Louise Virginia (Ginny) Cavanaugh 86, of South Natick, died peacefully on November 26, 2010 of complications of pneumonia at St. Elizabeth's Medical Center, Boston.
She is survived by her loving husband of 57 years William J. Cavanaugh of Natick; daughters Joan M. Cavanaugh (Hoover) of Belmont, Lauren C. Alves and husband Dennis of Ashland; sons Mark A. Cavanaugh of Salem; Dr. John W. Cavanaugh and wife Lilleana Calderon of Columbus OH; sister Joan Poss and husband Stan of Fresno, CA; brother Owen Huff and wife Kaye of Seal Beach, CA; and sister the late Joyce Ewing (Maguire) of Waltham. Her son the late William J.Cavanaugh Jr, USAF died in 1982 while on active duty at Williams AFB in Mesa AZ. Loving Nani to nine grandchildren: Matthew R. Hoover of Brookline; Catherine V. Hoover and partner Odrak Camara of Medford; Jonathan W. Alves of Ashland; Josef M. Alves of New York, NY; Jared D. Alves of Washington, DC; Andrew W. Cavanaugh of Franklin; Raquel Brown and husband Andy of Columbus OH; Natalia Vargas of White Plains, NY; and Wesley Vargas of Columbus, OH; Nani also to two great grandchildren: Sophia Brown of OH and Milo O. Camara of Medford.
Daughter of the late Anne and Commander Owen W. Huff USN, decorated WWII veteran who served as 46th Commanding Officer of the USS Constitution from 1945 to1947 before retiring to California . Ginny Cavanaugh served as a Corporal in the US Army Air Corps from 1944 to1946 during WWII for which she was awarded the American Service Medal, the World War II Victory Medal and the Good Conduct Medal.
She was born in Dorchester and her family alternated between west and east coast naval assignments, as her dad's US Navy career progressed. She attended schools in Malden MA, Panama CZ, San Pedro CA graduating from HS in Monrovia CA, Class of 1942. Her family was stationed in Panama when Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7, 1941 and her dad served three year of continuous sea duty while her family moved from California to Wakefield MA awaiting the end of WWII. After graduating from high school, she worked at MIT and after her US Army service returned to MIT to work on the development of the Nautilus Submarine where she met and later married Lt. William J. Cavanaugh at Ft. Leonard Wood MO in 1953.
Ginny dedicated her life to peace and service to others, often giving respite to military service members and their families in her Natick home.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Lieutenant William J. Cavanaugh Jr. Memorial Scholarship, Natick High School, 15 West Street, Natick, MA 01760 or to St. Elizabeth?s Medical Center Respiratory Intensive Care Unit, 736 Cambridge St., Boston, MA 02135.
Visiting Hours are 3-7pm Friday, Dec. 3 at the John Everett Funeral Home, 4 Park St. (at Natick Common) Natick, MA. Mass at Saint Theresa of Lisieux Parish, Sherborn, Saturday, Dec 4 at 10:00 am. Burial will follow in St. Patrick's Cemetery, Natick.
Eulogy offered by Mark A. Cavanaugh on Decemember 4, 2010
“Honor thy Father & thy Mother” the 5th Commandment.
This is the theme of our eulogy today in celebration of the Life of Virginia as a daughter, a mother, a grand mother, a great-grand mother and as a friend of so many mothers and fathers.
Now I don’t claim to be a Catholic scholar, nor am I well read on the Bible. I leave that to my Uncle Mike, (I mean) “Deacon” Michael Cavanaugh
But I do know the promise in Exodus that says, “your days may be long in the land which the LORD your God gives you.”
Surely this is true, because Mom lived a long 86 years filled with honor for her own parents and my father’s parents. By example, she taught her children and grand children to do the same.
It’s that simple.
In fact, if we ever got upset with Mom, and forgot that lesson, Dad would say, “your mother owes you nothing, she gave you life.” Of Course……He would use a little more colorful language. Right Dad?
I am the fourth of 5 children, and I was born on her birthday, January 3rd. She always told me “you don’t have to get me anything, you were my gift”. But she loved and cherished ALL of her children. She had no favorite.
Now, as many of you know, my mother loved to keep scrapbooks. She saved EVERYTHING: newspaper clippings, photographs, letters and cards! Her life experiences read like a 20th Century history lesson.
Born in Boston before the Great Depression, her family moved frequently from coast to coast due to my grandfather’s naval duty.
It was not an easy life for a Navy brat. Her family lived on a meager enlisted seaman’s pay. They were separated from each other for months and years at a time. Yet the Huff family endured. As her father’s military career progressed, Young Virginia attended many different high schools including one in the Panama Canal Zone.
While there On December 7, 1941, Virginia was attending CCD class. She rushed home to tell her father about the attack. Warrant Office Huff immediately said to his wife, “Anne pack my bags”. My Mom would not see her Dad for 3 full years until WWII ended.
Shortly after Pearl Harbor, Mom was evacuated back to California where she graduated from Monrovia High School in June 1942. Soon after graduation, the Huff family moved back to Wakefield where she found an administrative job at MIT at a laboratory developing radar systems for the war effort. The extra income helped support the Huff family while her father was away at sea.
In 1943, Virginia enlisted in the US Army Air Corps, also known as WAC’s, against her father’s wishes. During her 22 month enlistment, she served on bases in Georgia, in Michigan, with the bulk of her duty at Grenier Field in New Hampshire. A military newspaper featured her decision to serve in a “WAC of the week” column. She calmly said: “I’d been used to military life, was well adjusted to it, so I thought I’d like the Army”.
Like her father, she was awarded the “Good Conduct Medal” for her spotless military record. And true to her character, Mom befriended frightened and lonely Airmen heading for combat duties in Europe, often passing on messages to their girlfriends and families.
In a tribute the WAC, Here’s what one serviceman had to say about the performance during WWII of young women soldiers like Cpl. Ginny Huff:
“To freedom’s call they answered, and all a free life means, A spirit that’s exemplified by each and every Queen. For ‘Queens’ are what I call these kids, with love of country strong, they didn’t have to volunteer, and give up friends and home.”
“I love these Kids, you bet I do, cause I’m an Army man. And they’re the flower of womanhood, a-helpin Uncle Sam. Where it in my power to have my wish, and pick myself a mate, And find someone with loves that’s true, I’ll tell you sure as fate; Very few you’d find like these, can’t you guess who I mean? Every time I’d pick a WAC…...And have myself a queen.”
In 1945 my Grandfather became Captain of the USS Constitution at the Charlestown Navy Yard, his final ship command before retiring. At the time, my Mom said: “It’s my father’s honorary duty while he rests for a time from lengthy combat. But he really doesn’t like this duty because he is a “sea going man”.
My Mom was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army Air Corps in June 1946. She resumed work at MIT for the new nuclear Nautilus Class of Navy submarines. Virginia was quoted, “I wish I could find a man like my father. My father is handsome and brilliant and good. There’s nothing more to want”. In 1950 she met a young ROTC student named Bill Cavanaugh. Three years later they were married at Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri. THE REST IS HISTORY.
Of all the many condolences my Dad received, one best describes my mom by a dear friend Yossi, a veteran of Israeli Wars: “that pretty warm lady”And “a great lady who encouraged me and gave me the feeling that I’m not alone”. Honor my Mother for the love & joy & strength she gave all of us.
So you see by her faithful & unselfish practice of the 5th Commandment, this extraordinary woman received the blessings of proud parents, a devoted husband and loving children and grandchildren.
Like the poem says: Dad you got your queen, we got an angel, now GOD gave her wings.
Happy Birthday Mom