A life well lived
January 6, 2021
by Rob Stevens
On Saturday, January 2nd, 2021, Virginia (Ginnie) Stevens, loving mother of three children and grandmother of seven children, passed away at age 78 in Decatur, Georgia.
Ginnie was born on January 23, 1942 in Indian Mills, NJ to James and Eleanor Entwistle. Raised on a poultry farm, she was the oldest of seven children. As an avid reader, she always wanted to be a teacher. In 1963, she graduated from The King’s College with a bachelor’s degree in English Education. In 1963, she married John G. Stevens and moved to Raleigh, North Carolina where she taught for a few years before starting a family. She and John raised one daughter, Sybil (Shelly), and two sons, Robert and John in Asheville, North Carolina.
Starting in the late 1960’s, Ginnie joined John and others in developing the Mossbauer Effect Data Center where they compiled an international scientific database that is still in use today. Ginnie lived briefly in the Netherlands and traveled extensively throughout Europe. In the early 1980’s she began working for the Western North Carolina Presbytery, where she led mission trips to Central America, developed programs around alternative giving, and was instrumental in developing ongoing partnerships with Guatemala and Malawi communities. Throughout her work and travels, Ginnie made lifelong friends from many corners of the world.
Ginnie’s greatest joy was finding ties between people. She enjoyed exploring and sharing stories that connected people together. Ginnie believed in people and found ways for them to use their gifts in positive and meaningful ways.
In her later years, she enjoyed spending time with her family - driving or flying across the country to watch a sporting event or musical performance, setting up extended family vacations, and helping her three children and their families.
Ginnie was born on January 23, 1942 in Indian Mills, NJ to James and Eleanor Entwistle. Raised on a poultry farm, she was the oldest of seven children. As an avid reader, she always wanted to be a teacher. In 1963, she graduated from The King’s College with a bachelor’s degree in English Education. In 1963, she married John G. Stevens and moved to Raleigh, North Carolina where she taught for a few years before starting a family. She and John raised one daughter, Sybil (Shelly), and two sons, Robert and John in Asheville, North Carolina.
Starting in the late 1960’s, Ginnie joined John and others in developing the Mossbauer Effect Data Center where they compiled an international scientific database that is still in use today. Ginnie lived briefly in the Netherlands and traveled extensively throughout Europe. In the early 1980’s she began working for the Western North Carolina Presbytery, where she led mission trips to Central America, developed programs around alternative giving, and was instrumental in developing ongoing partnerships with Guatemala and Malawi communities. Throughout her work and travels, Ginnie made lifelong friends from many corners of the world.
Ginnie’s greatest joy was finding ties between people. She enjoyed exploring and sharing stories that connected people together. Ginnie believed in people and found ways for them to use their gifts in positive and meaningful ways.
In her later years, she enjoyed spending time with her family - driving or flying across the country to watch a sporting event or musical performance, setting up extended family vacations, and helping her three children and their families.