Virginia "Ginny" Jensen

1938 - 2020

Virginia "Ginny" Jensen
Friend and Trailblazer
Virginia (Ginny) Ruth Jensen was born in Pekin, Illinois on June 24, 1938 to Herbert Woodrow and Mary Nedderman Woodrow, both deceased.
She attended Brown's Business College in Peoria, IL and joined the IBM Corporation in 1962 as a secretary. Her keen intellect allowed her to quickly become an executive secretary, move into human resources, and, ultimately, management. At the pinnacle of her career in the 1980s, Ginny served as the first female IBM Western Regional Personnel Manager. Ginny exuded competence and confidence, two characteristics that remained with her throughout her life. She was a mentor and friend to many.
In 1987, she married Thomas Jensen, a retired IBM executive. Tom and Ginny had struck up a friendship during their early days at IBM. For the first years of their marriage, they resided in Walnut Creek, California. After Ginny retired from IBM in 1992, she and Tom moved to Green Valley, Arizona where they loved the community, the weather, the flora, and the fauna. They thrived in Green Valley where Ginny was very active in local politics. Ginny was a passionate member and leader of numerous Republican organizations in Green Valley and Pima County.
Shortly after losing Tom in 2005, Ginny joined with a fellow Tour de Force, Patti O'Berry, who had, a few years earlier, begun Hands of a Friend, a 501(c)(3) charity that raises funds for the prevention of domestic violence and provides aid to domestic abuse and human trafficking victims. Next came DaZee's, a popular upscale resale clothing (& more) shop, and Genesis House, a shelter designed to assist victims of abuse and trafficking. Patti and Ginny operated tirelessly as a team for 13 years until Ginny retired from Hands of a Friend in 2019. She never lost her enthusiasm for the organization or its purpose.
Ginny and her canine companion, Gidget, were a familiar sight in Green Valley, usually seen traveling in Ginny's 2001 silver VW Beetle. Ginny passed away from pneumonia on July 27, 2020. She will be greatly missed by the many friends and relatives who knew and loved her. The family expresses their gratitude to the wonderful doctors and nurses who cared for her at Tucson Medical Center (TMC) and great appreciation for the love and care provided to Ginny by her caregiver of many years, Gina Dalsing.
Ginny is survived by her stepdaughter Gale Jensen Krause (Jim, dec.) and her stepson Thomas Scott Jensen, MD (Karen Boudreau) of San Diego. Ginny leaves three grandsons who brought her great joy: Andrew, Mark and David Krause, all of San Diego. In addition, she is survived by her maternal cousins, Cynthia Smith-Jans (Tim) and Julie Smith who reside in Green Valley during the winter months. Cousin Lynn Jansen Curless (Brad) lives in Pekin, IL. On the Woodrow side of the family, Ginny leaves many cousins: Sally (Dick) Thering of New Albany, OH; Susan (Wayne) Jewett and Shari (Roger) Hetzke of Eugene, OR; Richard (Elizabeth) Woodrow of Minneapolis, MN; Melinda (Alfred, dec.) Snyder of Green Valley, IL, and Martha Dunnam, also of Green Valley, IL.
In keeping with Ginny's request, there will be no services. The family suggests that any memorial donations go to:
Hands of a Friend, P.O. Box 2097, Green Valley, AZ 85622
http://handsofafriend.org/