Second-generation Durangoan Annie Virginia Luzar died Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012, at Mercy Regional Medical Center in Durango. She was 83.

Known as “Virginia,” she was born to Georgia and Gladys (Barlow) Lee on Dec. 28, 1928, in Durango. The daughter of a traveling school teacher, she attended numerous schools in the area, including Animas, Breen, Redmesa, Tiffany, Tamarilla and Cortez, before graduating from Durango High School in 1947.

Her family said she had a beautiful singing voice and sang both in church and on KIUP-AM (930). In high school, she was a member of Glee Club and A Cappella.

After high school, Mrs. Luzar graduated from the Charles Denver Beauty School in Denver in 1948.

On Dec. 12, 1948, she married Harold Edward “Bud” Luzar in Durango, where they lived the rest of their lives.

Mrs. Luzar was a successful businesswoman, her family said, working at Catchpole Beauty Salon, operating a small grocery store in Animas City and, with her husband, owning and operating the Frontier Motel and Luzar Plumbing and Heating.

A member of the Beta Lambda Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi, an international women’s friendship network, Mrs. Luzar served as corresponding secretary, treasurer, vice president, social chairwoman and chairwoman of the Ways and Means Committee.

She became a member of the Sarah Platt Decker Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. In addition to serving as a den mother in the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts, she belonged to the Benevolent & Protective Order of Elks Lodge No. 507 and was a devoted member of the Foursquare Gospel Church, her family said.

Mrs. Luzar loved flying and took flying lessons and completed her solo flight certification before starting her family. She also was an avid gardener.

Mrs. Luzar enjoyed fishing, boating, camping, riding motorcycles and traveling. She loved to dance and told her family “she won a few dance competitions while in Denver at beauty school.” She enjoyed telling stories about being the daughter of Colorado pioneers, growing up during the Depression and travels along the Alaska-Canadian Highway and to Honduras.

Mrs. Luzar was preceded in death by her husband of 40 years, Harold E. Luzar Sr.

She is survived by her sons Harold Edward Luzar Jr. of Durango, Lawrence “Larry” Eugene Luzar of Bayfield and Frank Ellis Luzar of Burleson, Texas; five grandchildren; two stepgrandchildren; and numerous great-grandchildren and stepgreat-grandchildren.

A graveside service was held Monday, Jan. 23, 2012, when she was buried next to her husband at Greenmount Cemetery.