The Reverend Virginia Francis Hart (née)


September 26, 1923 ~ May 26, 2017



Deacon Gini passed quietly in the early morning hours of May 26th. She is once again with her beloved husband Bob Hart, who was the absolute light of her life.


Though born in Colusa, CA, she was raised in Chico, CA from a very young age by her mother Ivy Camp Haynes in a house on Locust Street. Alva Haynes, her father, a machinist and inventor of agricultural equipment, passed when she was only 7. Life was happy on Locust Street with many cousins nearby and the family goat to play with. In 1942. she you graduated from Chico High School, mid-year, having completed school in 3 1/2 years.


During her wonderfully full and long life, she had an amazing array of jobs. Not long after completing high school she was an airplane sheet metal worker in the war industry. As soon as she was old enough she joined the Navy and became a WAVE and was soon working as a Corpsman. With her wartime medical training, she became an LVN working at Enloe Hospital , and later several of Chico’s medical offices.


In the 1960’s she and Bob bought a small almond ranch in Orland, CA. During this time, she worked in advertising sales for the Orland Unit Register, and as an Avon Lady, and one of her favorite jobs of all as a Fair Clown. Children loved her many balloon creations.


In the late 60’s and early 70’s, they relocated to Paradise to open Hart Brand Steaks. In the 1970s, after a move to Lake Tahoe, she finally found her true calling as a Deacon in the Episcopal Church. One of her most memorable experiences was her time at Camp Galilee in Glenbrook, Nevada, where she touched so many lives. During their later retirement years she and Bob lived in Fallon, NV and were very active at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church. After Bob’s passing, Gini moved to Lodi, CA in 2013 to be closer to family.


Deacon Gini was preceeded in death by her husband Bob Hart (2011); and sons Stan (1998) and Tim (2015).


She is survived by her remaining four children, Tom Dawley (Melodie), Mindy Hart-Shaw (Ed), Mary Dias (Dave), John Hart; eight grandchildren Jake Dawley (Kelly), Casey Dawley, Sean Dawley, Ryan Dawley (Alison), Liz Allen, Scott Allen (Jennifer), Tricia Navarro (Ray), Lori Phillips (Kevin), Jennifer Hart, John Hart Jr, Leslie Hart ;and 15 great-grandchildren.


A Memorial Service and Celebration of Life will be held at 11 am on, Friday June 16th at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church, 1055 S. Lower Sacramento Rd., Lodi, CA 95242. (Lunch and memory sharing will follow the service.)


In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made in her name to: Camp Galilee Campership Fund, P.O. Box 236, Glenbrook, NV 89413. http://www.galileetahoe.org/


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