Newspaper Clippings for
April, 2003
loose clipping, source unknown 5 April 2003
BULLOCK, VIOLA L.
Viola Bullock of Libertyville, April 5, 2003; she was born
Viola Louise Day in Akron, OH on December 12, 1923. After
high school, Vi went to Greenwich Village to become an
artist, then enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in WWII.
While stationed in Oklahoma she met her future husband,
fellow Marine Peter W. Bullock. Vi attended Ohio University
after the war, helping to integrate lunch counters in
southern Ohio and receiving her bachelor's degree in Fine
Arts in 1947. She and Peter married in 1948 and their 55
year marriage was the center of her life. Vi began teaching
at Grove Elementary School n Northbrook in 1958, eventually
becoming principal. She went on to get her Master's Degree
from the National College of Education in 1962, and was the
first principal at Indian Ridge Elementary School in
Northbrook, retiring in 1986. In retirement she and Pete
traveled around the globe, took film criticism and art
classes at the College of Lake County, and won blue ribbons
at the Lake County Fair in a number of categories,
including jelly, jams, bread and antiques. They created a
garden paradise in the backyard of their house in Mettawa,
a house which Vi loved and insisted was haunted. She
remained in contact with many of the retired teachers from
her schools, was active in her weaving and garden groups,
the North Shore Unitarian Church, and was a successful
participant in her TOPS group. She had eagerly anticipated
walking down the runway at the TOPS ceremony in Rosemont
this week. Vi embraced without judgment the unique and
unusual people in her life. When her final illness arrived,
she met it with extraordinary grace. Vi is preceded in
death by her son Chris. She is survived by her husband
Peter W.; sons Peter Y. (Nancy) and Dan (Ruthann); brother
Albert (Daria) Day and sister Maxine (Larry) Erskine and
grandchildren eric (Jill) Wheeler, Tiffany Wheeler and
Jessica and Natalie Bullock. Friends and family will all
miss Viola Bullock in our lives. In lieu of flowers,
donations may be made to Lake County Forest Preserves. A
memorial service is pending. Arrangements are by the
Cremation Society of Illinois. Her ashes will be interred
at the Abraham Lincoln National Veterans Cemetery in
Joliet. [The memorial service was held on Saturday, June
7th, 2003, at the North Shore Unitarian Church, 2100 Half
Day Road, Deerfield, Illinois]
