Mary Virginia “Ginny” Jackson Racine, formerly of Centralia and Marion, passed away June 15, shortly after midnight, after a day spent surrounded by family.
Virginia was born Aug. 8, 1922, in Marion, Illinois, to Norman and Glenna (Webb) Jackson. She married Tommy P. Racine of Marion on Aug. 1, 1942. He preceded her in death on July 4, 2011.
She graduated from Marion High School, with honors, in 1940. After giving up nursing school to raise her family, Virginia later returned to college and graduated from Rend Lake College, with honors, as a Licensed Practical Nurse; and from Kaskaskia College in Centralia, with honors, as a Registered Nurse.
She had a long career nursing career at St. Mary’s Hospital in Centralia, where she was a favorite of the doctors delivering babies there. She was an excellent nurse, and many mothers talked about how wonderful she was during their experience. Her nursing service was a source of great pride to her and her family. After retiring as a full-time nurse, she became a nursing instructor at Kaskaskia College.
After Virginia and Tommy were both fully retired, they traveled across the United States, often taking their grandchildren with them on their traveling adventures. She was an avid history buff and relished the opportunity to share our country’s history with them. Virginia loved the ocean, and she and Tommy became “winter Texans” for a time. She often spoke about how much she loved camping on the beach on Padre Island, where she enthusiastically led her visiting children and grandchildren on late-night, low-tide walks on the beach to collect sea shells and stargaze.
Mrs. Racine was a lifelong member of the Community of Christ Church, from which she drew a great deal of faith and strength over the years.
In addition to her husband, she was also preceded in death by two siblings, Ronald Jackson of Grand Prairie, Texas, and Norma Lee Rockett of Mount Vernon; and a nephew, Garry Rockett of Salem.
She is survived by her children, Joseph L. Racine of Chesterfield, Missouri; Stephanie Gustave of Lawrence, Kansas; and Cara Recine of Carbondale, Illinois; four grandchildren, Aaron Racine of Overland Park, Kansas; Hamp Webster III of Carbondale; Bradley Gustave of Denver, Colorado; and Kelley Racine Gustave of Carbondale; three great-grandchildren, Wyatt Joseph Racine and Asa Alexander Racine of Overland Park, and Ivy June Webster of Carbondale; a niece, to whom she was very close, Shelley Rockett Munton of Bonnie, Illinois; nieces Linda Rockett Smith of Hampshire, Illinois; and Carmi Hill and Marlene Thompson of Marion; her brother’s daughters, Becky, Cindy, Crystal and Leslie; many great-nieces and great-nephews, and many cousins in the Webb and Jackson families.
Visitation will be from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, June 18, at Mitchell-Hughes Funeral Home, 800 N. Market St. in Marion, followed by a celebration of life service at 11 am and burial immediately after at Maplewood Cemetery in Marion, where she will be laid to rest alongside her husband, Tom, and her parents.