Virginia Rial

Virginia Ann Ward Rial, 88, passed away on Wednesday, July 24th, in Weslaco. Virginia was born April 15, 1931, in Springfield, OH to Loren Albert Ward and Goldie Ruth Cowgill Ward. She was the middle of 5 children. Virginia's dad was a minister, so the family moved frequently in those days. Virginia never stayed in one school for long. Some years, she transferred schools 3 times in one year, which made it hard to make friends. She got the nickname 'Kitty' from one of her schools as there were 3 Virginia's and it made it easier for the teacher and other students to differentiate which Virginia you were referencing. After graduating high school from Forest Lake Academy in Florida in 1949-50, she pursued a nursing career, attending Fletcher School of Nursing in Fletcher, NC achieving a Diploma of Nursing in 1953. While attending school there, she and some student nurse friends went out on a Saturday night in Raleigh. They were eyed by a group of Marines and began talking. Richard especially took an interest in Virginia, but he didn't have pen or paper to write her phone number or address down, so he made his buddies memorize her phone number and keep repeating it all the way back to Camp LeJune. On August 28, 1955 after a 2-year relationship they were married at the Fletcher, NC Seventh Day Adventist Church. They were married for 49 years. During her time as a nursing student, due to her sharp mind and being very detail-oriented, she was approached by the CIA to do some undercover work for them. They were very impressed with her work and asked her to continue working with them on other cases. Thus began her career working as a secret agent that lasted for a number of decades, including time here in the Rio Grande Valley. Virginia and Richard lived and worked in Detroit, MI for a short while, then moved to Collegedale, TN so Richard could go to school at Southern Missionary College. Virginia got a job in Chattanooga, TN working in the Children's Hospital, which she loved and would tell stories of the children that were there for months at a time and how she would become so attached to them. During their stay here, they had a son, Thomas Loren Rial. born August 1, 1957. Dick graduated from Southern Missionary College in July 1961with a Bachelors of Physics degree. He had 3 job offers, but the cold in New York or Michigan didn't entice them like the warmth of the Rio Grande Valley. So Texas was decided on and Dick and Thomas drove down pulling their trailer, while Virginia stayed in Chattanooga working for 3 months keeping the money flowing in. Virginia took the Greyhound Bus from TN to McAllen and she thought she would never get here. She kept saying to herself "where are the mountains?" not realizing the "Valley" is not the typical valley one thinks of surrounded by mountains. Once reunited with her family, Virginia was a stay at home mom for a while, then she started working at Knapp Memorial Methodist Hospital in 1962. She worked there for 46 years before retiring. She loved nursing and wore many hats while at Knapp from a bedside nurse to House Supervisor, Director of Infection Control and Employee Health, and Associate Director of Nurses. She kept an active TX Nursing License till 3 months ago when at 88 years old she was not well enough to complete her CEU's. While in Texas, daughter, Shannon Marie was born March 25, 1963, who followed in her mother's footsteps becoming a nurse and working at Knapp for 17 years before moving to CA. Virginia enjoyed antiquing, raising canary's and breeding collies, playing the piano and organ, and most especially spoiling her grandchildren. She was active in the Weslaco SDA Church in her younger years being a deaconess, playing piano for the children's' division, helping with Vacation Bible School (VBS), and being a class mom for field trips at Valley Grande Elementary School. Virginia is preceded in death by her parents, Loren and Goldie Ward; loving husband Richard C. Rial; sister Marilyn Brenner and two brothers Edward and John Ward. She is survived by a brother William Ward of PA; her children, Thomas L. Rial and wife, Lisa of Weslaco and Shannon Goulmassian and husband Albert of Loma Linda, CA; Grandchildren Kathleen, Thomas J., and Hannah Rial along with numerous nieces and nephews. Visitation will be held on Friday, July 26, 2019, from 4-8 pm at McCaleb Funeral Home in Weslaco. Funeral Service will be held on Sabbath, July 27, 2019, at 2 pm in the Weslaco Seventh Day Adventist Church with graveside to follow at Ebony Grove Cemetery in Mercedes.