The Key Peninsula lost one of its biggest advocates with the death of Virginia Liebergesell Oct. 1.
Ginna was born Dec. 17, 1930, in Yakima and grew up in Grandview. Her father was the medical doctor for the region, and she often spoke of going with him on house calls. After high school graduation, she earned her undergraduate degree at Mills College in Oakland, California, and continued her education at Harvard University, receiving a master’s degree as a reading specialist in 1955. She began her teaching career near San Francisco and married in 1957. Her three daughters were born between 1959 and 1966 in Phoenix, Arizona, and Geneva, Switzerland.
After her divorce in 1969, Ginna came to Tacoma with her three girls to be near her sister and brother-in-law. She continued her teaching career at Annie Wright School until 1976 when she was hired by Tacoma Community College to teach courses in Adult Basic Education. Realizing there was a further need to assist students, she created and became director of the DIAL Center for students needing assistance in reading and math. For 20 years she had a profound impact on teaching adult students at the center. She retired from teaching in 1996.
Ginna volunteered at schools and served on several boards of Key Peninsula organizations. In 2017, she, along with her partner Sylvia Haase, established the Haase-Liebergesell Family Foundation, whose mission statement is to help financially support established 501(c)(3) nonprofits on the KP. She was a member of St. Hugh Episcopal Church in Allyn and sang in the church choir for 33 years. She was a member of the ministry support team committed to assisting others. She loved meeting people, working on volunteer projects, and traveling.
Following a local fundraiser to reelect President Barack Obama, then Vice President Joe Biden was making his exit when he stopped, shook Ginna’s hand, looked into her eyes and said, “you have a smile that lights up the room,” a fact substantiated by her many friends.
Ginna’s most cherished role was that of mother and grandmother. She was an unwavering example of strength, compassion, grace and resilience and has passed these qualities down to her daughters and grandchildren: Susan Bunda (Mark Bunda), Manya Ross (David Ross), Ann Liebergesell (Paul Khera), Madeline Ross, Joseph Ferlauto, Abigail Ross, Thomas Ferlauto and Caroline Ross.
In addition to her daughters and grandchildren, Ginna is survived by Sylvia Haase, her partner of 45 years; her best friends Kathy Bauer and Catherine Kosel; her four nieces Kate Brown, Sarah Brown, Hannah Davis, Heidi Fuhrmeister; and nephew Kirk Fuhrmeister.
A memorial service is planned for Dec. 7 at 11 a.m. at St. Hugh Episcopal Church in Allyn.
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