Vera Lucille Quimby

Vera Lucille Quimby, 90, of Grants Pass OR passed away on February 13, 2014. Vera was known as the “Queen of Grants Pass” because of her involvement in the community over many decades and her ability to touch the lives of anyone she came in contact with. She was best described as a “dynamo” by all that knew her, all 4ft 11 inches of her.

Vera was born October 20, 1923 in North Dakota. She received her teaching certificate in Minnesota and began her teaching career there before moving to California. She met her husband Melvin Quimby on a blind date in Stockton California. They were married November 25, 1949. The two later moved to Grants Pass where her father was running the local drug store. Mel and Vera raised their three children and Vera later continued her teaching career. She taught the 3rd grade for 12 years at Riverside Elementary School. After she retired from teaching in 1969 she spent her time volunteering, traveling, spending time with her family and helping her community in any way she could.

There was not much that Vera has not done in her 90 years of life. Vera was involved with Chamber of Commerce, Sister City, Soroptimist, Rogue Music Theatre Guild, the Oregon Retired Educators Association, SMART Program, Rogue Valley Council of Governments, American Red Cross, BRITT Volunteer and hosted foreign exchange students for more than 18 years.

Survivors include her three children, Virginia (Larry) Quimby-Schick of Beaverton, Gwen Quimby of Medford and Mike Quimby of Medford. Her two granddaughters Jaime (Kyle ) Landon of Eugene and Kaci (Joe) Myhra of Seattle, WA. She was blessed with five wonderful great grandchildren Brooklyn, Reese, Blakely, Sawyer and Sara.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 51 years, Mel, her parents Edward and Mabel Jones, brother Owen Jones and sister Alice Thureen.

A celebration of life will be held at 4pm on Thursday February 20, 2014 at Hull and Hull funeral home in Grants Pass, OR.