Virginia Sato

Virginia Sato, 85, passed away unexpectedly on December 26, 2024 while visiting family in California for the holiday. Her last month was spent with family at her bedside.

“Grandma Gina” or “Nia” was born in Dixon, near Penasco, New Mexico to Florencio and Louisa Griego on August 17, 1939. She met and married Leroy Joseph Sato, near Bingham (Dinkyville), Utah and had two children, Cathy (Ernie) Duran, and Judy (Michael) Kesler. She had a large family she loved dearly including Gloria Garcia-Martinez and family (beloved like a daughter), grandchildren Nikole (Adam), Linzy (Ryan), Rene (Cody), and Darren. She loved all of her great grandchildren - Jaxson, Carter, Lily, Braxten, Addison, and Parker (her angel). She loved her extended family which includes aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews, cousins, and friends that span several states. She is preceded in death by her husband Leroy, her mother and father, Florencio and Louisa, her sister Mary Garcia, and her brother Lencho.

Virginia spent her early childhood in Penasco, New Mexico at the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Family recalls her dancing in the living room with her friend Melba and sister Mary (Tita). They were teenagers then, and that was the only time there was music in the house. She always reminded her children how she had to carry water for miles back to the house when she was a little girl!

She moved to Utah and married Leroy Sato and quickly settled down to raise a family. They loved spending time at Lagoon with extended family and taking large picnic baskets with Kentucky Fried Chicken. She enjoyed taking time out with family friends Evelyn and Meliton Sanchez, and holidays were special times with all the Griegos, Garcias and Sanchezes under one roof!

She enjoyed spending time with her parents, Lencho would pick her up in the mornings and Ernie would bring her home. She loved going out to Tio’s for Mexican food with Cathy and Ernie. She especially loved fried potatoes and tortillas, ham sandwiches, diet coke, and watching The View on t.v.. Not a day went by where she didn’t watch her daily mass on EWTN. Rasta, Judy’s service dog, entered her life and changed her mind about loving dogs. Virginia would share her banana with Rasta everyday, and looked forward to watching all of Rasta’s antics. Rasta became “her” dog.

She loved her great grandkids and grandkids to the moon and back. Parker was her special little boy. Her great grandkids and granddaughter Rene gave her youth back to her. She loved visiting Jaxson and Carter in Seattle, and especially enjoyed Portland and Bend, Oregon. She spent the last decade of her life chasing dreams, traveling, and just enjoying everything. She finally took her first airplane ride in her late 70s and saw the ocean for the first time at the age of 80. You couldn’t stop her. She talked about all the places she went with Michael and Judy and the last year’s of her life were so adventurous! She experienced so much of life.

Here are thoughts from family:

“My beautiful sunshine had the most beautiful smile and a contagious laugh, we both enjoyed the same author ‘Nickolas Sparks’ and would discuss the book after we both read it. We had so many adventures together, it's hard to be specific about just one. We traveled to Alaska and this trip was hard to beat, we had the most amazing time. She came to Portland , the Oregon Coast, Seattle multiple times. Anytime we traveled we had to make sure she had her Lays Potato chips and oatmeal. My sunshine will truly be missed. Thank you for the unconditional love you gave to me and my family and for the precious memories I will cherish forever.” Gloria

“Mom, that’s what she was to me. She adopted her daughters, made a home for them as well as her nieces and nephews. Unconditionally raised her grandchildren and her great grandchildren. So when I came into her life 43 years ago she adopted me as a son. And she will always and forever be, Mom.” Michael

Virginia raised generations of children - but she especially loved the greats:

“I want it to say how caring she was and my favorite memory is when we were all at the beach house as a family and SeaWorld Trip.” Braxten

“When my grandma came to visit my family in California we would do a lot of things with her but my favorite memory was when I would run downstairs and show off all my tumbling and she would say “I wish I could do that” and I told her “ one day I will be able to show her my back-tuck and then she would say I can’t wait to see that so that was my favorite memory of her and I together.” Addison

“I will miss my grandma Nia forever.” Parker

Funeral Services

An evening viewing for family will be held from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM on Sunday, January 5, 2025, at Memorial Mortuary, 5850 South 900 East, Murray, Utah. 

A mass will be held at 11:00 AM on Monday, January 6, 2025, at St. Therese of the Child Jesus Catholic Church, 7832 Allen Street, Midvale, Utah, with a viewing one hour prior to services. Interment; Memorial Redwood Cemetery; 6500 South Redwood Road, West Jordan, Utah, where family is invited to a reception following services.

Flowers may be sent to Virginia Sato, Memorial Mortuary, 5850 South 900 East, Murray, Utah