Virginia Hamilton Engelhard

1942 - 2022

Virginia Hamilton Engelhard
December 2, 1942- May 9, 2022
Ginny Engelhard, lifelong provider of love and care to so many, died on May 6, 2022 in Brattleboro, Vermont. Her daughters, Erin and Meg, were by her side. Throughout her life, and even during her illness with metastatic colon cancer, friends and family delighted to see her radiant smile and twinkling blue eyes. We loved to hear her chuckle. When we spoke to her, she listened intently and with her whole heart.
Ginny and her twin sister, Sydney Graves Hamilton, were born in Tennessee to Virginia Hamilton (neé Walker) and Taber Hamilton II. The girls and their elder brother, Taber Hamilton III, stayed with their grandparents while their father fought in WWII. After her parents divorced, her mother remarried to Donald Sperry and the family moved to Hamden, Connecticut. Ginny and Sydney were 11. Ginny vividly recalled being mocked by other children for her southern accent. Their younger brother, Fred Sperry, was born in 1955. During her junior year of high school, Ginny tragically lost her twin sister to melanoma.
Ginny's mother directed the Elizabeth Ives School for Special Children from 1966-1972. Following in her mother's career choice, Ginny completed a Master's Degree in Special Education at the University of Maine at Orono. Ginny taught for several years. She married John Cotten Engelhard II in 1970. Ginny tenderly embraced his 3 children from his prior marriage. She gave birth to twins, Erin and Sean, in 1974 and stayed at home for a time to care for them. She then taught preschool for several years.
Ginny divorced in the early 1990s and worked for Josten's Learning Corporation, helping teachers to utilize technology in the classroom. With a great sense of adventure, Ginny returned to school at Fordham University in the late 1990s. She completed a Master's in Geriatric Social Work in 2001. Ginny worked for a decade at 2 different nursing homes before retiring. Through several career changes, her work always revolved around giving care.
Her 5 children, Erin, Sean, Jamie, John and Meg, and their partners grieve her loss. She is predeceased by her elder brother Taber (died January 2021). She will be missed by her younger brother, Fred, and his family. Her nieces and nephews mourn her as well. Ginny leaves behind 9 grandchildren whom she adored. Ginny's many cousins cherished her, and she was deeply loved by a wide circle of friends from many periods of her life.
Ginny's life was defined by unending kindness, a wonderful sense of humor and intense devotion to her family and friends. She never turned down an opportunity to go out for breakfast, or a ride in a convertible. We struggle to fill the empty place she left and will always remember how joyfully she lived and loved.
For those who wish, make a gift to Brattleboro Area Hospice in the name of Ginny Engelhard. There will be a Celebration of Life on June 26 at 1 p.m., please contact the family for information.