Virginia Holden Cordes, 84, of Ridgewood, NJ died peacefully Dec. 11, 2009 at Van Dyk Nursing Home after a brief illness.
 
Born Sept. 11, 1925 in Holyoke, Mass., she was the daughter of Spencer and Frances Holden. In her youth, Virginia enjoyed many summers in central Maine, where her beloved grandparents Ernest and Bessie Steele of Holyoke operated the Carry Pond Summer Lodge. Virginia grew up in Garden City, Long Island, N.Y. After attending Elmira College for two years, Virginia attended Columbia Presbyterian University Nursing School where she earned her B.S and R.N. in 1948.
 
Virginia married H. William Cordes Jr. in Garden City on Oct. 2, 1948. He was a 1939 Ridgewood High School graduate who worked for Grace Line in New York City. They moved to Ridgewood where they lived for nearly 60 years enjoying a wonderful marriage together until Bill died in June 2007.
 
One of the original nurses at Ridgewood's Valley Hospital, Virginia began a 38-year nursing career there in 1950. She was a hard-working and well-liked nurse who always had a good word and brought out the best in patients and co-workers alike. She eventually became an evening nursing supervisor at Valley before retiring in 1988. She loved Ridgewood, and was very content living out her life in the Village. She always had a smile on her face and was well-known for her bright personality and clever poetry.
 
Virginia is survived by her three children; Geoffrey William Cordes of Hailey, ID, Dr. John Holden Cordes of West Hartford, CT, and Barbara Cordes Selvey of Sturbridge, MA; a daughter-in-law Diane Keppler Cordes of Hailey, ID and son-in-law Mark Thomas Selvey of Sturbridge, MA. She was devoted to her six grandchildren; Laura Cordes Gvozdas of Ketchum, ID, James Steele Cordes of Redlands, CA, David Holden Cordes of Boston, MA, William James Cordes of West Hartford, CT, and Evan James Selvey and Brett Alistair Selvey, both of Sturbridge, MA. She had two great-grandchildren, Clara Gvozdas and Hayden Gvozdas of Ketchum, ID. She was preceded in death by her parents, her sister Eleanor, her granddaughter Elizabeth Frances, her former daughter-in-law Jo-Anne Smith, and her husband Bill.
 
The family wishes to thank all of her caregivers, especially her beloved at-home companion, Animah.
 
A memorial service for Virginia will be held Saturday Jan. 16, 2010, 1 pm at West Side Presbyterian Church in Ridgewood. Burial will be private at George Washington Cemetery Paramus, NJ. Arrangements are being handled by C.C.Van Emburgh's and condolences may be made on their website at  www.vanemburgh.com. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that any donations in Virginia's memory be made to Valley Hospital www.valleyhealth.com or to the Alzheimer's Foundation act.alz.org/goto/vcordes.