Virginia Brandt Lein

Virginia Brandt Lein, 96, of Westfield, Indiana and formerly Wooster, Ohio, passed away on September 16, 2020 at St.Vincent Hospice, Indianapolis, Indiana.  Born November 12, 1923 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Virginia was preceded in death by her parents, Aldred W. Brandt, Sr. and Alicia (Hamilton) Brandt, her husband Vernon Ward Lein, and her brothers, Richard H. Brandt and A.W. Brandt, Jr.. She is survived by her children, Alicia Ellen Lein of Asheville, North Carolina, and her son, Dr. Timothy Allen Lein, daughter-in-law, Jodi H. Lein of Carmel, Indiana and her grandchildren, Dr. Elizabeth L. P. Stroot (Thomas Michael Stroot) of Arlington, Virginia, and Sarah Elisabeth Lein and Matthew Timothy Samuel Lein, and great granddaughter, Zoe Elizabeth Stroot.

Virginia (Gini) grew up in Bexley, Ohio. She graduated from Bexley High School in 1941, then attended Capital University for two years where she majored in Elementary Education.  While there, she joined the Kappa Sigma Theta sorority, and thanks to a sorority sister, met the love of her life on a double date.  They spent the evening dancing to big band music, which would become one of their favorite pastimes. Vern and Gini married October 17, 1943.  After Vern returned from serving honorably as a U.S Army officer during World War II, he finished his degree in dairy technology, and the newly weds moved to Cincinnati.

Gini was a woman of her generation.  Her priorities were being a wife, mother, homemaker and community volunteer.  During the 18 years she and Vern lived in Cincinnati, Gini was active in Finneytown’s Parent Teachers Organization, the Girls Scouts and the Finneytown Women’s Club.  While Alicia and Tim were in high and junior high school,  she worked as a preschool teacher for five years. Vern’s career, then took the family to Mesa, Arizona, where Gini worked for Arizona State University processing student loans for athletes.

With the death of her father in 1970,  Gini chose to be a homemaker again, when her newly widowed mother came to live with the family. Vern’s career path would take them to Denver, Colorado, Greenbay, Wisconsin and to Wooster, Ohio.  In each community,  Gini and Vern created beautiful and welcoming homes for family and friends.  Gini was born a party planner, and entertainer.  She loved hosting home gatherings, and the menu was always delicious and suited the occasion. Her natural talent for design and artistic creativity shined when decorating her preschool classroom, and in making costumes for Alicia and Tim.  Gini’s creativity was on full display at Christmas, with four themed Christmas Trees.

Gini was a strong woman.  She was a 36 year breast cancer survivor. She was a loving, and thoughtful caregiver for her mother who died of pancreatic cancer in 1993 and for Vern who died a year later, after a four-year struggle with Parkinson’s Plus disease.  Widowed at age,71, Gini chose to stay in Wooster, build a patio home, and  create a vibrant life for herself. She spent time with family, friends, her bridge group, her church, and as sales associate in reproduction/primitive furniture at The Pine Tree Barn, Shreve, Ohio.

Gini loved her family, her parents, her twin brothers and her their wives; Alicia, Tim and his wife, Jodi. Most of all, she loved Vern, the love of her life, and being “Oma” to her grandchildren Elizabeth, Sarah and Matthew, and her great granddaughter, Zoe.

Due to the limitations of CoVid 19, Gini is being cremated by Flanner Buchanan in Carmel, Indiana, and the family will gather at a future date to remember her and  bury her next to Vern at Glen Rest Memorial Estate, Reynoldsburg, Ohio.