Ginny Lance

Virginia Lance, known as Ginny to her friends and family, passed away suddenly on March 22, 2023, at the age of 91. Ginny was a loving wife and mother, grandmother, great grandmother, teacher, artist, chief bottle-washer and cook (her words!). She was a woman with a searching mind and a knack for words and loved reading history and biographies. Born in Peoria, IL, in 1931 to Hugh and Edna (Zook) Ritson, Ginny met husband Richard (Dick) Lance at the University of Illinois at Champagne-Urbana. They began a long adventurous relationship and were married for 70 years. Sadly, Dick died in August 2022 and Ginny in her eminently pragmatic way embraced the new stage of her life by continuing her regular exercising, knitting with her group at Heron Point, cooking meals she craved, hosting or attending dinners and lunches with friends, and having her cottage painted. She chose bright colors that reflected her attitude about life. Ginny and Dick had a long relationship with Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, where they made their home for 36 years while Dick was professor of Engineering. They bought and rehabbed an old Greek Revival home outside Dryden, NY, where they pursued their various hobbies such as gardening, raising sheep, weaving, spinning, planting penny-pines, and keeping the place from falling down. Summers were spent in the Adirondacks camping near Coreys outside Tupper Lake and more recently at Simond Pond in a rental we dubbed ‘Doc Baker’s.’ The past 25 years Ginny and Dick have lived at Heron Point in Chestertown, MD, where they owned a sailing boat and spent time creating their individual art - with Ginny painting and drawing and Dick's photography. They traveled in Europe and South America and spent time learning throughout those years. They tackled the New York Times crossword daily. Ginny is survived by her family,including her children, Cathy (CJ) Lance (Chris Dilger), Julie Lance (Steve Ball), and R. Fritz Lance (Kelly Kaufman Lance), as well as grandchildren, Virginia (Ginna) Lance (Bobby Carroll), Kirsten Lance (Hilary Gram), Zachary Ball, Erin Ball, and Sandrine Duboscq (Chris Lefancheck). There are also two lovely great-grandchildren, the indomitable Cass Gram Lance and wide-eyed six-month old Teddy Carroll. Nothing can take the place of Mom and Dad-Ginny and Doc-Grandma and Grandpa. We miss them very much. Should anyone wish to make a donation in either of their names, we ask for Ginny a donation to a botanical garden and for Dick to the WC-ALL program at Washington College, Chestertown, MD (wc_all@washcoll.edu).

Ginny Lance

May 24, 1931 - March 22, 2023