Virginia C. Howe

Virginia "Ginny" Howe, a long time resident of Melrose, MA, passed away on August 20, 2023 at the age of 98. She was the wife of the late Donald R. Howe.

Virginia was the mother of Valerie Dearth and her husband Robert of Lynnfield; Brad Howe and his wife Cheryl of Wilsonville, OR; and the late Beverly Rattray and her late husband Don.

She was the sister of the late Roger Cuthbertson.

She was grandmother to Kimberly Quan and her husband Fred of Melrose; Zachary Dearth and his wife Joanna of Lynnfield; Jacqueline Howe, Kaitlyn Howe and the late Nigel Howe of Wilsonville, OR.

She was a loving great-grandmother to Julien Quan, Peter Dearth and Arnold Dearth.

Ginny was born June 7, 1925, the daughter of the late Laurence and Gertrude Cuthbertson.

She graduated from Melrose High School in 1943 and went on to The Kathleen Dell School in Boston. In 1946 she married the love of her life, Donald Howe, upon his return from the Navy. She enjoyed many summer vacations at Lake Winnepesaukee, boating with family and friends.

Before raising her family she worked for Friend Bros. As her children grew older she returned to the workforce initially at Hult Studios, then the Melrose Free Press. She retired from the DonWell Company in Stoneham. In her retirement she volunteered at the Melrose-Wakefield Hospital where she proudly earned her 500 Hour Pin.

Ginny cherished her long relationship with the Melrose Highlands Congregational Church, having joined the church when she moved to Melrose. She and Don participated in couples club events where she made many lifelong friends. More recently she enjoyed many outings with the Lunch Bunch and helping out with the church fair.

Above all, she treasured spending time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, getting great joy as she followed their lives.

Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to gather for visiting hours at the Robinson Funeral Home, 809 Main St, Melrose, on Thursday, August 24 from 4-7pm and on Friday at the Melrose Highlands Congregational Church, 355 Franklin St, Melrose, for her Funeral Service celebrated at 10am. Interment in Puritan Lawn Memorial Park, Peabody. If you wish, donations in memory of Ginny made be made to St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or to the Home for Little Wanderers, 10 Guest St., Boston MA 02135.