Virginia Lee Dyck

May 30, 1924 - July 6, 2021

Topeka: Virginia Lee (Duff) Dyck, 97, passed away on July 6, 2021 at her home in Aldersgate Village of Topeka. She was grateful for a good life and felt blessed with a wonderful family and much love. Virginia was born May 30, 1924, in Newton, Kansas, the daughter of Albert LaRue Duff and Eva G. (Wilcox) Duff. She graduated from Newton High School and attended Phillips University in Enid, Oklahoma.

Virginia was united in marriage with Theodore (Ted) Earl Dyck on July 7, 1945 in San Francisco, California, where Ted was stationed in the U.S. Navy. After Armistice was declared, the newlyweds returned to Kansas where together they raised four children: Robert (Mary Leigh) Dyck, Marilyn (Bernard) Bianchino, Kathryn (Steve) Hund, and Susan (Thomas) Wellborn. Virginia was an active homemaker serving home-cooked meals, volunteering as Girl Scout Leader, leading various church groups, and organizing family vacations each year to Minnesota. When asked, Virginia exclaimed, ‘my children were my hobby!’ and she always put the needs of family first.

Ted’s career took them to Chicago where they enjoyed new friends and life in the city. Virginia worked at Elmhurst College until her husband went on medical disability and they moved to Lake of the Ozarks. Now the grandchildren were visiting GramDude (their pet name for Virginia) to eat cookies and splash in her lake!

After Ted passed in December of 1983, Virginia built a strong circle of friends among her neighbors and church. She shared her time and talents with many organizations including the United Methodist Church and Choir, Bell Choir, United Methodist Women and UMW Quilters. Other organizations included Ozarks Brush and Palette Club, Investors Club, Red Hat Ladies, and the Camdenton Book Club. Virginia made time to paint, feed the birds, study nature and travel. After almost 30 years of life at the lake, Virginia retired to Topeka to be near her children.

Virginia is survived by her children; her grandchildren Hayden Dyck, Ashleigh (Dyck) Bauer, Hannah (Bianchino) Hemry, Ben Bianchino, Rosa (Hund) Dunlap, Joel Hund, Tyler Wellborn, Elizabeth (Wellborn) Venzor, and Ted Wellborn; and ten great grandchildren. Virginia was predeceased by Margaret Sue Dyck, infant daughter; and her siblings, Loraine (Duff) Paige and B. LaRue Duff.

Virginia’s cremains are inurned at Memorial Park Cemetery, Topeka. As an avid reader and weekly user of the Red Carpet Services provided by the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library, please consider sending memorial contributions in her honor to The Library Foundation – Red Carpet Services, Topeka Shawnee County Public Library Foundation, 1515 SW 10th Avenue, Topeka, KS 66604 or online at https://foundation.tscpl.org/donate. Family will honor their Mother and Grandmother with a Celebration of Life at a later date.