Virginia Bortas

On her favorite kind of day, warm and sunny, Mary Virginia Bortas, 92, passed on to her heavenly home on Thursday, June 29, 2017. She was born on Dec. 5, 1924, in Pittsburgh, Pa., to Korvin and Hannah (Brickley) Bortas and died at the Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital in Glasgow, from complications of a hip fracture.

She received her formal education in Pittsburgh. After graduating from Schenley High School, she earned her bachelor's degree in nursing from the University of Pittsburgh and two master's degrees from Duquesne University. She went on to teach nursing students in various colleges in Pennsylvania, New York and Liberia, Africa. In 1980, her adventurous, pioneer spirit led her west to Montana, where she had accepted the position of education coordinator at FMDH in Glasgow. In the mid-eighties, she began doing medical record reviews and consultations for the law offices of Steve Marks and David Irving. She retired in 1993.

Having a zest for life, her passions were many. In her earlier years, she was an activist for civil rights and women's issues. She was a lifelong member of the Catholic Church, a member of the Democratic Party, and a news junkie until the end. She served for many years on the boards of Valley Respice and the Valley County Health Department. She loved to travel and her passport was full. She also enjoyed reading, playing bridge, crocheting afghans, hosting dinner parties, going out to eat with friends, and sipping a good martini or glass of wine. She was privileged to live in her own home until April of 2017, when she moved to Valley View Home where she quickly made new friends and got involved in activities there.

She would want to thank FMDH and Valley View Home for the wonderful care she received in her final weeks and days. She will be missed by many friends around the country and by her feline companion, Dixie II.

An open visitation will be held on Wednesday, July 5, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Bell Mortuary in Glasgow. A Mass of Christian Burial will take place at 11 a.m., Thursday, July 7, at St Raphael's Catholic Church in Glasgow. She will be buried next to her father in the Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Pittsburgh.