Virginia Louise Hayes (Ginny), 65, of St. Louis, Missouri died at her home surrounded by her family and friends on Sunday, August 9, 2015.
The second daughter born to Mert and Lois Routh Hayes, Ginny lived in rural Chillicothe, Illinois for the first few years of her life. The family later moved to rural Bradford, Illinois where she was active in the Milo 4-H Club, softball, dance classes and piano lessons.
Ginny attended elementary school at St. John the Baptist grade school and graduated from Bradford Community High School where she was the first female in the history of the school to take a drafting class. She graduated from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Urban Studies/Planning. She subsequently received a Master's Degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of Illinois where she was a classmate of Michael Van Valkenburgh, founder of the firm selected to design the St. Louis "CityArchRiver 2015" project.
From 1971 to 1996, Ginny worked as a Landscape Architect and Planner in many different locations across the country, from Peoria to Washington, DC to Edwards Air Force Base, California. Since 1996, she has worked for Amec Foster Wheeler (formerly MACTEC) in St. Louis where she was involved in marketing and business development activities for the company's Transportation Sector.
Ginny's life was filled with adventures and accomplishments that ranged from hitchhiking in Europe during her twenties to winning the Sweet Adelines International choral competition during her thirties. She returned to the Midwest to live and work in her forties.
She was preceded in death by her parents and grandparents.
Ginny is survived by a sister Sidnie Jones (Kenneth); a niece Amy Jones Ferguson (Jason) and nephew Craig Jones, all of the Galesburg, Illinois area; a nephew Mark (Joey) and sons Joseph and Aydan of Palmer, Alaska; an aunt, Maude Mullen; and many cousins and friends. The family wishes to extend a special thank you to her colleagues at Amec Foster Wheeler.
Funeral Mass will be on Saturday, August 15, 2015 at 11am at St. Edward Catholic Church, 1216 North 6th Street in Chillicothe, with Father Keith Walder officiating, homily by Deacon Luigi Gregory Serangeli. Visitation will be immediately prior to the service starting at 10am in the church. Burial will be at the Chillicothe City Cemetery.
In keeping with Ginny's life-long love of flora, fauna and books of all sorts, the family requests that memorials in her name be made to the Missouri Botanical Garden or the Saint Louis County Library.
Visitation
AUG
13.
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM (CDT)
St. Edward Catholic Church
1216 N Sixth Street
Chillicothe, IL 61523
Mass
AUG
13.
11:00 AM (CDT)
St. Edward Catholic Church
1216 N Sixth Street
Chillicothe, IL 61523
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