Virginia Cady Scism

Virginia Cady Scism, 81, died July 5, 2016 at Circle of Life Hospice in Bentonville of a prolonged illness suffered for years with indomitable courage. She is survived by her husband of 45 years, Robert B. Scism, of Bella Vista, Arkansas; her son by an earlier marriage, Philip M. Templeton, of O'Fallon, Missouri; three grandchildren, Connor, Michael and Anna Templeton; nieces, nephews and cousins. Born February 4, 1935 in Indianapolis, Indiana, Ginny was adopted in infancy by John E. Cady and Louis Merkel Cady both long deceased: they were her parents. At five years she began playing the piano, and for the rest of her life could play by ear any popular tune as well as etudes and sonatas studied in the classical repertoire. She was a graduate in 1952 of Shortridge High School in Indianapolis, notable at the time for its academic rigor, and in 1956 of Hollins College, in Roanoke, Virginia, where for a year after her graduation she served as a dean's assistant. She taught lower-grade pupils in an elementary school in Indianapolis until her earlier marriage, which brought her to Des Moines, Iowa, in 1967 where after divorcing she worked in an art gallery and interested herself in civic affairs. Reared in the Episcopal Church, she was married to her surviving spouse on April 24, 1971, at St. Paul's Des Moines. In Des Moines, she was president of the Guild that maintained a gift shop and other amenities and provided auxiliary services in the 470 bed Iowa Methodist medical Center and became only the second woman ever elected to its board of directors. She was a director of the fledging Des Moines Ballet Company, which by its professionals schooled aspiring dancers and staged productions. Virginia also was an avid skier and golfer. She served as well on the boards of the area YMCA Camp, and of one or two public welfare agencies. In 1982 she entered Drake University law School and at age 50, in 1985 received her juris doctorate degree on the day her son, Phillip, was graduated from Iowa State University in Ames. While at Drake, Ginny served as a student clerk to Judge William Stuart, of the US District Court, and chaired a committee that hosted a dinner for the Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court, Warren Burger, and 700 guests, in commemoration of the sesquicentennial anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution. After she and her husband retired from the practice of law in 1997, and moved to Bella Vista, she commuted to Des Moines to teach a class in law to graduate students in the business school at Drake. In Bella Vista, she was a member of the St. Theodore Episcopal Church, and was active for years in the venerable Village Art Club, served as assistant director and then as director of its annual three day Arts and Crafts Festival, and exhibited at its Wishing Springs Gallery her hand-made, soft-sculpture dolls of Tiny Tim, Ebenezer Scrooge, and other characters. In 2013, she and her husband moved into the Concordia Retirement complex in Bella Vista: she was president of the Resident's Association in 2015 and although frail, served out her term by presiding at its meeting in December and at the awarding of Christmas bonuses to Concordia employees. For the last 10 years, or longer, she had qualified with the IRS annually by study and examination to prepare tax returns for qualified individuals, without compensation, under the aegis of AARP and had done so this year until no longer able to. Her remains were cremated. There will be a memorial service at 1 p.m., Saturday, July 16, at Concordia, afterward, interment of her ashes in the columbarium at St. Theodore's Episcopal Church. Arrangements are by Bella Vista Funeral Home & Crematory. On-line condolences may be made at www.funeralmation.com.