Virginia Mary Gaines Thacker

"Mrs. Virginia Mary Gaines Thacker, age 75, born in Baton Rouge, LA was called home by our Lord on Tuesday, May 22, 2018 at 3:33pm. She was surrounded by her loved ones.  Visitation will be held at Rabenhorst Funeral Home (825 Government St, Baton Rouge, LA 70802) on Thursday May 31, 2018, from 12:00 PM until the Memorial Service at 2:00 PM.  Affectionately known as "Ginger", she was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Wilson Gaines, Sr., sister of James "Jimmy" W. Gaines Jr., Kathleen Gaines Yoursky, and Donald Gaines Sr. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband James Champ Thacker II, her brother "˜Jimmy,' Gaines, an infant brother, Robert Lee Gaines, as well as her mother Florence Mary Coates Gaines and her father James Wilson Gaines, Sr.  Ginger married the love of her life, James "Champ" Thacker II, on August 25, 1959. Together they are survived by their three children, Laura Leigh Thacker Major and spouse Daryl Major, Belinda Thacker Tuminski, and James Champ Thacker III and spouse Lori Thacker.  She was known as Grandy to her thirteen grandchildren, London Tuminski and spouse Rebecca Tuminski, Jacob Tuminski and spouse Sarah Tuminski, Jesse Tuminski and spouse Lexie Tuminski, Jude Tuminski, Champ Thacker IV, Luc' Tuminski, Logan Major, Gabrielle Thacker, Mina Major, Noah Thacker, Siah Tuminski, Zack Bergeron, and Julia Thacker, and five great grandchildren, Shane Tuminski, Carson Tuminski, River Tuminski, Aubrey Tuminski, Rowan Tuminski.  Ginger was a woman of strength and stability who nurtured not only her own children and grandchildren, but countless others over the years. She and her faithful partner, Champ, of 56 years, owned and operated 7 Tiny Town daycares, Millerville Academy, a private school, and later, Smart Start Academy. She passed on her love of learning and coined the phrase, "We Make Learning Child's Play". This is how she believed children learned best, and the children loved the approach.  She earned her Masters in Education at Southeastern Louisiana University in 1991 while running multiple successful businesses so that she could preside as principal of Millerville Academy. The school was open for 30 years in Southeast Baton Rouge, and the many children who passed through its halls cherished the loving education and family environment they found there.  Ginger was a vibrant soul, who literally lit up a room with her smile whenever she entered. She was full of joy, and always eager to help out, no matter what the problem was. She was a skilled and enthusiastic crafter, creating and sewing many treasures for her family and friends through the years. She was an avid reader and a lifelong learner. She was a student of God's Word, imparting her faith and praying for her family regularly. Ginger held a deep and abiding love and faith in her Lord and Savior, and held her unwavering faith in God until the end.  May we all exemplify this favored saying of Champ and Ginger's that encompasses their life together:"Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can."Godspeed, Mama. We will love you forever, and miss you until we meet again.