Virginia Lea ”Gingie” Breeding, 86, of Mountain View, Arkansas, passed away peacefully at home on March 20, 2026, surrounded by the love of her family.
Born on July 2, 1939, in Mountain View, Virginia, she was the cherished only child of Earnest M. ”Grudy” Brewer and Faye Brewer, who preceded her in death. Rooted deeply in Stone County’s heritage, she carried forward a proud family legacy that helped shape the very foundation of Mountain View. She honored that history by preserving it and by living a life that added richly to it.
Virginia was the devoted mother of Brooke Breeding Tweddell and Bradley Joel Breeding (Stephanie), and a proud and loving grandmother to Samantha Tweddell Sullivan (Pierce), Brittany Breeding Kvetko (Tyler), and Diamond Breeding. Perhaps her greatest joy was in meeting her great-grandchildren, Harris and Logan Sullivan, in whom her spirit, spunk, and spark will clearly live on.
A 1956 graduate of Mountain View High School, Virginia pursued her passion for education at Arkansas State College (now Arkansas State University), where she majored in English. It was there she discovered two of the great loves of her life – her husband, Joel, and her calling as an educator. During her college years, she was an active and engaged leader, serving in the Baptist Student Union, Alpha Gamma Delta sorority, Alpha Psi Omega honorary fraternity, and the Featherpens. In 1959, she was named a semi-finalist in the Miss Arkansas State College pageant.
Her adventurous spirit took her far beyond the hills of her beloved Arkansas Ozarks. As the wife of a United States Army officer, Virginia embraced a life of movement, culture, and service. Her first teaching position was in Saigon, Vietnam, where she taught the children of military families and instructed Vietnamese adults in English at the Vietnam Cultural Institute. Her career continued across Texas, Georgia, Colorado, Arkansas, and in Nicaragua, where she developed English programs for foreign-born dependents of service personnel.
For more than 30 years, Virginia devoted her life to education, including 26 years teaching English and literature in Mountain View, where her students and colleagues alike describe Virginia as being a force in the classroom, firm and fair, spirited and engaging. She instilled in her students a command of grammar and language, and in some, a lifelong love of learning.
Virginia cared deeply about her community, its people, and its story. She was a member of First Baptist Church and Foothills Baptist Church; a charter member of the Stone County Historical Society, helping to establish both the organization and the Stone County Museum; and contributed greatly to the planning and funding of the Stone County Medical Center.
In her younger years, she was a skilled rifle sharpshooter and archer, and a proud member of the ”Crossbowettes.” In 1956, she was appointed a Colonel in the Arkansas National Guard by Governor Orval Faubus; a distinction she delighted in, because she said she ”earned the title of Colonel” well before her husband, Joel, achieved the same rank in his military career.
Her life was one of purpose, patriotism, faith, and fierce devotion to her family, her students, and her community.
The family wishes to extend heartfelt gratitude to Elite Hospice, Superior Senior Care, and Julie Gosser for their most compassionate caregiving and devotion to Virginia. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations to The Gideons International.
