Mary Virginia Finnegan Staikoff
RAPID CITY - Mary Virginia Finnegan Staikoff, 83, passed away peacefully at her home in Rapid City, after a short battle with leukemia. Virginia "Ginny" was born on Sept. 8, 1924, in Buffalo, NY, the third child of Mary and William Finnegan. She was educated in Buffalo during the Depression, and was married to Donald Edward Haffner in 1944. For several months she traveled around the U.S. with her husband during his first months back from WWII. She was a devoted mother and homemaker. She and her husband and family moved to Pompano Beach, FL, in the early 1960's. She moved to Rapid City, with three of her four children, in 1964. Virginia worked for several businesses in Rapid City, Corner Construction, Mills Drug, Stephenson's Music Company and in later years, Buckingham Wood Products. Virginia married George Staikoff in 1972. They were active in several mixed double bowling leagues and golf leagues. Throughout her life Ginny was known for her candor, her common sense and her ability to look at life through a long, wide-angle lens. She was courageous and used humor as a buffer to offset the curve balls that life threw at her. In her later years, she and her husband, George, traveled to Europe and visited many historic sites. After the death of her husband, she resided at Holiday Hills Estates and remained independent until her final days. She had many friends at Holiday Hills. Ginny was a passionate Democrat until the last and was always concerned with the issues of the common "Joe." And in the Fjord, I see blue sky, the water, the trees, I see my mother's eyes and I feel her presence. Her will, her determination is in my blood driving me to seek beyond the ordinary. To strive to touch all that seems untouchable. And to answer "yes" to the question, "Did you do your best?" Ginny is survived by her son, Mark (Tara) Haffner, Hot Springs; two daughters, Sue (Robert) Lenz, Rapid City, and Linda (Nathan) Spencer, Geneseo, NY; her daughter-in-law, Carla Haffner, Orlando, FL; and her stepson, Ted (Lynn) Staikoff, Black Hawk; eight grandchildren, Kirsten Haffner, Zach (Lissa) Haffner, Eli Haffner, Christopher (Tammy) Lenz, Stephanie (Eric) Lenz Brown, and Kira, Trevor and Conner Spencer; six great-grandchildren, Sophia, Natalie and Eialeah Haffner, Morgan Lenz and Dakota and Amelia Brown; two step-grandchildren, Laurie (Shane) Murray and Timothy Staikoff; three step-great-grandchildren, Derrick, Madison and McKinna Murray; and her brother, Neil (Dale Lantvit) Finnegan, Palm Springs, CA. She was preceded in death by her husband, George, and her eldest son, John Lawrence Haffner. Memorial Services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 2, at Serenity Springs Funeral Chapel, with Father Dan Juelfs officiating. Inurnment will follow at Black Hills National Cemetery near Sturgis. In lieu of flowers, you may send memorials to the Hospice of the Hills. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.serenity springsfuneralchapel.com. Published in the Rapid City Journal on 7/1/2008.
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