Wyoming McKenzie

Wyoming McKenzie died peacefully on June 22, 2025, at the age of 83 due to complications from Lewy Body Demetia in Bellingham, Washington. She was born Virginia Ruth Hodges (Ginny) on June 29, 1941, to Frank Josiah Hodges and Mary Stretch Hires Hodges in Salem, New Jersey. This is where she spent most of her childhood and school years except for a few moves during the war due to her father’s job with DuPont. The family relocated to Antioch, California in the mid 1950’s. Ginny graduated from Antioch High in 1959. She then moved to Boulder, Colorado to attend the University of Colorado graduating in 1963. She met Ozias Mather Hatch IV (Oz), son of Ozias Mather Hatch III and Florence Agatha Mueller Hatch of Springfield, Illinois. They married in Boulder, Colorado on December 28, 1963, with Ginny becoming Virginia Hodges Hatch. The couple lived in Boulder, Colorado and their first child, Ozias Mather Hatch V (Matt) was born January 22, 1965. That same year the family moved to Anchorage, Alaska. In 1966, the family then moved to Springfield, Illinois. following the death of Oz’s dad. While there, the couple gave birth to a girl, Mary Rebecca Hatch, who was born on April 9, 1968. Soon after her arrival, the family returned to Alaska. Ginny lived in Alaska, raising her children and working with a year spent living in San Francisco getting her master’s degree in 1980 through Golden Gate University. Two pivotal events happened in her time in Alaska, her divorce in 1977 and the death of Matt in 1982. In 1986, She moved to Eugene, Oregon to attend Law School at the University of Oregon. It was while in law school that Ginny realized it was easy to change your name and legally became Wyoming Virginia Ruth Hodges McKenzie, blending old and new. She graduated law school on May 21, 1989, interned in Newport, Oregon and worked for the County Attorney in Riverton, Wyoming. She eventually settled in Redmond, Oregon and had a family law practice in Bend, Oregon. After leaving the practice, Wyoming made several extended travel trips including 2 around the United States in her beloved van. Her biggest adventure was going in the Peace Corp and spending 3 years, from 2010-2013, in Luhansk, Ukraine providing mediation training to law enforcement. She was required to return to the United States with the outbreak of the war between Russian and Ukraine. When not adventuring, she resided in Bellingham, Washington to be closer to her daughter Mary. Wyoming was an independent spirit who was adventurous, feisty and intelligent. She enjoyed being politically active, traveling, reading, riding horses, telling stories and spending time with friends and family. She is survived by her daughter, Mary Rebecca Hatch of Bellingham, Washington and her siblings Jay Hodges of Fairbanks, Alaska and Mary Morris Ross of Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She was preceded in death by her parents, Mary Hires Hodges and Frank Josiah Hodges and her son, Ozias Mather Hatch V who died May 30, 1982.

Wyoming McKenzie

June 29, 1941 - June 22, 2025