Virginia "Ginny" Mary Gilbert Obituary (1939 - 2018)

Virginia Mary Gilbert, 78, of Bloomington, passed away February 15, 2018 in Normal. Her funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, February 19, 2018 at Carmody-Flynn Funeral Home, Bloomington. Visitation will be from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Monday at the funeral home. A private burial will be at Park Hill Cemetery, Bloomington. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Alzheimer's Association. To express condolences online, please visit www.carmodyflynn.com. Virginia, known as "Ginny" was born October 13, 1939 in Newark, Ohio, the daughter of Ed and Virginia Devine Wisener. She married the love of her life, Thomas Gilbert on September 2, 1961 in Newark, OH. He passed away December 28, 2016 and her life was never the same. She was also preceded in death by her parents, Virginia (Bill) McCandlish and Ed (Dorothea) Wisener and one sister, Darlene. In Ginny's youth she was head majorette, a homecoming and pageant queen and also played the oboe and clarinet. Ginny was a newspaper editor, reporter and photographer for the Newark OH newspaper, She became one of the first employees at the State Farm Ohio Regional office in 1959 before transferring to Bloomington for Tom's career at State Farm. She then worked at the Paragraph in investigating reporting and as Publication Manager at Growmark where she won numerous local and national Women of Excellence Awards for communications, photography and publications. Ginny also wrote, illustrated and published a book about her life and family which dated back to family history in the mid 1800's. Ginny was most proud of her family and they were always her top priority. She is survived by her children, Mike (Trish) Gilbert, Mesa AZ, Mary (Tom) Bley, Bloomington and Joe (Paige) Gilbert, Carmel, IN, and her grand and great-grandchildren, Tasha (Toby) Dunn, Ashley (Robert) Anderson, Courtney (Eric) Anderson, Heather, Nicole, Owen, Gracie, Gabby, James and John Gilbert, Tucker and Tinley Dunn, Zoey Otto, Charlotte, Thomas and Nora Anderson, and Madison Bley. Also surviving is one brother, Ed (Carol) Wisener of Madison, WI. Ginny loved to travel and saw many parts of the world. She and Tom played tennis at Evergreen Racquet Club and golf at El Paso Golf Club for many years. Ginny was a member of St. Patrick Church of Merna. Ginny was very much loved by her family and friends and she will be greatly missed.