FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM) – Virginia Fedosky or Mrs. Virginia died on Sunday (July 30) unexpectedly from heart failure.
Mrs. Virginia and her husband started the swim ranch in Fayetteville in 1975 because they saw a need for a place to teach children how to swim.
Ed Fedosky was the Razorback Swimming Coach at the time and what they thought would be just teaching a few lessons turned into a place families brought their kids summer after summer.
“I can't even begin to tell you the legacy that Mrs. Virginia has left. She was really strict," Ginger Campbell said. "It was so funny to watch these children who were literally afraid to put their face in the water become a water baby by the time she got through with them.”
Ginger Campbell’s daughter took swim lessons from Mrs. Virginia and now her grandchildren go to the swim ranch every summer. Campbell's mom Elizabeth Harris was best friends with Virginia.
“I brought my granddaughter when she was very very young but she was also swimming but I wanted her to improve, so she became a beautiful swimmer,” Harris said.
Mrs. Virginia taught swim lessons for more than 40 years before retiring in 2013 but that didn't stop her from working in the office or handing out candy to the kids. Her daughter Kim Brinson said she was even out here last week before passing away on Sunday. Her husband Ed passed away last December.
“To have these families and generations that continue to come back to me that shows a legacy that they have and they've created because you have to come a long way to come out here, we're out in the middle of the country. People go ahead and come and mom and dad started all that,” Brinson said.
A visitation will be held on Aug. 20 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Heritage Funeral Home. A celebration of life service will be held at Fellowship Fayetteville on Aug. 21 at 10 a.m.