Obituary of A. Virginia Jaekel Dietz

A. Virginia Ginna Dietz (nee Jaekel), 85, died on Friday morning, Aug. 1, 2008, at Overlook Hospital in Summit. Relatives and friends are invited to attend the funeral service at Prospect Presbyterian Church, 646 Prospect St., Maplewood, on Tuesday, Aug. 5, at 11 a.m. Interment is in Evergreen Cemetery, Hillside. Visitation will be held at the Jacob A. Holle Funeral Home, 2122 Millburn Ave., Maplewood, on Sunday from 4 to 7 p.m. and on Monday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. For more information or to send condolences, please visit jacobhollefuneralhome.com. Born in Newark, Ginna was a lifetime Maplewood resident, graduating from Columbia High School in 1941, where she was an active member of her class. She served as co-chairwoman of the high school reunion committee until recently. She then attended Wellesley College in Wellesley, Mass., before returning home to wed her childhood sweetheart, the late William A. Dietz. Ginna went on to graduate from Berkeley Secretarial School, now Berkeley College, and work as owner and executive of the fuel-oil business started by her grandfather in 1897, George Jaekel Inc. At the same time, she devoted herself to raising her four children, a pursuit that helped lead her to what would become one of her lifes greatest passions: volunteering. Whether it was through the Maplewood school system, as chair of the Parent Teacher Association, or the organization to which she would remain dedicated for the rest of her life - the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. and the Boy Scouts of America - she was an exemplary leader in the community, organizing fundraising efforts, planning fairs, writing musicals; her talents were diverse and her dedication unwavering. In recognition of her decades of commitment, she was the proud recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Girl Scout Council of Greater Essex and Hudson Counties, acknowledging her 55 years of volunteer work in positions ranging from troop leader to board member. Until recently, she also found time to serve as a board member of the Womens Club of Maplewood and to remain active at Prospect Presbyterian Church. A former deacon, she continued to volunteer her time as a member of both the choir and of the Spiritual Life Committee. Ginna was also honored with the Maple Leaf Award from the Maplewood Civic Association and the Phoebe and Benjamin Shackelford Outstanding Volunteer Award presented by the Community Service Council of the Oranges. A loving mother, sister, grandmother and great-grandmother, she had four children, Virginia A. Stoehr, the late Linda P. King, Alvin W. Dietz and Andrew E. Dietz; 11 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her sister, Patricia Skidmore, and numerous nephews and nieces. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be sent to the Girl Scout Council of Essex and Hudson Counties, 120 Valley Rd., Montclair, N.J. 07042.