Virginia C. Vaughan

Virginia Cronister Vaughan, age 94, resident of Crosslands in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, died peacefully on January 16, 2025 with her children, Amy and Timothy, by her side. Ginny was raised in Scarsdale, New York, and graduated from Westtown School in Pennsylvania and Earlham College in Indiana. An English major in college with a minor in French and a flare for acting, she met her first husband, Hugh Cronister. In her junior year, she spent a semester at the Sorbonne in Paris, an experience she would never forget throughout her long life. She and Hugh married in 1952 and went on to have three children, David, Amy, and Timothy.

Their life together took them back to Westtown School, where Ginny was an elementary school French teacher. Throughout the 20 years at Westtown, she and Hugh were well known for their Scavenger Hunts a la anagrams, and improvisational escapades and theatrics. She was a member of Westtown Friends Meeting, and a defender of women’s and civil rights. She loved the theater, sang in the choir, and was a voracious reader throughout her life. Ginny loved to travel, enjoying trips across the globe with her family and friends, and she was fortunate enough to visit Nepal and trek the Himalayas with her sister, Dottie.

In 1978 Ginny and Hugh moved to Cambridge, Vermont, where she enjoyed hiking and cross-country skiing in the Green Mountains. During her years in Vermont, the family grew to include son- and daughter-in laws, Jessie, Howard, and Deb, and five grandchildren, Bradley, Leah, Adam, Catie, and Charlotte. Following the passing of Hugh, with whom she spent 45 wild and wonderful years, Ginny met her second husband, Terry Vaughan. Terry and Ginny spent 16 years of marriage, traveling and sharing a love for France, opera, and a deep intellectual connection.

In Ginny’s final years, she returned “home” to Crosslands to enjoy a community that filled her with friendships, old and new. When her physical health declined, she remained determined to be independent, continuing to do the Sunday NYT crossword puzzle, reading true adventure stories, and enjoying a wonderful group of people who kept her engaged and mentally active. Throughout, she was truly grateful for those who cared for her. Always cherishing her family above all else, she looked forward to time with them and she enjoyed newfound joy from her four great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be sent to The American Friends Service Committee.

A Memorial Service will be at 1:00PM on April 19, 2025 at the William Penn Room at Crosslands, 1660 Street Road, Kennett Square. 

To view (ONLY) on Zoom: 

Time: Apr 19, 2025 01:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Click HERE to JOIN:  watch service click here
Meeting ID: 894 5849 0744
Passcode: 1661

+1 929 436 2866 US (New York)
Meeting ID: 894 5849 0744
(The Zoom will be one-way, that is those on Zoom will see and hear the service but will not be seen or heard in the service.)

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