Virginia Christian Obituary

CHRISTIAN, Virginia Virginia Randolph Walker Christian, 79, wife of the late Andrew Henry Christian, died at her home in Charleston, South Carolina on Wednesday, March 28, 2007. She is survived by her eldest son Andrew Henry Christian, Jr. and Linda Carlile of Micanopy, Florida; by her second son Scott Shackelford Christian and his wife Helen Forrest deButts Christian of Marshall, Va.; by her daughter Virginia Randolph Christian Beach and her husband Edward Dana Beach of Charleston, S.C.; by her grandchildren Nellie Christian Beach, Francis Dana Beach, Forrest Saxon Christian, Dare Sherman Frey, and Morgan MacGregor Sherman; and by her sister Margot Shackelford Walker Humphries of Edina, Minn. and her brother Frank Stringfellow Walker, Jr. of Orange, Va. She was predeceased by her eldest sister Anne Carter Walker Somerville of Orange, Va. Ginna, as she was known to friends and family, was born on April 21st, 1927 at Rosni in Madison County, Va., the daughter of Frank Stringfellow Walker and Margaret Wilson Shackelford Walker. She was the granddaughter of Robert Stringfellow Walker and Anne Carter Goss Walker, the founders of Woodberry Forest School in Madison County, Va. Ginna was a graduate of St. Margaret's School and Sweet Briar College, and in 1949 was married to Andrew Henry Christian at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Orange, Va., where she had been a member since 1927. From 1949 to 2000, Ginna was an active member of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Richmond, Va., where her husband Andy's family has worshipped for generations. From her early youth, largely due to her mother and father's influence, Ginna developed a lifelong passion for historic preservation, conservation, gardening, and community service. During her years in Richmond, Ginna served on the Board of Trustees of Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest, served as Chairman of Jamestown Island, was President of the Board of Sheltering Arms Hospital and served as Co-Chair of the Bal du Bois, the hospital's annual fundraiser. She was also elected to the board of the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities (APVA) and was appointed by the City Council to Richmond's first Shade Tree Commission. Ginna also served on the John Marshall House Committee as well as the Wilton House Furnishings Committee. In addition, she was a member of the Junior League, the James River Garden Club, the Council of the Virginia Museum, the Women's Club of Richmond, and the Colonial Dames. Her other memberships included The Book Club, The Dividends, the Country Club of Virginia, and the Country Club of Charleston. Ginna and Andy moved to Charleston, S.C. in 2000 where they joined St. Michael's Episcopal Church and resided at Bishop Gadsden. A memorial service will be held at The Chapel in Bishop Gadsden in Charleston, SC on Saturday, March 31, 2007 at 11am. Funeral services will be held at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Richmond, Va. on Tuesday, April 3, 2007 at 3pm. The burial will be private. Memorial contributions may be made to Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest, P.O. Box 419, Forest, Va. 24551; Woodberry Forest School, 402 Woodberry Station, Woodberry Forest, Va. 22989; St. Michael's Episcopal Church, 71 Broad St., Charleston, S.C. 29401; or Bishop Gadsden, One Bishop Gadsden Way, Charleston, S.C. 29412. Arrangements by J. HENRY STUHR, INC., DOWNTOWN CHAPEL. Visit our guestbook at www.charleston.net/deaths.