Seal Beach has a resident like no other in Virginia Haley. Not only is she celebrating a special 105th birthday on Friday, March 25, but she is also celebrating her 100th year as a Seal Beach resident. We are honored to celebrate her legacy and these two extraordinary milestones.
Incidentally, the City Council will honor her on Monday, March 28. It’ll be the first in-person council meeting in two years.
Virginia was only five years old in 1922 when her family loaded into a brand-new Ford Model T in Kinsley, Kansas, for a long journey to California. They did not stay in hotels along the way; they simply pulled up for the night, lowered the shades on the car, and slept. Her father was a builder-plasterer, and he knew there was a lot of work here. So shortly after they arrived in California, they chose to settle in Seal Beach, and her father built their first home between 15th and 16th Streets himself in a house still there today. Remember, Seal Beach was only incorporated as a city seven years prior in 1915.
Virginia is a living encyclopedia of town events and happenings with endless stories and memories. A few favorites include:
• Attending Seal Beach Grammar School long before Zoeter. Mr. McGaugh was a teacher then.
• Playing “Kick the Can” down Main Street and riding the Joy Zone roller coaster. “It was wonderful and such a thrill,” she said with her eyes lighting up.
• Memories of Old Town from the gambling halls and seedier places to the silent movie hall where Hennessey’s is today.
• Riding the Red Car and the Trolley to Long Beach to shop at the Kress Store or swim at the YWCA.
Meeting her husband-to-be Francis “Jack” Haley at a dance hall in Long Beach.
I cannot do justice to her vault of stories in this space, but ask her about a favorite memory, and she’ll quickly exclaim “all of it.” And she would not trade one of her days here for anyplace else in the world.
For the last century, Virginia’s dedication to our community has made a lasting impact on many. She founded the Seal Beach Junior Women’s Club, served many years as a local PTA and Girl Scout leader, and spearheaded the Anaheim Landing Monument project, a registered California Historical Landmark. And Virginia has been a faithful member of the First United Methodist Church since the early 1920s, serving many years as treasurer, teller, and in various other roles.
When asked what’s her secret, she reflects and says, “Living by the Serenity Prayer every day.” Then, when asked about the next few years ahead, she says, “so much is going to happen, and I don’t want to miss out on any of it.” A life secret and philosophy that has undoubtedly served her well.
Thank you, Virginia, for your wonderful years here in Seal Beach and for sharing your memories, charm and beautiful spirit with us. We wish you a very Happy 105th birthday and 100th anniversary.
