Virginia Laycock McLaughlin

Ginnie was dedicated to and energized by bringing people together and supporting those who needed it most. She showed her deep love of community in both her professional and private life, with countless examples of fostering opportunity and giving voice to those around her. Ginnie had a sharp and insightful mind, a big laugh and an enormous heart. Wherever she turned her attention, she made people feel they belonged, and formed long and lasting relationships. As a wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend, Ginnie opened her heart and home to those around her. Everyone was welcome at her farm and around her table, where she often had something incredibly inventive and fun planned, all with her characteristic spark.

Ginnie graduated from William & Mary in 1971 as a member of Phi Beta Kappa, then went on to Peabody College for her master's degree and to the University of Memphis for her doctorate. Her first classrooms were special education classrooms in Greenville and Charleston, S.C., and after teaching at Clemson University and Old Dominion University, she returned to her alma mater in 1983, where she felt very much at home. Over the next 38 years, she rose from assistant professor of special education to associate dean, worked as chief of staff to President Tim Sullivan, and in 1995 became the School of Education's first woman dean. Under her guidance, the school earned national standing for its research and for its work alongside schools and public agencies, and she oversaw the creation of its $48 million home on the former Williamsburg Community Hospital site, which opened in 2010. She was a published author, was integral in fundraising and grant writing, and taught everyone from undergraduates to doctoral candidates before retiring in 2021 as Chancellor Professor of Education. Beyond campus, she served on Gov. Mark Warner's P-16 Education Council, chairing its committee on data systems; Gov. Tim Kaine later appointed her to the Virginia Board of Education; and she led the national Council of Academic Deans from Research Education Institutions as its president. Among her many honors were the Edward C. Pomeroy Award for Outstanding Contributions to Teacher Education and, from William & Mary, the Margaret, the Lady Thatcher, Award for Scholarship, Character and Service; the Alumni Medallion; and the Thomas Jefferson Award.

Ginnie's commitment to children and families reached well beyond campus. She joined the board of Child Development Resources in 2015 and went on to chair its Governance Committee, serve on its Campaign Steering Committee, and serve as vice chair and then chair of the board. Her leadership was integral in making CDR's new campus at 312 Waller Mill Road possible, and her love for the organization and the families it serves was clear in everything she did. Of CDR's approach, she said the goal was "having those professionals work collaboratively with the families so that the services are braided together, are integrated in ways that can have the greatest impact." She was passionate about her work with Dream Catchers in Toano, which uses horses to enrich the lives of children, adults and veterans. She also served on the boards of the Williamsburg Community Health Foundation, Williamsburg Landing, LEAD Historic Triangle and the Virginia Network for Women in Higher Education.

Ginnie is survived by John McLaughlin, her husband of 34 years, with whom she shared their farm in Lanexa and their vacation home in Duck, North Carolina. A lifelong lover of animals, she made the farm a home for horses, dogs and cats, and cared for each of them with the same kindness and energy she gave everyone around her. She is also survived by her daughter, Melanie Johnson (Doug); her stepdaughters, Stephanie Smith (Jason) and Laura Merker (Kate); and her stepson, Adam McLaughlin (Christy). She leaves ten grandchildren: Grail and Nolan Johnson; Susannah, Elizabeth and Rebecca Smith; Julius and Hazel Merker-Passno; and Sophie, Abby and Jane McLaughlin. She is further survived by her sisters, Louise Miller (Bill) and Margo Rogers (Peter), and by her nieces and nephews, Scott Miller, Lauren Hauk, Alison Rogers, Michael Rogers and Christopher Rogers. Born Dec. 15, 1949, in Baltimore, she was the daughter of the late Irvin P. and Virginia Moore Klemkowski.

A memorial Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, at St. Olaf Catholic Church, 104 Norge Lane, Williamsburg, followed by a reception at Niceland Farm in Toano, to conclude at 3 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Child Development Resources, 312 Waller Mill Road, Williamsburg, VA 23185 (cdr.org/make-a-gift); Dream Catchers, 10120 Fire Tower Road, Toano, VA 23168 (dreamcatchers.org); or the Virginia McLaughlin School of Education Professorship at William & Mary (: https://education.wm.edu/giving/150-years-of-faculty-leadership/mclaughlin/).

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.NelsenWilliamsburg.com.