Virginia Gordon

1931 - 2025

Virginia Gordon
Born: October 4, 1931 in Princeton, IL
Died: December 27, 2025 in Princeton, IL
Virginia Gordon affectionately referred to as"Jinny", peacefully passed into eternal life on December 27,2025 at Goldwater Care Center in Princeton, IL. She is survived by her husband, William Frank Gordon.
Jinny was born in Princeton, IL on October 4,1931 to her parents, Francis L. Smith and Ruth (Shawl) Smith. While attending Princeton High School, she met her future husband and the love of her life. She graduated from Princeton High School in 1949.
She and Frank were married on January 22, 1950 at the Methodist Church in Princeton, Illinois. Their first home was in Princeton, IL. In January of 2025, a celebration of their 75th wedding anniversary was held at Greenfield Retirement Home in Princeton, Illinois, where she was living with her husband.
Jinny was able to stay home, using her many talents to help her husband and raise their five
Her husband started a new job in Kankakee, Illinois in 1962. They lived in Kankakee for 62 years, returning to their "hometown", Princeton, in July of 2024.
She was a very active volunteer in Asbury United Methodist Church of Kankakee, plus being a delegate to annual and general conferences of the United Methodist Church. She loved God and wanted others to know of the great love He showed to the world through Jesus. She was also a volunteer chaplain for 14 years at Riverside Hospital in Kankakee.
Jinny could often be seen around town walking, biking or swimming at the local YMCA. She swam until she was 93 years old. She was an outgoing, intelligent, kind woman, which blessed her with many friendships.
She is survived by her husband William Frank Gordon, daughters Wendy Nickoley of Rockaway, NJ and Jane Chap of Patagonia, AZ. Her surviving grandchildren are Jeramie Redman of Tucson, AZ, Elizabeth Fisher of Wichita, KS, Britt Harms of Manteno, IL, Christine Besser of Ft. Mill, SC, Daniel Nickoley or Auckland, New Zealand, Megan Lathrop of Roswell, GA, Susan Cunningham of Tulsa, OK and Stephen Nickoley of Lake Hopatcong, NJ. She is also survived by her nieces, Dona Hildebrand of Princeton, IL and Mariellen Wick of Newark, IL. She had 22 great- grandchildren.
Proceeding her in death were her parents, Francis L Smith and Ruth Smith of Princeton, IL and Ft. Pierce, FL, and sister Anne Smith of Ft. Pierce, FL.
Also proceeding her in death were her three daughters, Ann Weakly Keisler, of Wichita, KS, Lynn Poole Fritz of Bloomingdale, IL and Lisa Ebersole of Bourbonnais, IL. One grandson, Eric Gordon, also preceded her in death.
A Celebration of Jinny's Life will be held on March 15, 2026 at 2:00 pm. At Norberg Memorial Home, Inc. & Monuments. www.doctorswithoutboarders.org Kenya Division.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Dr Without Boarders
Online condolences may be made at www.norbergfh.com
Arrangements have been entrusted to Norberg Memorial Home Inc. & Monuments.