Of Escondido, California passed away, or as she would say "graduated", surrounded by her family on July 31, 2022. Ginny was born on April 29, 1926, in Cuyahoga Falls, OH, to Lydia and George Hanson. She moved to California when she was 6 months old where she resided most of her life, except for a few early years in Port Angeles, Washington, Florida and postings in Hawaii.
In 1944 Virginia married her knight in shining armor, LCDR Morris Carter. They were married for 73 years, until Morris "graduated". Their dedication to each other is the story of legends that began on a fateful afternoon at the Downtown Oakland Walgreens where she was working as a waitress. She was 16 and he, 19, a sailor at the time in the Navy. One look at Morris and she declared – "See that man over there? I'm going to marry him some day!" Virginia had prayed all her life for a good husband and father – and on May 22, 1944, her prayers were answered.
Virginia trained professionally as a lyric vibrato soprano and sang on the radio in Oakland. While growing up, her children were treated to the sounds of Broadway hits, classical music and the Messiah every Christmas emanating from the Hi-Fi. More importantly they heard their mother singing everything from Joyce Kilmer's "Trees" to "Que Sera' Sera'" while she worked in the kitchen or around the house. She loved everything from classical to the Beatles but had a special spot in her heart for Janet MacDonald & Nelson Eddy, The Three Tenors, Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli.
Ginny and Morris shared the love of Jeanette McDonald and Nelson Eddy, who Morris knew from his Wickenburg AZ days. In their 80s, Morris and Ginny could be found watching old MacDonald/Eddy movies, holding hands, and singing along to the songs. It was a delight to behold.
Ginny was a Renaissance woman excelling at a myriad of creative activities. She was an accomplished seamstress, sewing beautiful pinafores, coats, Halloween costumes and dresses for her girls, and many of her own clothes. She was a lifelong gourmet cook, reading recipe books like encyclopedias, and annotating them with care. She excelled as a baker and cake decorator, making her daughters' wedding cakes, and delightful birthday cake creations for her grandchildren.
Although she worked much of her adult life, she was a consummate homemaker. In addition to the cooking and sewing, she delighted in decorating the house for the holidays making many of the decorations by hand. She took up mosaics, making spectacular trivets, wall hangings, and jewelry boxes. Silk flower making and flower arranging was another passion. When Valerie and Corla went to Cotillion at the Officer's Club, they did so in dresses sewn by Ginny, adorned by silk flower corsages, also made by Ginny.
In addition, she had a green thumb! Hydrangeas flourished, Birds of Paradise brightened bamboo groves, bougainvillea spilled over fences and every spring the patio was a riot of fuchsias. Raised strawberry beds and water features provided more pleasure.
She accomplished all of this when she wasn't trying to understand the secrets of the universe. She was a voracious reader – with interests ranging from Egyptology to romance. She joined the Great Books club at the Coronado Library where she read Plato, Socrates and other classics, but she was also a lover of mystery and detective fiction.
Ginny was extremely intuitive, often knowing about events transpiring miles away before they were announced. She studied handwriting analysis – and would use this and her intuitive gifts to counsel her friends and family.
Travel was a passion for Ginny. She and Morris were stationed in Hawaii twice in the 1940's and 1950's. Later, they traveled whenever they could- to the UK, Tahiti, Hong Kong, Costa Rica, Greece, Ireland, Switzerland, Norway…. all over Europe and of course the US - riding paddle boats down the Mississippi River, leaf-peeping in New England, and flying over glaciers in Alaska. Her last major international trip was a three-week Mediterranean cruise with her granddaughter Jennifer when she was 82.
Virginia loved the outdoors and cherished her visits to Yosemite with Morris on their honeymoon, with her sister Jackie, and later with the family (made unforgettable by the visit from the bear outside the tent). She also enjoyed her trip to Rancho La Puerta, Mexico with her sister Jackie.
Ginny always focused on keeping physically fit. In the 1950's, it was Jack LaLanne on TV in the living room, and in Coronado, it was running at the Navy base. Later she took up yoga where she met her beautiful friend Meredith. Well into her 80s, Ginny participated in aquatic exercise classes in Escondido.
Virginia was preceded in death by her sweetheart of 75 years, Morris, and her daughter, Valerie (Bill) Thiele. She is survived by daughters Corla Davis and Laurie (Jim) Gates, grandchildren Bill (Karin) Thiele Jr., Tim (Heather) Thiele, Scott (Adriana) Thiele, Jennifer Gates and James (Victoria) Gates IV. She is also survived by her sisters, Jacqueline Schuelke and Linda Selaya, brother John (Frances) Selaya, and great-grandchildren Trevor, Justin and Bryce Thiele, Shant Arutunyan and James Gates V.
In 1944 Virginia married her knight in shining armor, LCDR Morris Carter. They were married for 73 years, until Morris "graduated". Their dedication to each other is the story of legends that began on a fateful afternoon at the Downtown Oakland Walgreens where she was working as a waitress. She was 16 and he, 19, a sailor at the time in the Navy. One look at Morris and she declared – "See that man over there? I'm going to marry him some day!" Virginia had prayed all her life for a good husband and father – and on May 22, 1944, her prayers were answered.
Virginia trained professionally as a lyric vibrato soprano and sang on the radio in Oakland. While growing up, her children were treated to the sounds of Broadway hits, classical music and the Messiah every Christmas emanating from the Hi-Fi. More importantly they heard their mother singing everything from Joyce Kilmer's "Trees" to "Que Sera' Sera'" while she worked in the kitchen or around the house. She loved everything from classical to the Beatles but had a special spot in her heart for Janet MacDonald & Nelson Eddy, The Three Tenors, Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli.
Ginny and Morris shared the love of Jeanette McDonald and Nelson Eddy, who Morris knew from his Wickenburg AZ days. In their 80s, Morris and Ginny could be found watching old MacDonald/Eddy movies, holding hands, and singing along to the songs. It was a delight to behold.
Ginny was a Renaissance woman excelling at a myriad of creative activities. She was an accomplished seamstress, sewing beautiful pinafores, coats, Halloween costumes and dresses for her girls, and many of her own clothes. She was a lifelong gourmet cook, reading recipe books like encyclopedias, and annotating them with care. She excelled as a baker and cake decorator, making her daughters' wedding cakes, and delightful birthday cake creations for her grandchildren.
Although she worked much of her adult life, she was a consummate homemaker. In addition to the cooking and sewing, she delighted in decorating the house for the holidays making many of the decorations by hand. She took up mosaics, making spectacular trivets, wall hangings, and jewelry boxes. Silk flower making and flower arranging was another passion. When Valerie and Corla went to Cotillion at the Officer's Club, they did so in dresses sewn by Ginny, adorned by silk flower corsages, also made by Ginny.
In addition, she had a green thumb! Hydrangeas flourished, Birds of Paradise brightened bamboo groves, bougainvillea spilled over fences and every spring the patio was a riot of fuchsias. Raised strawberry beds and water features provided more pleasure.
She accomplished all of this when she wasn't trying to understand the secrets of the universe. She was a voracious reader – with interests ranging from Egyptology to romance. She joined the Great Books club at the Coronado Library where she read Plato, Socrates and other classics, but she was also a lover of mystery and detective fiction.
Ginny was extremely intuitive, often knowing about events transpiring miles away before they were announced. She studied handwriting analysis – and would use this and her intuitive gifts to counsel her friends and family.
Travel was a passion for Ginny. She and Morris were stationed in Hawaii twice in the 1940's and 1950's. Later, they traveled whenever they could- to the UK, Tahiti, Hong Kong, Costa Rica, Greece, Ireland, Switzerland, Norway…. all over Europe and of course the US - riding paddle boats down the Mississippi River, leaf-peeping in New England, and flying over glaciers in Alaska. Her last major international trip was a three-week Mediterranean cruise with her granddaughter Jennifer when she was 82.
Virginia loved the outdoors and cherished her visits to Yosemite with Morris on their honeymoon, with her sister Jackie, and later with the family (made unforgettable by the visit from the bear outside the tent). She also enjoyed her trip to Rancho La Puerta, Mexico with her sister Jackie.
Ginny always focused on keeping physically fit. In the 1950's, it was Jack LaLanne on TV in the living room, and in Coronado, it was running at the Navy base. Later she took up yoga where she met her beautiful friend Meredith. Well into her 80s, Ginny participated in aquatic exercise classes in Escondido.
Virginia was preceded in death by her sweetheart of 75 years, Morris, and her daughter, Valerie (Bill) Thiele. She is survived by daughters Corla Davis and Laurie (Jim) Gates, grandchildren Bill (Karin) Thiele Jr., Tim (Heather) Thiele, Scott (Adriana) Thiele, Jennifer Gates and James (Victoria) Gates IV. She is also survived by her sisters, Jacqueline Schuelke and Linda Selaya, brother John (Frances) Selaya, and great-grandchildren Trevor, Justin and Bryce Thiele, Shant Arutunyan and James Gates V.
Of Escondido, California passed away, or as she would say "graduated", surrounded by her family on July 31, 2022. Ginny was born on April 29, 1926, in Cuyahoga Falls, OH, to Lydia and George Hanson. She moved to California when she was 6 months old where she resided most of her life, except for a few early years in Port Angeles, Washington, Florida and postings in Hawaii.
In 1944 Virginia married her knight in shining armor, LCDR Morris Carter. They were married for 73 years, until Morris "graduated". Their dedication to each other is the story of legends that began on a fateful afternoon at the Downtown Oakland Walgreens where she was working as a waitress. She was 16 and he, 19, a sailor at the time in the Navy. One look at Morris and she declared – "See that man over there? I'm going to marry him some day!" Virginia had prayed all her life for a good husband and father – and on May 22, 1944, her prayers were answered.
Virginia trained professionally as a lyric vibrato soprano and sang on the radio in Oakland. While growing up, her children were treated to the sounds of Broadway hits, classical music and the Messiah every Christmas emanating from the Hi-Fi. More importantly they heard their mother singing everything from Joyce Kilmer's "Trees" to "Que Sera' Sera'" while she worked in the kitchen or around the house. She loved everything from classical to the Beatles but had a special spot in her heart for Janet MacDonald & Nelson Eddy, The Three Tenors, Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli.
Ginny and Morris shared the love of Jeanette McDonald and Nelson Eddy, who Morris knew from his Wickenburg AZ days. In their 80s, Morris and Ginny could be found watching old MacDonald/Eddy movies, holding hands, and singing along to the songs. It was a delight to behold.
Ginny was a Renaissance woman excelling at a myriad of creative activities. She was an accomplished seamstress, sewing beautiful pinafores, coats, Halloween costumes and dresses for her girls, and many of her own clothes. She was a lifelong gourmet cook, reading recipe books like encyclopedias, and annotating them with care. She excelled as a baker and cake decorator, making her daughters' wedding cakes, and delightful birthday cake creations for her grandchildren.
Although she worked much of her adult life, she was a consummate homemaker. In addition to the cooking and sewing, she delighted in decorating the house for the holidays making many of the decorations by hand. She took up mosaics, making spectacular trivets, wall hangings, and jewelry boxes. Silk flower making and flower arranging was another passion. When Valerie and Corla went to Cotillion at the Officer's Club, they did so in dresses sewn by Ginny, adorned by silk flower corsages, also made by Ginny.
In addition, she had a green thumb! Hydrangeas flourished, Birds of Paradise brightened bamboo groves, bougainvillea spilled over fences and every spring the patio was a riot of fuchsias. Raised strawberry beds and water features provided more pleasure.
She accomplished all of this when she wasn't trying to understand the secrets of the universe. She was a voracious reader – with interests ranging from Egyptology to romance. She joined the Great Books club at the Coronado Library where she read Plato, Socrates and other classics, but she was also a lover of mystery and detective fiction.
Ginny was extremely intuitive, often knowing about events transpiring miles away before they were announced. She studied handwriting analysis – and would use this and her intuitive gifts to counsel her friends and family.
Travel was a passion for Ginny. She and Morris were stationed in Hawaii twice in the 1940's and 1950's. Later, they traveled whenever they could- to the UK, Tahiti, Hong Kong, Costa Rica, Greece, Ireland, Switzerland, Norway…. all over Europe and of course the US - riding paddle boats down the Mississippi River, leaf-peeping in New England, and flying over glaciers in Alaska. Her last major international trip was a three-week Mediterranean cruise with her granddaughter Jennifer when she was 82.
Virginia loved the outdoors and cherished her visits to Yosemite with Morris on their honeymoon, with her sister Jackie, and later with the family (made unforgettable by the visit from the bear outside the tent). She also enjoyed her trip to Rancho La Puerta, Mexico with her sister Jackie.
Ginny always focused on keeping physically fit. In the 1950's, it was Jack LaLanne on TV in the living room, and in Coronado, it was running at the Navy base. Later she took up yoga where she met her beautiful friend Meredith. Well into her 80s, Ginny participated in aquatic exercise classes in Escondido.
Virginia was preceded in death by her sweetheart of 75 years, Morris, and her daughter, Valerie (Bill) Thiele. She is survived by daughters Corla Davis and Laurie (Jim) Gates, grandchildren Bill (Karin) Thiele Jr., Tim (Heather) Thiele, Scott (Adriana) Thiele, Jennifer Gates and James (Victoria) Gates IV. She is also survived by her sisters, Jacqueline Schuelke and Linda Selaya, brother John (Frances) Selaya, and great-grandchildren Trevor, Justin and Bryce Thiele, Shant Arutunyan and James Gates V.
In 1944 Virginia married her knight in shining armor, LCDR Morris Carter. They were married for 73 years, until Morris "graduated". Their dedication to each other is the story of legends that began on a fateful afternoon at the Downtown Oakland Walgreens where she was working as a waitress. She was 16 and he, 19, a sailor at the time in the Navy. One look at Morris and she declared – "See that man over there? I'm going to marry him some day!" Virginia had prayed all her life for a good husband and father – and on May 22, 1944, her prayers were answered.
Virginia trained professionally as a lyric vibrato soprano and sang on the radio in Oakland. While growing up, her children were treated to the sounds of Broadway hits, classical music and the Messiah every Christmas emanating from the Hi-Fi. More importantly they heard their mother singing everything from Joyce Kilmer's "Trees" to "Que Sera' Sera'" while she worked in the kitchen or around the house. She loved everything from classical to the Beatles but had a special spot in her heart for Janet MacDonald & Nelson Eddy, The Three Tenors, Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli.
Ginny and Morris shared the love of Jeanette McDonald and Nelson Eddy, who Morris knew from his Wickenburg AZ days. In their 80s, Morris and Ginny could be found watching old MacDonald/Eddy movies, holding hands, and singing along to the songs. It was a delight to behold.
Ginny was a Renaissance woman excelling at a myriad of creative activities. She was an accomplished seamstress, sewing beautiful pinafores, coats, Halloween costumes and dresses for her girls, and many of her own clothes. She was a lifelong gourmet cook, reading recipe books like encyclopedias, and annotating them with care. She excelled as a baker and cake decorator, making her daughters' wedding cakes, and delightful birthday cake creations for her grandchildren.
Although she worked much of her adult life, she was a consummate homemaker. In addition to the cooking and sewing, she delighted in decorating the house for the holidays making many of the decorations by hand. She took up mosaics, making spectacular trivets, wall hangings, and jewelry boxes. Silk flower making and flower arranging was another passion. When Valerie and Corla went to Cotillion at the Officer's Club, they did so in dresses sewn by Ginny, adorned by silk flower corsages, also made by Ginny.
In addition, she had a green thumb! Hydrangeas flourished, Birds of Paradise brightened bamboo groves, bougainvillea spilled over fences and every spring the patio was a riot of fuchsias. Raised strawberry beds and water features provided more pleasure.
She accomplished all of this when she wasn't trying to understand the secrets of the universe. She was a voracious reader – with interests ranging from Egyptology to romance. She joined the Great Books club at the Coronado Library where she read Plato, Socrates and other classics, but she was also a lover of mystery and detective fiction.
Ginny was extremely intuitive, often knowing about events transpiring miles away before they were announced. She studied handwriting analysis – and would use this and her intuitive gifts to counsel her friends and family.
Travel was a passion for Ginny. She and Morris were stationed in Hawaii twice in the 1940's and 1950's. Later, they traveled whenever they could- to the UK, Tahiti, Hong Kong, Costa Rica, Greece, Ireland, Switzerland, Norway…. all over Europe and of course the US - riding paddle boats down the Mississippi River, leaf-peeping in New England, and flying over glaciers in Alaska. Her last major international trip was a three-week Mediterranean cruise with her granddaughter Jennifer when she was 82.
Virginia loved the outdoors and cherished her visits to Yosemite with Morris on their honeymoon, with her sister Jackie, and later with the family (made unforgettable by the visit from the bear outside the tent). She also enjoyed her trip to Rancho La Puerta, Mexico with her sister Jackie.
Ginny always focused on keeping physically fit. In the 1950's, it was Jack LaLanne on TV in the living room, and in Coronado, it was running at the Navy base. Later she took up yoga where she met her beautiful friend Meredith. Well into her 80s, Ginny participated in aquatic exercise classes in Escondido.
Virginia was preceded in death by her sweetheart of 75 years, Morris, and her daughter, Valerie (Bill) Thiele. She is survived by daughters Corla Davis and Laurie (Jim) Gates, grandchildren Bill (Karin) Thiele Jr., Tim (Heather) Thiele, Scott (Adriana) Thiele, Jennifer Gates and James (Victoria) Gates IV. She is also survived by her sisters, Jacqueline Schuelke and Linda Selaya, brother John (Frances) Selaya, and great-grandchildren Trevor, Justin and Bryce Thiele, Shant Arutunyan and James Gates V.
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