Virginia Klute

Virgina "Ginny" P. Klute (nee Beck), of Sarasota, FL, passed away September 25, 2021, in Helena, MT at age 74 from Alzheimer's disease. Ginny was born January 3, 1947, in Jersey City, New Jersey to Richard and Eleanor Beck. She and her family lived several different places in New Jersey and would summer in Island Heights. Ginny attended Bucknell University, majored in elementary education, and was very involved with her sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma. She started her teaching career in Maryland and completed her master's degree in education at the University of Maryland in 1972. She moved to Kalamazoo, MI, had two daughters and continued to teach elementary school. Ginny moved to Sarasota, FL, in 1984 which was her home. She taught at Brentwood Elementary and then at Tatum Ridge Elementary before she retired. Her teaching career lasted a total of 45 years, the majority of which were in the 5th grade. Ginny loved teaching and taking her students on field trips out into nature to show them the diversity just outside their doors. Ginny was an avid tennis player, loved to travel, had a beautiful singing voice and loved to sing in the choir. She loved Florida and everything that it offered, especially the warm weather and the ability to play tennis outdoors year-round! Ginny made many friends over the years and had been doing a great job with keeping in contact until Alzheimer's disease started to take it's terrible toll. Ginny was an amazing mother, grandmother, teacher, colleague, friend, and mentor. She was a kind-hearted person that had an incredible smile, and she will be missed by so many. Ginny is survived by her children, Katie Barbee and husband Eric of Clancy, MT and Carrie Klute of Cascade Locks, OR; her two grandchildren, Eli Barbee and Madelin Barbee of MT; her twin sister Lin Beck and husband Bill of MA, and her brother Donald Beck and wife Susan of SC. She is preceded in death by her brother, Steve Beck, and her parents Richard and Eleanor. There will be no public memorial services due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Thank you to Beehive Homes and to St. Peter's Health Hospice, both of Helena, MT, for the amazing care you provided to Ginny during her final months. Simple Cremation Montana has assisted the family. To share remembrances, visit www.SimpleCremationMT.com. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Cure Alzheimer's Fund at https://curealz.org/giving/donate/.