Our beloved mother, Helen "Virginia" Benedict Hueske, passed from this world on January 7, 2022. A private woman who harbored close friendships and deep insights, a lover of dark chocolate, Arabian horses, Texas wildflowers, and beautiful things, she was a role model to many, a modern woman who could turn a phrase, a mother guided by intuition, observation and respect, but above all resilience and strength. She led a life of rich experiences and adventure, many instigated by her husband of 49 years who preceded her in death by just a few weeks. She believed strongly in a kind of divine timing, and her children, despite distance and a pandemic, were comforted to be at her bedside in time to share parting sentiments.
Virginia was born on March 20, 1944 in Escondido, California to Cecil Prather Benedict, a career Navy pilot of Midland, Texas, and Helen Veronica O'Brien of Newport, Rhode Island. She was raised Catholic and grew up in the nomadic military tradition, including living in Pensacola and attending high school in Sacramento. The family moved back to Texas for her final year at Leander High School and for her to attend the University of Texas in 1962, where she pursued a journalism degree after stints in drama, advertising, and the Texas legislature. With a close friend, she crossed the Atlantic by ship to tour Europe and study in Salzburg, which prompted her study of German. In finishing her course requirements at UT, she enlisted the help of a German tutor, through whom she met her husband, Horst Hüske, during his visit to Texas from Berlin. In the words of their mutual friend, theirs was love at first sight, and on a subsequent road trip to California, Horst was described as "mostly useless," spending all his money on frequent stops to call Virginia. In 1971, Virginia and Horst were married at St. Luke's Episcopal Church on Lake Travis.
Virginia came from a long Texas ranching tradition, her paternal grandfather's grandfather, W.S. Peters, having been an early Texas empresario and founder of the Peters Colony. She remembered especially fondly her childhood on horseback in Valley Center, and visits to the family ranches of her uncles in Midland and Roswell. Those would become guiding reasons to seek out Driftwood, Texas, as a place to raise her kids after living 13 years inside the Berlin Wall. Intertwined with ranching was a family tradition of writing, established in a one-room schoolhouse taught by her great-grandmother. The family bookshelf contained a modest but revered collection of titles published by her forebearers in the Benedict, Caudle and Peters families. Virginia also was a gifted writer, an example to be found in her Foreword and Introduction to a community project she undertook documenting the recipes of Driftwood families from monthly "community night" potluck suppers. Of the "Home Place Cookbook" she wrote, "I have done only a few things in life as satisfying and enjoyable."
With her move back to Texas, Virginia began her 23 year career in the University of Texas Department of Advertising. Virginia helped to define and develop the role of Graduate Coordinator, becoming a role model for many in the position, and making many lifelong friends along the way among her students and colleagues. Above all she loved working with students, many of whom came from distant countries and cultures and who found in her cozy office, a warm cup of tea, a kind ear, and gentle guidance often for many years past their degree.
Throughout her life, she was very thoughtful and inquisitive about many things; a particular historical interest in the Celts due to her Irish heritage; acid-tongued role models in Molly Ivins and Ann Richards; a shared interest with her husband in the history of Prussia under Frederick the Great, and in collecting among others Frederician Rococo china and Boles?awiec pottery; Art Nouveau, German Jugendstil design; precursors of Bauhaus and modernist architecture. She was constantly active and engaged in the wide array of Austin wellness-oriented activities, whether rowing on Town Lake or taking a daily brisk walk in her platform MBT sneakers, classes in yoga, Pilates, Nia, Qigong or Feldenkrais. She shared her abundant energy and enthusiasm for all of her many interests with friends, her children and her husband.
Virginia was born on March 20, 1944 in Escondido, California to Cecil Prather Benedict, a career Navy pilot of Midland, Texas, and Helen Veronica O'Brien of Newport, Rhode Island. She was raised Catholic and grew up in the nomadic military tradition, including living in Pensacola and attending high school in Sacramento. The family moved back to Texas for her final year at Leander High School and for her to attend the University of Texas in 1962, where she pursued a journalism degree after stints in drama, advertising, and the Texas legislature. With a close friend, she crossed the Atlantic by ship to tour Europe and study in Salzburg, which prompted her study of German. In finishing her course requirements at UT, she enlisted the help of a German tutor, through whom she met her husband, Horst Hüske, during his visit to Texas from Berlin. In the words of their mutual friend, theirs was love at first sight, and on a subsequent road trip to California, Horst was described as "mostly useless," spending all his money on frequent stops to call Virginia. In 1971, Virginia and Horst were married at St. Luke's Episcopal Church on Lake Travis.
Virginia came from a long Texas ranching tradition, her paternal grandfather's grandfather, W.S. Peters, having been an early Texas empresario and founder of the Peters Colony. She remembered especially fondly her childhood on horseback in Valley Center, and visits to the family ranches of her uncles in Midland and Roswell. Those would become guiding reasons to seek out Driftwood, Texas, as a place to raise her kids after living 13 years inside the Berlin Wall. Intertwined with ranching was a family tradition of writing, established in a one-room schoolhouse taught by her great-grandmother. The family bookshelf contained a modest but revered collection of titles published by her forebearers in the Benedict, Caudle and Peters families. Virginia also was a gifted writer, an example to be found in her Foreword and Introduction to a community project she undertook documenting the recipes of Driftwood families from monthly "community night" potluck suppers. Of the "Home Place Cookbook" she wrote, "I have done only a few things in life as satisfying and enjoyable."
With her move back to Texas, Virginia began her 23 year career in the University of Texas Department of Advertising. Virginia helped to define and develop the role of Graduate Coordinator, becoming a role model for many in the position, and making many lifelong friends along the way among her students and colleagues. Above all she loved working with students, many of whom came from distant countries and cultures and who found in her cozy office, a warm cup of tea, a kind ear, and gentle guidance often for many years past their degree.
Throughout her life, she was very thoughtful and inquisitive about many things; a particular historical interest in the Celts due to her Irish heritage; acid-tongued role models in Molly Ivins and Ann Richards; a shared interest with her husband in the history of Prussia under Frederick the Great, and in collecting among others Frederician Rococo china and Boles?awiec pottery; Art Nouveau, German Jugendstil design; precursors of Bauhaus and modernist architecture. She was constantly active and engaged in the wide array of Austin wellness-oriented activities, whether rowing on Town Lake or taking a daily brisk walk in her platform MBT sneakers, classes in yoga, Pilates, Nia, Qigong or Feldenkrais. She shared her abundant energy and enthusiasm for all of her many interests with friends, her children and her husband.
Our beloved mother, Helen "Virginia" Benedict Hueske, passed from this world on January 7, 2022. A private woman who harbored close friendships and deep insights, a lover of dark chocolate, Arabian horses, Texas wildflowers, and beautiful things, she was a role model to many, a modern woman who could turn a phrase, a mother guided by intuition, observation and respect, but above all resilience and strength. She led a life of rich experiences and adventure, many instigated by her husband of 49 years who preceded her in death by just a few weeks. She believed strongly in a kind of divine timing, and her children, despite distance and a pandemic, were comforted to be at her bedside in time to share parting sentiments.
Virginia was born on March 20, 1944 in Escondido, California to Cecil Prather Benedict, a career Navy pilot of Midland, Texas, and Helen Veronica O'Brien of Newport, Rhode Island. She was raised Catholic and grew up in the nomadic military tradition, including living in Pensacola and attending high school in Sacramento. The family moved back to Texas for her final year at Leander High School and for her to attend the University of Texas in 1962, where she pursued a journalism degree after stints in drama, advertising, and the Texas legislature. With a close friend, she crossed the Atlantic by ship to tour Europe and study in Salzburg, which prompted her study of German. In finishing her course requirements at UT, she enlisted the help of a German tutor, through whom she met her husband, Horst Hüske, during his visit to Texas from Berlin. In the words of their mutual friend, theirs was love at first sight, and on a subsequent road trip to California, Horst was described as "mostly useless," spending all his money on frequent stops to call Virginia. In 1971, Virginia and Horst were married at St. Luke's Episcopal Church on Lake Travis.
Virginia came from a long Texas ranching tradition, her paternal grandfather's grandfather, W.S. Peters, having been an early Texas empresario and founder of the Peters Colony. She remembered especially fondly her childhood on horseback in Valley Center, and visits to the family ranches of her uncles in Midland and Roswell. Those would become guiding reasons to seek out Driftwood, Texas, as a place to raise her kids after living 13 years inside the Berlin Wall. Intertwined with ranching was a family tradition of writing, established in a one-room schoolhouse taught by her great-grandmother. The family bookshelf contained a modest but revered collection of titles published by her forebearers in the Benedict, Caudle and Peters families. Virginia also was a gifted writer, an example to be found in her Foreword and Introduction to a community project she undertook documenting the recipes of Driftwood families from monthly "community night" potluck suppers. Of the "Home Place Cookbook" she wrote, "I have done only a few things in life as satisfying and enjoyable."
With her move back to Texas, Virginia began her 23 year career in the University of Texas Department of Advertising. Virginia helped to define and develop the role of Graduate Coordinator, becoming a role model for many in the position, and making many lifelong friends along the way among her students and colleagues. Above all she loved working with students, many of whom came from distant countries and cultures and who found in her cozy office, a warm cup of tea, a kind ear, and gentle guidance often for many years past their degree.
Throughout her life, she was very thoughtful and inquisitive about many things; a particular historical interest in the Celts due to her Irish heritage; acid-tongued role models in Molly Ivins and Ann Richards; a shared interest with her husband in the history of Prussia under Frederick the Great, and in collecting among others Frederician Rococo china and Boles?awiec pottery; Art Nouveau, German Jugendstil design; precursors of Bauhaus and modernist architecture. She was constantly active and engaged in the wide array of Austin wellness-oriented activities, whether rowing on Town Lake or taking a daily brisk walk in her platform MBT sneakers, classes in yoga, Pilates, Nia, Qigong or Feldenkrais. She shared her abundant energy and enthusiasm for all of her many interests with friends, her children and her husband.
Virginia was born on March 20, 1944 in Escondido, California to Cecil Prather Benedict, a career Navy pilot of Midland, Texas, and Helen Veronica O'Brien of Newport, Rhode Island. She was raised Catholic and grew up in the nomadic military tradition, including living in Pensacola and attending high school in Sacramento. The family moved back to Texas for her final year at Leander High School and for her to attend the University of Texas in 1962, where she pursued a journalism degree after stints in drama, advertising, and the Texas legislature. With a close friend, she crossed the Atlantic by ship to tour Europe and study in Salzburg, which prompted her study of German. In finishing her course requirements at UT, she enlisted the help of a German tutor, through whom she met her husband, Horst Hüske, during his visit to Texas from Berlin. In the words of their mutual friend, theirs was love at first sight, and on a subsequent road trip to California, Horst was described as "mostly useless," spending all his money on frequent stops to call Virginia. In 1971, Virginia and Horst were married at St. Luke's Episcopal Church on Lake Travis.
Virginia came from a long Texas ranching tradition, her paternal grandfather's grandfather, W.S. Peters, having been an early Texas empresario and founder of the Peters Colony. She remembered especially fondly her childhood on horseback in Valley Center, and visits to the family ranches of her uncles in Midland and Roswell. Those would become guiding reasons to seek out Driftwood, Texas, as a place to raise her kids after living 13 years inside the Berlin Wall. Intertwined with ranching was a family tradition of writing, established in a one-room schoolhouse taught by her great-grandmother. The family bookshelf contained a modest but revered collection of titles published by her forebearers in the Benedict, Caudle and Peters families. Virginia also was a gifted writer, an example to be found in her Foreword and Introduction to a community project she undertook documenting the recipes of Driftwood families from monthly "community night" potluck suppers. Of the "Home Place Cookbook" she wrote, "I have done only a few things in life as satisfying and enjoyable."
With her move back to Texas, Virginia began her 23 year career in the University of Texas Department of Advertising. Virginia helped to define and develop the role of Graduate Coordinator, becoming a role model for many in the position, and making many lifelong friends along the way among her students and colleagues. Above all she loved working with students, many of whom came from distant countries and cultures and who found in her cozy office, a warm cup of tea, a kind ear, and gentle guidance often for many years past their degree.
Throughout her life, she was very thoughtful and inquisitive about many things; a particular historical interest in the Celts due to her Irish heritage; acid-tongued role models in Molly Ivins and Ann Richards; a shared interest with her husband in the history of Prussia under Frederick the Great, and in collecting among others Frederician Rococo china and Boles?awiec pottery; Art Nouveau, German Jugendstil design; precursors of Bauhaus and modernist architecture. She was constantly active and engaged in the wide array of Austin wellness-oriented activities, whether rowing on Town Lake or taking a daily brisk walk in her platform MBT sneakers, classes in yoga, Pilates, Nia, Qigong or Feldenkrais. She shared her abundant energy and enthusiasm for all of her many interests with friends, her children and her husband.
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