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Virginia B Radice

February 8, 1930 — April 4, 2024

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Past Services

Celebration of Life

Cottonwood Presbyterian Church

Saturday, May 11, 2024

10:00am - 12:00 pm (Mountain time)

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Virginia B Radice

Ginny was a strong and willed kind person who would help anyone she met.

A true member of the Greatest Generation, she had a quick wit which was a hallmark trait that made her everyone’s favorite after they met her.

Ginny portrayed the essence of what it means to be from a generation of people who lived through hard times to demonstrate an unwavering love, patience, and dedication to people.

As a young child she says she remembered a rather historic tragedy. “We were living in South Amboy, New Jersey. I can vaguely remember seeing the Zeppelin Hindenburg fly over our house before it crashed.”

During WWII Ginny and her younger sister Adele were conditioned to survive through hardship. Food rationing, poor medical services and hard physical work to survive from day to day.

She lived by a statement she had written down in her family notes years ago.

Special thought: at one point in my very young life my family was given some much needed help that we could not repay (and were told not to). My mother taught my sister and (I) me to “repay” this help by helping others in need. Good advice and thought.

Ginny was born in Trenton, New Jersey. Her sister Adele is still alive and lives with her children in Sierra Vista, Arizona.

Growing up Ginny worked as a secretary and other office jobs. She worked for a time at Lenox china factory in Flemington, New Jersey. There she found her love for that brand and style.
While working at Stroukoff Aircraft she met Daniel Radice. They married in October, 1951. They have two children, Diane and Michael.

In 1965 the family moved to Utah with Dan’s work at Hercules Aerospace. They have lived in the Salt Lake Valley ever since.
After her kids started high school Ginny studied for her realtor license. She earned that and worked successfully in the field for many years. In 1983 she became a member of the Million Dollar Club for her extraordinary success.

Ginny enjoyed a number of hobbies. Some could be called passions. Gardening, crocheting, and baking among others. She quickly became known as the “cookie lady” to her neighbors and friends. She spent countless hours baking her favorite types of cookies to keep on hand throughout the year. That quantity easily grew during the Christmas holiday season. Both Diane and Michael picked up some of the skills to make their own favorite items. It was her granddaughter Sara who has developed a deeper love and passion for both cooking and baking. She has taken over the reigns as the Cookie Lady now.

During Ginny’s time in the kitchen she baked several items that became award winning. Her lemon and apricot breads as well as her Hungarian biscotti cookies all won both First prize at the Salt Lake County and Utah State Fair. She also won for her knitted afghan blanket. It was a proud moment for us all.

Beside her talents in the kitchen Ginny enjoyed the rewards of her green thumb too. She loved all flowers but orchids held fast to heart strings. She had a knack for bringing back to life the driest plants. The title Orchid Lady soon followed.

Danny and Ginny enjoyed many pet companions throughout their life together. After Dan passed Ginny decided she wanted a companion again. She chose Sugar, a border collie and Australian shepherd mix. The two soon became inseparable. She kept Sugar for nearly five years until she moved into Sunrise assisted living. There she would not be able to take proper care of Sugar. She went to live with one of the home health care providers who had come to visit while still living in her home.

During the year Ginny lived at Sunrise she also quickly became a favorite resident sharing microwaved baked cakes and always insisting everyone take candy from her large bowl. She had wonderful care from both Active Hospice and the staff at Sunrise who will be forever part of our family.

Dan passed away in January, 2017. Ginny leaves behind Diane and her husband Bruce; Michael and his wife Tammy; Michael’s daughter Sara and her partner Tawny.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, May 11 from 10 until Noon for family and friends at Cottonwood Presbyterian Church in Murray, Utah.

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