Obituary of Virginia Lea Gelb

Virginia Lea Gelb May 02, 1928 - September 21, 2016 Virginia Lea Gelb, 88, passed away Sep 21, 2016. She was born May 2, 1928 in Nebraska, the younger of two daughters born to George and Reta (Sipes) Murrish. She graduated from Mary Lanning School of Nursing in Hastings, Nebraska in 1947. She married a young Marine, Norbert Wilfred (Bud) Mason, on July 17, 1949 and they had three children; Michele, Terri and Michael. After a brief stint in Parris Island, South Carolina, where both daughters were born, they moved to Southern California where Mike was born. As a nurse, Virginia worked in hospitals and in several doctor’s hospitals. She retired in 1972 but then became the Director of the new North County Allied Home Health Agency in Escondido, CA. Bud died April 10, 1976 after 31 years in the Marine Corps. She eventually remarried on Oct. 17, 1993 to Morton Jay Gelb. Virginia and Jay bought a 52-foot sailboat which they lived on and sailed the California and Mexican coast for many years until selling the boat and building a house in Rosarito, Mexico, an hour south of San Diego. In January 2008, Virginia lost her son Michael to cancer. Her husband Jay died in July 2009 also to cancer and then in Sep 2009 her daughter Terri also died. She moved to the Houston area in 2010 to be closer to her only remaining child. Virginia is survived by her oldest daughter, Michele (Micki) Hall of La Porte; her sister Donna Kaiser & husband Reinald of Santa Maria, CA; her step-sons Joshua Gelb & wife Fanny; Daniel Gelb & wife Beverly; and step-daughter Annie Cholakion. She leaves ten grandchildren: Dana (Shane) Hill, Travis (Stefanie) Hall, Brandi (Ryan) Robbins, Staci (Pedro) Luna, James Simpson, Rebecca (Jason) Carter, Megan Simpson, Jeremy Mason, Candace Hanchett, and Laura (Eddie) Denning. In addition, she leaves behind 19 great-grandchildren, one great-great grandchild (and one more on the way). She is also survived by two nieces Linda Osburn and Patricia Rusconi; and one nephew Jon Kaiser. Services will be held at Fairmont Park Church, 10401 Belfast Rd, La Porte, Texas on Sunday, Sep 25, 2016, at 2:00pm. A private family burial will be held at La Porte Cemetery at a later date. To view Virginia's Video Tribute Follow the Link Below: https://www.tributeslides.com/tributes/show/286WW6X9MFJ3BK3Q