass in Tacoma or Â"The Hilltop Artists and Residence ProgramÂ" also located in Tacoma, WA.
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