Virginia Lee Christoff

Virginia “Ginne” Christoff, age 88, passed away at North Woods Village Thursday, July 26, after a several year experience with dementia. Ginne was a lifelong resident of Fort Wayne. She was a graduate of North

Side High School where she was a member of the National Honor Society. She attended Indiana University in Bloomington where she joined the Delta Gamma sorority and obtained her Bachelor’s Degree as well as her Master’s Degree in Library Science. She married the love of her life, Joseph Christoff, and together they returned to Fort Wayne where she taught school for seven years until the birth of her first child, at which time she became a full time mother. Ginne always dreamed of designing a home and she designed and oversaw the building of her home on Aboite Center Road next door to her

best friend, Pat Wilson where she lived over 50 years. She was involved in every facet of the construction and corresponded and met on site with renowned industrial designer Russell Wright to complete the final details. Her home was her pride and joy. Ginne loved to read and discuss ideas. She loved her book club, and also enjoyed volunteering at the Junior League. In later years she also enjoyed

a good political debate. She loved art, music, and books, and had the rare gift of being able to go out into the woods only to return with a bundle of wildflowers and twigs which she turned into a beautiful centerpiece. Ginne loved arranging flowers, decorating packages, watching birds, gardening, playing tennis and golf, swimming and spending time with her beloved husband, children and grandchildren, and her many friends. She was a wonderful grandmother and instilled a love of reading in all of her

grandchildren. Ginne was an amazingly beautiful woman inside and out. She will be missed but is finally with her husband Joe where she will be happiest. Ginne is survived by her daughter, Catherine S. Christoff, her son, Joseph A. Christoff, her grandchildren Julia Haller, Christoff Haller, Kate Colcord,

Mitchell Christoff and Natalie Virginia Christoff. She was preceded in death by her parents, Albert Charles Franke and Julia Sue Franke, numerous aunts, uncles and cousins who were more like siblings as she

was an only child. There will be a Celebration of Life Open House at the Fort Wayne Country Club, 5221 Covington Road, Fort Wayne Friday, August 3rd, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. A private service family service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers preferred memorials to the National Fragile X Foundation, 1861 International Drive, Suite 200, McLean, VA 22102, fragilex.org; the Allen Public Library Foundation, 900 Library Plaza, Fort Wayne, IN 46802, [email protected]; and Friends of the Parks of Allen County, Inc., P.O. Box 10152, Fort Wayne, IN, 46850-0152, yeaparks.com.