Obituary of Virginia Mae Phillippi

PHILLIPPI, Virginia (Ginny) Mae 91, was born in Cleveland, Ohio on January 9, 1926 to Howard Julius and Sadie Eliza (nee Pretzer) Ruetenik. She passed away on August 14, 2017 in her home at Amber Lights in Tucson, Arizona. It was a timely passing with all of her children able to say good-bye. Virginia was raised in Orwell, OH, the site of her family's vegetable farm. After high school Ginny journeyed to Madison, WI to study physical education at the University of Wisconsin. While there she was a member of Kappa Delta Sorority and met her lifelong love and partner, William Peter Phillippi. They were married on February 7, 1948 and remained so for 67 years until Bill died in 2014. Ginny and Bill lived in St Louis, MO, and Pittsburgh PA while Bill served in the FBI. In 1950 Ginny and Bill returned to Ohio where they took over operation of the family vegetable farm. For 26 years they raised many crops and their six children. They did both extremely well. Upon retiring from the farm Bill and Virginia moved to Prescott, AZ where they continued raising their youngest daughter and proudly self-constructed their own home. In 1980 they moved to Tucson, AZ. Bill and Ginny had a home built for them in Sun City where she was a member of many Sun City clubs, participating in hiking, sewing, quilting, tennis, the "Dancin' Dynamos" and the "Sun City Strummers" ukulele band. They lived there until moving to Amber Lights in 2012. Virginia was preceded in death by her husband, Bill; her parents and her sisters, Helen Armstrong and Elaine Rasmussen and grandson, Nolan Phillippi. She is survived by her sister, Sally Wolf (St. Petersburg, FL); her six children: son, Bill and wife Vicki (Tucson, AZ); son, John and wife Sue (Columbus, OH); daughter, Pat Goggin and husband Paul (Columbus, OH; son, Paul and wife Teri (Wautoma, WI); son, Thomas and wife Lori (Pine River, WI); daughter, Julian (Brooklyn, NY). Also surviving are 11 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. A Memorial will be held in Berlin, WI at a later date. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to the "International Essential Tremor Foundation" Arrangements by ADAIR FUNRAL HOMES, Dodge Chapel, Tucson, AZ.