Virginia McNeill

MEMORIAL CELEBRATION: Saturday, August 17, at 11:00a.m. at Good Samaritan Church, 6805 Park Boulevard, Pinellas Park.  In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Good Samatitan Church where she was a devoted member or to a favorite charity.

At ninety, Ginny lived a grand life. She was a woman of strength who fell in love with life. She traveled the world after growing up in old St. Petersburg, graduating from St. Pete High Class of 1940. She was on the Sun Goddess Court, served ice cream at Webb City and worked as a dental assistant for Dr. Meyer, on Central Avenue before falling in love with a dashing North Carolina GI, Ernest "Mac" McNeill, who walked across the Gandy Bridge to date her from MacDill Field in Tampa.

As a devoted and passionate wife and mother giving life to three sons in the Washington, DC area, she traveled with Mac to serve in Damascus, Syria with their three small sons. Away from family, doctors, and American life and luxuries, she was a hostess and mother in a foreign land. After being evacuated from Syria, she took care of her family in Beirut, Lebanon and Ankara, Turkey then traveled back to America via the USS Excalibur cruise liner that traveled around the Mediterranean.

Back in the states, she orchestrated the family moves from air base to air base, first in Kansas, then Texas and finally in New York until Mac retired to Florida where they owned 10 acres in the middle of Pinellas County. As part of the pioneering Reagan family, she settled into a new civilian life. Ginny worked for a short time, to fill the income gap, at Smalls Nursery caring for mums and orchids. In the early ‘60s, Ginny joined Good Samaritan Church, formerly First Presbyterian, in Pinellas Park and became a leader and sustaining member. She also became an active leader in the Pinellas Park Women’s Club. During this time, she enjoyed being a sharp, competitive Contract Bridge player.

In the ‘60s and ‘70s, she earned many blue ribbons at the Largo County Fair for her cooking, sewing, knitting and antiques. According to her grandchildren she was “the best applesauce, German chocolate cake and pickle maker.” She was exceedingly talented at knitting, able to make complex sweaters and afghans while sitting in a dark theater watching a movie. She was a master seamstress. One of her most successful projects was designing and sewing all the clothes for an entire wedding party. She made the bride’s gown, the bride maids’ dresses, the groom’s and the best man suit! Ginny defined her trademark style with ultra suede fabric. Like a fine tanner, she fashioned one of a kind suede suits and coats for Mac and herself.

Ginny’s eyes always twinkled when she smiled. She was very clever in teaching lessons that have become family lore. Her family remembers a time when the boys repeatedly came to the dinner table fresh from play with no shirts. Ginny made her point by sitting down at the table with no shirt and sporting a full-figured bra. Her blue eyes sparkled often.

Ever intelligent, Ginny always knew that "it takes life to love life." And that she did.

PRE-DECEASED BY: Brother, Auttle Goddard; Mother, Verdia Reagan Barach; Father, Lawrence Goddard

CHILDREN: Ernest and Fran McNeill of Marianna, Richard and June (deceased) McNeill of Gainesville, & Tom and Barb McNeill of St. Petersburg

GRANDCHILDREN & SPOUSES: Slade McNeill and Tammy; Jason McNeill, Sarah McNeill Fitzpatrick and Don; Jennifer McNeill Bryant and Edwin; Daniel McNeill and Crystal

GREAT GRANDCHILDREN: Zephra, Gage, Coleman, McKenzie, Elijah, Dylan, Nehemiah, and Harper

SPECIAL THANKS: Janine MacCallum her for her love as a caregiver and the staff at Gulf Shore Health and Rehabilitation for their wonderful care.

MEMORIAL CELEBRATION: Saturday, August 17, 11:00 a.m. at Good Samaritan Church, 6085 Park Boulevard, Pinellas Park  In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations made to Good Samaritan Church where she was a devoted member or to a favorite charity.