On D??cember 30, 2013, Victoria Castiaux's blessed life of 99 years ended at home with her family at her side. Visitation will be held at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, January 4, at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, 13615 W. 92nd St., Lenexa, KS 66215 with the Funeral Mass to immediately follow at 10:30 a.m. Burial will be in the Olathe Memorial Cemetery. Memorial contributions are suggested to Crossroads Hospice 11150 Thompson Avenue, Lenexa, KS, 66219. Victoria's zest for life enriched the lives of those who experienced her genuine unselfish concern and love for family, friends, students, and animals. Victoria began her teaching career immediately out of high school. Her first assignment was teaching first thru eighth grades in a one-room school in a farm town called Keplinger located in southeast Kansas. While teaching, she attended Pittsburg State University and received her Bachelor's Degree in Education in 1937. In 1953, Shawnee Mission School District hired Victoria as a second grade teacher at the old Flint Elementary School. A year and a half later she transferred to the newly built Nieman Elementary School where she taught until she retired in 1979. During her 45 years of teaching, she touched many student's lives by not just teaching them academics but teaching them the love of learning, a good sense of morals, and a strong desire to achieve high academic success. During her retirement years, she picked up the skill in crocheting, collecting coins, and making pies. She developed the honor as the "Best Pie Maker" in Johnson County. Her favorite activity was babysitting her great-grandnieces. Victoria is survived by her grandnephew Leo McDonald and her grandniece Amy Shields and great-grandnieces; Clarissa, Julia, and Colette Shields. The family wishes to express many thanks and gratitude to their compassionate and supportive friends and special recognition for the staff at Crossroads Hospice and Homewatch Caregivers. They were more than "caregivers"; they became dear friends to Victoria and the family.