VIRGINIA JOFFE

JOFFE--Virginia Ryan,

who was also known as Dinny, died on April 21st at her home in New York City surrounded by family and friends. She was 74 years old. A graduate of Colby Sawyer College, Virginia earned an MS in Social Work from Columbia University in 1969. The first years of her career were spent working with young single mothers in New York City. After her marriage to Peter H. DeHaas, and the birth of her two children, she began a twenty-year career in New York City Independent schools. She was an administrator for The Dalton School, a college placement advisor at The Walden School, and a beloved school counselor at The Spence School. Throughout her life, Virginia volunteered her time and expertise for the good of others. She worked with Prep-for-Prep, and was a board member for several organizations including Global AIDS Interfaith Alliance, The International Women's Health Coalition, and The New York Women's Foundation-for which she served as President of the board in 2000 and 2001. Virginia was also a prolific photographer, exhibiting in galleries both in New York City and on Nantucket where she and her second husband, Robert D. Joffe, had a home. In 2002, she collaborated with friend and poet Carmen Firan, publishing In the Most Beautiful Life, a book of photos and poems about Romania. In 2015, she helped produce the independent film, Peter and John. Virginia's husband of 28 years, Robert D. Joffe, died in 2010. She is survived by her sister Betsy Ryan of San Francisco, daughter Lisi DeHaas and daughter-in-law Sandra Contreras of New York City, son Ryan DeHaas and daughter- in-law Wivianny DeHaas of Salisbury, North Carolina, stepdaughter Katherine Joffe of Great Neck, New York, and stepson David Joffe and daughter-in-law Katrinka Hrdy of New York City; and four grandchildren, Aidan, Samantha, Alexander and Maximus. There will be a memorial service followed by a reception on May 5th at 6pm at All Souls Church, 1157 Lexington Avenue, NYC. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Virginia's memory to either The New York Women's Foundation or Weill Cornell Breast Center (1. Triple Negative Breast Cancer Research Fund in support of Dr. Linda Vahdat's Research; 2. https://crowdfunding.cornell.edu/breakingthroughcancer)