Virginia S. "Ginger" Davis, 64, of Londonderry, NH, died Thursday May 12, 2011 in the Merrimack Valley Hospice House in Haverhill, MA. Known as “Ginger”, she touched many lives with her love of life, grace, and caring for people. She was born in Flushing, New York on April 17, 1947, the daughter of Donald Sutherland and Virginia Lawton Sutherland. She lived her early life in Danvers, Massachusetts and moved to Peterborough, NH in 1960. She graduated from Peterborough High School in 1965 and from the University of New Hampshire in 1969. During her freshman year, she met her future husband of nearly 41 years, Steven J. Davis.
Ginger was a Social Worker for the State of New Hampshire for several years before moving to Albuquerque, New Mexico with her husband where they lived for 12 years and had two children, Scott and Janet. While in New Mexico, she was active in the Albuquerque School System and helped establish a successful magnet school for math and science. She was also a Red Cross volunteer at the Kirtland Air Force Base Hospital in Albuquerque. She stayed home to raise her two children. In 1985, the family moved back to New Hampshire, settling in Londonderry where Ginger lived for the rest of her life. Ginger was a Special Education Assistant at Londonderry High School from 1988 until 2007. She also was a coach for the Olympics of the Mind program. She served on the Londonderry Conservation Commission for several years. She was a member of the First Parish Congregational Church in East Derry.
She had many interests including: music, dancing, skiing, hiking, kayaking, travel, church, education, history, knitting, reading, and teaching. Music was one of her great loves. She performed throughout her life and was a member of the Interfaith Choir of Derry, NH for over 25 years. Dancing was her passion, especially classical ballet, which she participated in from the age of three. She and her mother operated a ballet school for young children in Peterborough when she was in high school. She continued to take lessons as an adult at the Albuquerque Dance Academy and for many years at the Londonderry Dance Academy. Ginger also enjoyed traveling, and she and her husband traveled through much of the US and visited Canada and many countries in Europe where they spent time hiking in the Alps or exploring cities and towns. She was an avid downhill and cross-country skier, and in recent years spent time at her beloved “Trailmix” cabin in the White Mountains. She was a loyal UNH Hockey fan and attended nearly all home games beginning with her college years.
Ginger was well known for her wit and intelligence, compassion for others, extraordinary memory and her unapologetic loyalty to family and friends. She hated to be late and always came through on her word. Her circle of friends extended through all the times and places she lived her life; each friendship held a very special meaning to her and she had a way of making sure her friends understood how unique their relationship was to her.
Her youthful nature, combined with her exceptional ability to listen and her strong sense of morality contributed to the exemplary mother she was to her children and grandchildren. She had a way of dancing through life, and those who knew her will likely hold this image of her with them.
Ginger’s last six years in a protracted battle with ovarian cancer further revealed how extraordinary she was. She weathered the disease with grace and determination, while maintaining her full devotion to her friends and family. She never complained and never backed down from ever more taxing treatments, repeatedly beating back the disease far longer than anyone expected. And even with these dark clouds perpetually moving in from the distance, she lived her life to the fullest, in the outdoors, with her family nearby, and with an open heart. During this time she was active in the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition Walks. In 2007 she was honored to be asked to introduce Londonderry High School to the rest of the nation on the national morning show "Good Morning America" as part of Pantene's Beautiful Lengths Foundation that provides real hair wigs for women battling cancer. She was very touched by nearly 70 students donating their hair.
She is survived by her husband, Steven J. Davis; her son, Scott Christian Davis and her daughter-in-law, Anne Davis; her daughter, Janet Hope Damaske and her son-in-law, John Damaske; three grandchildren, Heidi Genevieve Davis, Anna Virginia Davis, and Noah Steven Damaske; as well as two brothers, James Sutherland and Donald Sutherland. Her family was the center and love of her life.
Following cremation, calling hours were held on Thursday, May 19th from 5 - 8pm in the Peabody Funeral Homes and Crematorium, 290 Mammoth Rd., Londonderry. A celebration of Ginger's life was held on Sunday, May 22nd at 2:00pm in the First Parish Church, 47 East Derry Rd., Derry, NH. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Massachusetts General Hospital, Gynecological Oncology Research Fund, 55 Fruit St., Boston, MA 02114, or to the Interfaith Choir, PO Box 325, E. Derry, NH 03041, or to the First Parish Church, PO Box 114, E. Derry, NH 03041.