Virginia Cretella Mars

Virginia Cretella Mars (“Ginnie”) of McLean, Va., passed away on September the first at age 94 after a short illness. She was surrounded by the love and presence of her daughters and many other family members in her final days.

Born on March 15, 1930, in New Haven, Conn., to the late Albert and Josephine Cretella, she grew up in North Haven, Connecticut in the midst of her very large Italian family of the extended Nutile, De Martino, Civitello and Cretella grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings and cousins. She shared boundless stories of her youth, all of which revolved around love and fun, bounty and sharing as part of an extended family circle. Her years at Vassar, from where she graduated in 1951 with a Bachelor of Arts degree and teaching certification, were filled with learning and laughter and where she formed many deep and enduring friendships. Upon graduation, she taught in the North Haven, Conn., public schools from 1951-55 and volunteered at the Yale Dramat to help with costume and set design. This is where she met Forrest E. Mars, Jr. whom she married in 1955. They were divorced in 1990 and he preceded her in death in 2016.

Ginnie is survived by her four daughters, Victoria (David), Pamela (Mark), Valerie (Philip) and Marijke (João), as well as 11 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. During her life she was adopted by many as their “Mom” and she later also became “Grammy” to so many others who were swept into her circle of love and inclusion. She insisted, particularly for the girls and women in her “family”, that they aspire and become the best that they wished to be and for all, she challenged us to think beyond what we thought was possible. In that, she was a true role model for so many. She was greatly loved and will be sorely missed not only by her immediate family but by all those whose lives she touched.

Vibrant, bright, curious, funny, gracious and caring, Ginnie brought energy and spirit to everything she did, and she stayed active throughout her life through her love of traveling, fishing, skiing, exercise, needlepoint, cooking and gardening. She derived great joy from spending time with her growing family and being involved in all aspects of their lives.

A passionate philanthropist and environmentalist, she founded the Virginia Cretella Mars Foundation in 1994 to support the arts, conservation and education. She strongly supported the work of the Washington National Cathedral, was a longtime supporter of the National Symphony Orchestra, the Smithsonian, the Kennedy Center, Lake Sunapee Protective Association and the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests among many other organizations. She believed in contributing not only her resources but also her time, energy, and her brainpower and was a firm advocate for those responsible for running the organizations she supported.

Ginnie’s passion for education inspired the creation of the Virginia Mars School in Barro Prêto, Brazil to support quality education in the region. She also served on the board of Vassar College and on the board of trustees for Foxcroft School in Middleburg, Va.

Friends and family are welcome to a Service of Christian Burial on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, at 11 a.m. at Washington National Cathedral, 3101 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, D.C. Following the service, friends and family are welcome to a reception at the Virginia Mae Center, which is located on the Washington National Cathedral grounds.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her honor to the Washington National Cathedral, the Lake Sunapee Protective Association or the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests.