Virginia Ruth Throckmorton's Obituary
Virginia "Jinny" Ruth Throckmorton
Virginia "Jinny" Ruth Throckmorton passed away at home on November 1, 2008 surrounded by her immediate family. She was born October 7, 1921 in Amarillo to Lena and Clarence Roy Middleton.
She was reared by her paternal grandparents, Emma and Drury Middleton, and around age 14 she went to live with her beloved paternal aunt and uncle, Ruth and Ray Smith, all of Amarillo. Jinny was preceded in death by her husband, Throck, in July, 2003.
When she was a teenager Jinny began playing the violin and viola with the Amarillo Symphony and various other musical organizations. Her love of music continued all throughout her life. She attended Texas Women's University and Amarillo College.
In March 1943, she married Throck in Amarillo. They moved to Los Alamos, NM, where he worked for the U. S. Engineers' Manhattan Project during World War II. This was followed by a short stay in Honolulu after which they moved to Kingsport, TN, where Throck worked for Tennessee, Eastman. Jinny played the violin with the Kingsport Symphony there.
A transfer to Longview to Texas Eastman came in 1952. Jinny was a charter member of the Longview Symphony, an active member of the Symphony Guild, and a longtime member of the Longview Study Club. She had artistic talent, and in the 1970's she became interested in batiking following one of the trips to Africa.
She and Throck enjoyed many wonderful trips abroad and in the States and shared a love of music, entertaining, and gardening. The joys of her life were her granddaughter, Melanie, and her great-grandchildren, Valerie and Michael. Jinny was a kind, generous person with a gentle, strong spirit to her last day.
Survivors to cherish her memory include her daughter, Phyllis T. Shaw; granddaughter, Melanie Shaw Smith and her husband, Eric, and the children, Valerie and Michael; her cousin, Mary Ann Roberts and her husband, Noble, all of Longview; their daughters, Gaylan Burket, and husband, Steve; Kris Stevenson and her husband, Ken, and their daughters, Jennifer and Caroline, all of Plano.
The family wishes to thank her friends for their prayers, visits, phone calls, cards, and flowers during her illness and her guardian angels, Daisy Cox, Sue Deyke, Bettye Thomas, and Patricia Hollingshead and the care she received from Texas Home Health Hospice, particularly her nurse, Kyle Waymire.
Jinny's memorial service will be held on Saturday, November 8, 2008 at 1 o'clock p.m. under the direction of Rader Funeral Home of Longview at First Presbyterian Church. Her service will be conducted by Reverend Jonathan Jehorek. Family visitation will follow the service at the church.
In lieu of flowers, the family request any memorial gifts be made to the Presbyterian Children's Center, 301 North Center, Longview, TX 75601; Longview Symphony, P.O. Box 1825, Longview, TX 75606; or to the Humane Society of Gregg County, 303 Enterprise, Longview, TX 75604.
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