GREENWOOD - Ella Virginia Stillman Hunt (Ginny), 89, passed
away peacefully on May 31, 2017, surrounded by her devoted family. Ginny, a
longtime resident of Greenwood, NY, was preceded in death by her husband, John
Van Allen III, son Jeffrey, sister Roberta “Bobbi” Conway, and brothers Eugene
and Albert “Jack”. She is survived by
eight of her children: Sharon (Larry) Woodworth of Mt. Morris; NY, John Van
Allen IV (Sandi) of Valdosta, GA; Terry (Merry) of Wheaton, IL; Steve (Glenda)
of Greenwood, NY; Tim (Katie) of Brighton, NY; Greg of Syracuse, NY; Susie
(Ted) Turan of Stanley, NY; and Sandy of Danbury, CT; brother Pierre (Karen)
Stillman of Villages, FL; 19 grandchildren, 14 great grandchildren, many nieces
and nephews, too many special friends to list, and her beloved pup “Red”. Born
on November 8, 1927 in Alfred, NY, to Albert Clark Stillman and Roberta J.
Flynn. Ginny spent her early years in
Salem, WV and her young adult life in Hornell, NY, where she graduated from
high school in 1946 and met the love of her life, John. They were later married in 1947 and spent
their early years together in Hornell, Olean, and Hinsdale, finally settling in
Greenwood, NY, where they spent the next 60+ years. In addition to raising her family, Ginny was
employed by the US Post Office as the Postmistress, was active with the United
Methodist Church, the Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts, Brownies, the Order
of Eastern Stars, the American Legion Woman’s Auxiliary, Greenwood Reading
Center, Steuben County Hospice, and the Greenwood Central School. She spent 20+ years supporting her children
through their school life and attending virtually every band concert, parade,
soccer game, basketball game, baseball game, track meet, and play that her children
participated. Her work at the post
office and her life as a dedicated mother shared the same mantra “neither snow
nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night’ kept her from the events her children
participated in, or from performing her post master duties.
Ginny’s legacy will continue in the lives she touched and by
the experiences that she shared. She
knew how to make each of her children, the in-laws, the grandchildren, the
great grandchildren, and all the lives she touched feel like they were special
and the one and only. She had a way of
listening and being supportive coupled with a keen sense of humor. Ginny made Christmas an extra special time
of year, as well as summers at Waneta Lake, Saturday morning bread and sticky
bun baking, Sunday roast beef dinners, homemade ice cream and soups on
weekends, and of course her infamous chocolate chip cookies. If Ginny had a vice, it would be her
life-long love for a cold glass of Coca-Cola. Please carry Virginia’s legacy
forward and be the best person you can be, and make all people you come in
touch with feel special and like they are the one and only.
The family of Virginia Hunt will receive friends from 5-8
p.m., Saturday, June 3 at the H.P. Smith & Son Inc. Funeral Home, 29 East
Main Street, Canisteo, NY. A funeral
Service will take place at 2 p.m., Sunday, 4 June at the United Methodist
Church, Greenwood, NY, followed by interment at the Greenwood Cemetery. In lieu
of flowers, memorial contributions in Virginia Hunt’s name may be made to the
Greenwood United Methodist Church, the Greenwood Cemetery Association, or the
Greenwood Historical Society, and directed to 4003 Fenton Avenue, Greenwood, NY
14839.
