She was born January 5th, 1932, in Buffalo, NY, a daughter of the late Stanley G. and Hannah B. (Brock) Falk. Virginia, like many of the women in her family, was a graduate of the Buffalo Seminary. She earned her B.A. at Cornell and then started graduate school at Radcliffe where she met her first husband. In 1957 they moved to Seattle where she completed her Ph.D. at the UW. In 1961 she started a 30 year career working as a research chemist at the National Marine Fisheries Service Lab in Montlake. In the late 1980's after her kids were grown, she went back to school and got an M.A. in psychology, which she used in her second career as a counselor.

Beyond her professional life, Virginia raised her family, divorced and remarried, and was widowed. She participated actively in many different communities during her 60 years in Seattle. Among these communities were the scientists at the Fisheries Lab, the American Chemical Society, the Association of Women in Science, the Y Retirees group that she connected with through her second husband's work for the YMCA, the University Unitarian Church, various Jewish congregations, the Goodenough Community, the Skandia Folkdance Society, various groups in the local counseling community, and the Roanoke Park neighborhood community that she lived in.

Throughout her life she was a consistent advocate for social justice and living intentionally. In her later years, Virginia was a role model for how to grow older actively and with grace. She loved to travel, and in her 80s went to Bhutan and taught English in Guatemala. Virginia also loved good food and attending live performances of music, opera, dance, and theater.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her second husband, Bill Sieverling. She is survived by her first husband (Hugh), who remained a lifelong friend, her children and their spouses (Peter, Lisa (John), and Eric (Samantha)), her three grandchildren (Riki, Derek, and Miranda), her sister (Doris), three nieces and a nephew, multiple grandnieces and grandnephews, and her long time friend Erich, whose close companionship greatly enriched her last decades.

Many thanks to the in-home caregivers (Weiny, Elsa, and Mimi) and the Kaiser Hospice team whose loving support enabled Virginia to live at home until the end.