| Birth: | 1915
Paris, France | | Death: | Oct., 2006 | 
Virginia Edith Haggard, youngest child of diplomat Sir Godfrey Digby Napier Haggard and his wife Georgianna Marie Ruel Haggard, was born in Paris in 1915. As the child of a diplomat, she traveled extensively. She married a Scot, John McNeil, in England in 1935 and they later moved to America. They had one child, a daughter, born in New York City.
In 1945, she began a romance with the Russian artist Marc Chagall which lasted seven years. They had one child, a son, born in High Falls, New York. In 1948, the family moved to France.
However, the relationship ended abruptly in Apr 1952. On 14 May 1952, Virginia married the Belgian photographer Charles Marie Leon Leirens in England. She was widowed in 1963. Virginia lived in Brussels, Belgium for years, and was the companion of Belgian film-maker Henri Storck (1907-1999).
While her primary interest was photography, my cousin was also the author of "Lifeline" (published posthumously) and "My Life With Chagall." Virginia was the subject of the 2005 documentary film "Virginia Haggard-Leirens" by André Colinet. The D&H Canal Museum in High Falls, New York hosted an exhibit 2 Sep 2011-30 Oct 2011 celebrating the two years that Marc Chagall lived in High Falls with Virginia. "Chagall in High Falls" continues to be exhibited in New York, with locations including the Kingston Library, Elting Memorial Library, and Starr Library in 2013.
Virginia Haggard Leirens died in Oct 2006. I do not as yet have the details of her death and burial.
Family links:
Parents:
Godfrey Digby Napier Haggard (1884 - 1969)
Georgianna Marie Ruel Haggard (1885 - 1980)
Spouse:
Marc Chagall (1887 - 1985)
| | | Burial:
Unknown |
Created by: Anne Philbrick
Record added: Jun 08, 2011
Find A Grave Memorial# 71053691 |
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With love from your cousin
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Anne
Added: Sep. 6, 2011 |
REPOSE EN PAIX VIRGINIA!
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quebecoise
Added: Jul. 20, 2011 |
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