AUGUSTA – Virginia A. Foster, known to friends as “Ginny” passed away on April 24, 2024, at Glenridge Rehabilitation.

She was the youngest child of William David and Christiana K. (Allen) Foster.

She was born in Kansas City, Mo., and, after graduating from high school, attended St. Lukes Hospital School of Nursing. She made many new friends there and kept in touch with many of them throughout her later years. After working at St. Luke’s for a few years she decided to see more of our country and became a camp nurse in Maine. There she met and eventually married her husband Stuart L. Foster. They settled in the Winthrop/Monmouth area and began to raise a family.

By the time Ginny had realized that the nursing profession was not what she wanted to pursue and, having small children at home, she became a childcare provider for several other preschoolers. This led to her working at Wonder Awhile nursey school for nine years. When the Winthrop Middle School opened, Ginny began her career there in school food service. She was employed as a baker and then became the manager, a position she held for 19 years. During this time, she took advantage of the opportunity to travel by attending many national school food service conventions across the country along with her good friend Elaine who kept her from getting lost in the big cities. Later in life she made use of her nursing degree to get credits towards continuing her education, graduating from the University of Maine at Farmington at the age of 57 while still working full time.

After retiring, Ginny volunteered with the Meals on Wheels program, delivering meals to the home-bound which she enjoyed very much. Her other activities included the Silver Sneakers class at the YMCA which she liked as much for the socialization as the exercise. She loved to do jigsaw puzzles and almost always had one in progress, and tried to never miss a used book sale, usually looking for Mystery books. She had been musically inclined from a young age and played the violin in her grade school orchestra. She also sang in several choirs including the Augusta Symphony, the Bank of Maine Bicentennial Singers (aka “BOMBS”) and as a founding member of CODA Chorus. She was introduced to English Handbells in the 1980s and was a charter member of the Winthrop Area Handbell Ringers.

Ginny also joined the Winthrop Community Mural Project and helped paint the murals that decorated many Winthrop buildings. While her girls were still young, Ginny was a troop leader for the Brownie Scouts. She was a member of the Handbell Musicians of America, UMA Senior College and the YMCA. She also traveled for pleasure in her later years with her good friend Priscilla. They enjoyed a number of riverboat cruises and saw many different parts of our country and Canada.

Ginny was predeceased by her parents; her husband, Stuart; her brother, David and sister, Joan; and her oldest son, Matt.

She is survived by her son, Daniel and his wife Patti, her daughters Christy and her long-time companion Galen, and Julle and her husband Michael; her grandchildren Helen, Madelyn, Cassidy, Henry, Thomas, and Arabel; her two brothers-in-law and their wives Larry and Esther Foster and Bob and Barbara Foster. She is also survived by several nieces and nephews and many cousins in Florida, North Carolina and in the Mid-West. She always considered the class of ’55 her second family and many of them also survive.

Ginny’s visiting hours will be at the Roberts Funeral Home, 62 Bowdoin St., Winthrop on Thursday, May 2, from 4-7 p.m.

Arrangements are in the care of the Roberts Funeral Home, 62 Bowdoin St., Winthrop where condolences, memories, and photos may be shared with the family on the obituary page of the funeral home website http://www.khrfuneralhomes.com

In lieu of flowers, please send donations in her memory to the

Winthrop Area

Handbell Ringers,

c/o Meg Cook,

12 Lakeshore Dr.,

Winthrop or to the

Wonder Awhile Nursery School, Winthrop

United Methodist Church,

58 Main St.,

Winthrop, Maine

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