November 2012
Virginia “Ginny” Smith, L71987, wife of Dan Smith, national vice president, Rocky Mountain Area, from 1989-1992, died on July 27, 2012, in Mesa, Arizona. She was 91.
Virginia was born September 19, 1921, in Illinois. She served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II. Following the war, she married George D. Nance, and the two were together for 33 years. The couple had two sons, Greg and Geoff, and she worked as a secretary for several organizations. During that time they became acquainted with Dan and Janis Smith through a bridge club, to which both of the couples belonged.
“[Virginia] was friends with my first wife, and I was friends with her first husband,” Dan said. “George died, and then my wife died, so that left just us. So we would get together, enjoyed each other’s company, and got married in 1982.”
In 1985, at the urging of a friend, the couple went to an RV show. While there, Dan said Virginia talked him into buying their first motorhome. Shortly thereafter, they went to their first rally, where Dan was elected president of the chapter.
The couple took to the motorhome lifestyle. They were frequent travelers, visiting all 48 continental states, and toured Alaska and Nova Scotia twice. “The only state we didn’t get to was Hawaii, and that’s only because they wouldn’t build a bridge for me,” Dan joked.
In her free time, Dan said Virginia “liked to play bridge, play bridge, and then play some more bridge. She enjoyed all types of card games.” He described her as an “active lady who was well-liked by anyone who knew her.”
Virginia is survived by her sons, Greg and Geoff (Kay); stepdaughters Chris (John) Matlach and Tracy Blaisdell; nine grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her first husband, George, and her grandson, Justin Wayne Nance. Memorial donations can be made to Hospice of the Valley, 1510 E. Flower St., Phoenix, AZ 85014, (602) 530-6992; or to the charity of your choice.