Virginia (Jean) Mattingly Langton Obituary
The following obituary appeared in The News Tribune, Tacoma, WA on Sunday, March 20, 2011, page B4:
"Virginia (Jean) Mattingly Langton, 5/9/1912-3/11/2011 age 98
Virginia was born to Francis I. and Margaret Matilda Mattingly.She was raised in Tacoma and attended Lowell, Jason Lee, Mason and Stadium High School.She eloped with William A. Langton on Feb. 29, 1932.Jean became known as Jean of "Bill and Jean's Coffee Shop" in the old YMCA, where she served meals cooked by Bill to the downtown community around 7th and St. Helens and Market Street.Steady customers included those who worked at the Tacoma News Tribune, United Pacific Insurance, The Doctor's Hospital, the Medical Arts Building, Steven Motors, and other local businesses, plus those who worked out at the Y.They owned the coffee shop first in 1939 through 1941.The war brought a hiatus until 1949, when they opened again.She worked with Bill until they retired to Hartstene Island in 1977.Bill preceded her in death in 1998.She lived independently on the island until this past July, when she moved to assisted living in Bend, Oregon.Jean was the next-to-last living sibling of the Mattingly family of eight.She is survived by her older sister Peggy Witter of Tacoma, her son and daughter-in-law Jim and Sara of Bend, Oregon, her two grandsons, Scot (Stephanie) of Bend, and Gary (Linda) of Woodland, Washington and her three great-grandchildren, Will, Luke and Delaney of Bend.
Both before and after retiring Jean loved gardening.Flowers were always growing in abundance.Many of these ended up decorating the coffee shop through the years.Those who were fortunate to request home-made huckleberry pice,(pie)which they picked and he made, had a memorable treat.Jean will rest alongside Bill in the Hartstend Island Cemetery"