Virginia Butler Speidel

Ginny will be always loved and greatly missed by her friends, family and her husband of forty years. Well-traveled in a State Department family, she began her schooling in the Philippines and graduated from Boston University in 1968. Prior to graduation, her sense of social justice drove her singly to Mississippi, to avidly assist in voter registrations for the Kennedy Administration. She never lost her sense of social justice all through her life. After graduation, she moved to Hawaii and she began her career with the U.S. Government and married in El Paso, Texas in 1978. She was extraordinarily adept in U.S. Government contracting earning numerous awards and decorations.

During their lives together, she followed her husband to his many military assignments and herself gained contracting employment in Korea. With many tours: Turkey, Presidio of San Francisco, Fort Bliss, Texas, Somalia, Panama, and Germany, her entertaining skills grew. She was a gracious hostess entertaining friends, family and embassy dignitaries. Upon her husband’s retirement, he followed her to assignments in Panama, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Kenya, and South Africa, until her retirement in 1996. After retirement, Ginny and her husband continued traveling to many other countries and continued SCUBA diving worldwide. The simplicity and ease of Bonaire in the Netherlands Antilles was her favorite dive location and she made numerous trips there. Proud of her Irish heritage, she became a Butler Society member, making numerous trips to Ireland with her husband to experience the beauty of the county and explore family history and locations. She loved her cats and always took them to permanent changes of station overseas, where they fared very well. An avid artist, Ginny painted in all mediums with numerous displays in her home. She was well read, educated, and traveled. A beautiful woman, she lived an extraordinary and exciting life, adding quality in her endeavors.

She is survived by her husband and best friend Richard; her sister Gay and husband Bill, with nephew Andrew; her brother David and wife Ingrid, with nieces Kristi, Lisa and Maija; Her step-children Shelly and husband Larry, with grandchildren Sara, Emily and Eric, and Richard Jr., and wife Jennifer.