Virginia Anne “ Ginny” M. Shafer, 88 of Groton, NY died peacefully at home on October 15, 2020.

She was born March 20, 1932, in Cortland, NY, the daughter of the late Kenneth and Esther Cushner Miller.

Having been a lifelong area resident she had been a 1950 graduate of Groton High school and graduating in 1954 from Hobart William Smith College where she had earned her teaching degree. She had achieved her graduate studies at Cornell and went onto teaching World and American history. Her first teaching job was it Ellenville, NY followed by Groton and then retiring from Cortland City School District. She had also served as assistant Dean at SUNY Cortland.

Ginny was a communicate of St. Anthony’s Church in Groton where she had served on the finance committee and as Eucharistic Minister. She was a 63 year member of the Groton Columbia Club and had served as a board member on the Groton housing committee as well as a board member of the Collie Club of Central New York, a member of the Collie Club of America and she had been on the alumni committee for Groton Central School and she enjoyed going to the theater at CRT and she and her late husband had faithfully spent every summer in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire. She and her husband had professionally shown collies for many years and we’re known for the blue ribbon dogs.

She is survived by her sister-in-law, Katherine S. Wickwire, special friend, Christine Hodges, brother-in-law, John (Susan) Shafer. Cousins, Kevin and Kathy Gain, Mary Esther (Edward) Ellis, Lois Ann (Ronald) Points, Lynn (Walter) Sanders and Mary Karen Miller. God-daughter, Christina (Jon) Snyder and God-son, Andrew Walker. She leaves behind many devoted friends and providers that enabled her to live at home. Besides her parents she was predeceased by her husband Frederick in 2011.

The family would like to thank special friends, Irene Gutchess and Dena Sinigen and her staff for providing special care and making her final weeks at home blessed.

A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated on Tuesday, October 20th at 10:30 AM at St. Anthony’s Church in Groton. Interment will follow in St. Anthony Cemetery. As per NY State guidelines, masks and social distancing are required.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Groton Public Library or to St. Anthony’s Church.

Condolences may be made on her guest book at www.zirbelfuneral home.com