Virginia Pugh

Virginia "Ginny" Wightman Pugh born September 29, 1933 in Patterson, New Jersey, to
parents Everett and Grace Wightman passed away on February 24,2010 in her home in
Mission, Kansas after a lengthy battle with breast cancer.
Virginia grew up in New Jersey and loved spending summers at the family cottage in
Maine. She was the first girl on the junior rifle team and led her team to some victories
giving her an "Annie Oakley" reputation. She went to college at Bucknell University in
Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, majoring in social science and psychology. She was a member
of the Pi Beta Phi sorority. While at college, her older brother, Bob introduced her to his
University of Rochester roommate, David Pugh, and a lifelong romance began. They
were married in 1955 and lived in New Haven, Connecticut, Bethesda, Maryland, and
Seattle, Washington during David's training as a cardiologist. Ginny worked as a social
worker. In 1964, the family, now with three children, Laurie, Cathy and Daniel moved to
Kansas City where David was a professor of cardiology at Kansas University Medical
Center.
Virginia lived a life characterized by giving and seeing the best in others. She has been a
long term member of Village Presbyterian Church in Prairie Village, Kansas, serving as a
Deacon, Elder, and a program director for Village Church Women, and she was a
member of the church choir. She has long been active at the Kansas University Medical
Center with the Women's Auxiliary and has volunteered for many years as a Patient
Representative. She earned her Masters degree in Social Welfare from Kansas
University. She enjoyed being involved in many family activities such as cooking,
leading Girl Scouts, camping and skiing. Her family has been blessed by having such a
caring wife, mother, mother-in-law and grandmother. A favorite quote of Ginny's is
"love is so powerful- give it unconditionally." She had a strong faith in a loving,
forgiving God. Ginny had numerous strong friendships, whether they had been friends
for decades or minutes. She did not know a stranger.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Everett and Grace Wightman, and her beloved
husband David Milton Pugh. She is survived by her daughter Laurie Dahms and her
husband David and their children, Kiersten, Bryan, Jesse, and Daniel of Palmer, Alaska;
daughter Catherine Pugh of Mission Kansas, and son, Daniel Pugh and his wife Laura
and their children, Eric and Sarah, of Columbia, Missouri; brother, Robert Wightman of
Utopia, Texas, and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, great-nieces and great nephews.
She also leaves behind an exceptional group of devoted friends.
A memorial service will be held at The Village Presbyterian Church at 6641 Mission
Road, Prairie Village, Kansas at 3:00 p.m. Friday, March 5, 2010. In lieu of flowers the family suggests donations be made to the Village Presbyterian Church or to the charity of your choice. Fond memories and condolences for the family may be left at www.dwnewcomers.com. Arr: D.W. Newcomer’s Sons Overland Park Chapel. 8201 Metcalf, Overland Park, KS 66204

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