Virginia Johnson Michaux

Virginia Ann Johnson Michaux, known and loved as "Ginny", embarked upon her final great exploration on August 14, 2024. As a wife, mother, grandmother, aunt and friend she defined courage, curiosity, adventurous spirit and passion for the planet. It was that tenacity that saw her through a seven year battle with cancer ending at the age of 80. Ginny was an explorer, an author, a climate change advocate and a clinical social worker. Her focused dedication served as a powerful example and inspiration to all. Through her outdoor adventures and ecological projects, she made friends all over the world. They shared her passion for the earth and thoroughly enjoyed her warmth, intelligence and self-effacing humor.

Ginny's life began in Newport News, Virginia, on July 14, 1944. She was welcomed by her hard working parents, Armon Benjamin Johnson and Dorothy Clayton Johnson, and her big sister Dorothy "Dot" Johnson Toporek who passed away in 2011. It wasn't long before the family moved to Asheville, North Carolina. This marked the beginning of her lifelong interest in nature and exploration. Outdoors amidst the trees and across the hills from sunup to sun down, Ginny developed her passion for nature and a desire to help protect the planet. She was also a strong curious academic student and avid reader, winning the Latin medal in 9th grade.

At the end of ninth grade, Ginny's family moved to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. In the halls of Myrtle Beach High School, Ginny met the love of her life Richard "Dick" Michaux. Ginny tutored Dick in Latin and Dick tutored Ginny in Math. They both served on the student council and enjoyed a committed relationship throughout high school. Dick was not the only one who appreciated her qualities. Ginny was voted "Most Popular" and "Best All Around."

Ginny's success followed her to the University of South Carolina. She was welcomed into the Chi Omega Sorority, received five academic scholarships and graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Nursing School. She received the Schaffeur Award for achieving the highest grade point average during her years in the Nursing School.

Ginny and Dick were married in Myrtle Beach on December 30, 1966. After graduating from the Naval Academy, Dick served on nuclear submarines. For the next five years, they moved four times before Dick completed his service requirement. Ginny found nursing jobs easily during these tours of duty. They enrolled in graduate programs (MBA and Nursing Masters) at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill in 1971. They graduated in 1973 and moved to Hilton Head, South Carolina. Ginny was a nurse at the hospital in nearby Savannah, GA while Dick worked for Sea Pines Company. They became a family of four during these very busy years. Rick was born in 1969 and Alison arrived in 1973.

Next stop for the family was Alexandria, Virginia in 1976. It was during this time that Ginny received a second master's in social work and child/family counseling from Catholic University. She worked as the head of the Emergency Walk-in Clinic at the Mount Vernon Mental Health Center and later established a private family and marriage counseling practice in Old Town Alexandria. Ginny was an active member of the St. Luke's Episcopal Church where she sang in the choir.

It was an insatiable curiosity and penchant for science that drew Ginny to begin her research on climate change. This passion found many avenues. She became an Al Gore-trained climate speaker, an explorer, a conservationist and an author. In 2000, she spent over a month exploring both poles. Ginny skied the last degree to the North Pole over 18 days, pulling a 100-pound sled. She met climate change experts while accompanying 60 Minutes on two climate change research projects. Ginny brought this experience and conviction to dozens of organizations and classrooms, sharing her personal observations of climate change while using her Climate Reality Leadership Corp training. She was awarded membership into the Explorer's Club and headed their Conservation Committee. All of this experience, knowledge and passion together with her active imagination and talent produced a novel published in 2021 entitled "A Tree for Antarctica", which has been voted "favorite book of the year" by several book clubs.

The Michaux's home in Vail, Colorado further developed Ginny's love of hiking. Her enthusiasm for trails and nature motivated her, along with several friends, to tramp across England and along the rugged coasts of Wales and Ireland. Her grandchildren loved to joke that she could point out every type of wildflower that blooms in Colorado's White River National Forest and knew way too much about scat.

In 2002, all of Ginny's experiences and abilities found new focus when her granddaughter Tia was born with PKU, a rare genetic disease which inhibits the ability to process protein. In addition to lending enormous personal support, Ginny helped found the National PKU Alliance (NPKUA) in 2008, dedicated to pursuing better therapies and finding a cure for PKU. As an active member of the NPKUA's Scientific Advisory Council, Ginny spent her remaining years helping evaluate scientific grant proposals. Her passion and dedication paid off as one of the therapies was approved by the FDA, allowing Tia to go off to college enjoying a full, protein rich diet.

Over these last few years, Ginny and Dick enjoyed their homes in Washington DC, Vail, Colorado and San Jose del Cabo, Mexico and extensive travels across all seven continents. Ginny's favorite place was Vail where snow, cool summers, nature and the mountains sang to her.

Ginny is survived by Dick Michaux, her husband of 57 years. She is also survived by her son Rick Michaux of Oregon and her daughter Alison Michaux Reynolds along with her son-in-law Kai Reynolds of Washington DC. In addition, her niece Lisa Toporek of Nashville Tennessee, her grandchildren Sophie Buis Michaux, Cecil Michaux, Clara Michaux of Oregon along with Tia Piziali, Hudson Reynolds, Ava Reynolds and Georgia Reynolds of Washington DC.

There will be a private burial service at Oak Hill cemetery in Washington DC and a celebration of life in October, 2024.

The family is requesting that in lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Covering Climate Now, a journalist organization that works to improve climate coverage worldwide: Covering Climate Now