Obituary: Virginia "Ginger" Smith
While Ginger was quick-witted and always had a clever comeback, she was also a thoughtful listener who supported and encouraged others.
Virginia “Ginger” Smith (née Madgett), beloved wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, died peacefully at The Knolls of Oxford in Oxford, Ohio on July 21, 2026 at the age of 88.
Ginger was born to Margaret and Jacob (John) Madgett in 1938 and was the youngest of five children.
Ginger grew up in Cincinnati and was a proud graduate of North College Hill High School. She went on to attend Miami University and graduated with a degree in German.
While at Miami, she met the love of her life, Richard “Dick” Smith. They married in 1960 and were blessed with four children and enjoyed a happy union for 59 years until Dick’s death in 2019.
Dick and Ginger’s cherished first child Alison died of leukemia when she was not yet two years old. During this time of tremendous sorrow, they found their way to Holy Trinity Episcopal Church of Oxford where they found comfort in the liturgy and community and became active, lifelong members.
Ginger considered herself fortunate to be a stay-at-home mom for most of her kids’ childhood, encouraging their development and interests while also taking graduate courses in economics. As Ginger’s oldest began to look toward college, Ginger returned to Miami and completed a master’s degree in personnel and counseling. Shortly thereafter she joined Miami's Office of Student Financial Aid as a financial aid counselor and took on a number of roles and challenging projects, retiring 15 years later as associate director for computer operations.
Music brought tremendous joy to Ginger’s life. She was a member of the Holy Trinity Choir, the Hamilton-Fairfield Symphony Orchestra Chorale and, in later years, attended the Oxford Seniors weekly Songbirds gathering.
In any situation, Ginger knew a song that fit. Ginger was also an avid reader and loved the theater, symphony and movies. While Ginger was quick-witted and always had a clever comeback, she was also a thoughtful listener who supported and encouraged others.
Dick and Ginger shared a love of travel that took them across the United States and around the world. Their favorite trips involved traveling with or to family. Ginger treasured the trips to visit son Stuart and his family at their foreign service postings and summer vacations with the whole family together.
Ginger brought infectious enthusiasm to her role as grandmother and great-grandmother. You would often find Ginger loudly cheering on grandkids playing basketball in the driveway, fixing their favorite foods and reading favorite stories aloud.
Ginger is survived by her children, Stuart Smith (Betsy), Leslie Smith and Darren Smith (Rachel); grandchildren, Nicole Byrd (Brand’n), Zachary Smith, Cameron Smith and Sean Smith; and great-grandson, Marcus Byrd.
She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Dick; daughter, Alison; parents, John and Margaret; and brothers and sisters, Ray Madgett, John (Glenn) Madgett, Eileen Bittman and Marilyn Hoffman.
The family extends their heartfelt gratitude to the compassionate staff of Hospice of Cincinnati and The Knolls of Oxford Healthcare Pavilion for the wonderful care and kindness they provided to Ginger during her final months.
A Celebration of Life service will take place on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026 at 10 a.m. at Holy Trinity Church, 25 E. Walnut St. in Oxford. A reception will follow in the church undercroft.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to Oxford Seniors or Holy Trinity Church.
This obituary was originally published by Paul R. Young Funeral Home.
