Virginia (Ginny) Juhnke

All she wanted was a New Hip…
In preparation for her surgery, she discovered that she had colorectal cancer and then with true Ginny-grit, she jumped into her treatment program in August, but complications ensued and she passed peacefully, surrounded by family, two months later.
The new hip was her vehicle to continue her life-long pursuit of Art & Beauty. Ginny’s American Gothic journey began in the heartland of the Chicago suburbs. Some of her earliest memories are of taking the train downtown with our mother to see the latest movies in the Grand Theaters of Chicago. Her love of films continued with her annual participation of the San Francisco and Mill Valley Film festivals.
After graduating from St. Norberts College near Green Bay, she worked in Chicago at an Art Gallery and an Advertising agency, where she worked with John Hughes. She then led her four siblings west when she moved to San Francisco in 1977 and never looked back. She worked with the innovator of the day in Silicon Valley, globetrotting to launch Atari’s latest creations. To stay closer to home, she worked with Pacific Bell in The City and finally went to The Sharper Image in 1990, where she continued her marketing influences and eventually became the personal assistant of the founder, and later continued as his trusted advisor at RichardSolo, where she was working to the very end.
Her love of travel exposed her to much beauty - both natural and conceptual. From trips to Europe to sailing trips in the Caribbean, she spent countless hours experiencing the treasures of Yosemite and the Adirondacks. She also promoted man-made beauty by being a volunteer for the San Francisco Opera and Theater. This not only allowed her to experience art, but to pass it on by exposing the next generation to the magic of a wide-range of artistic expression.
In San Francisco, Ginny’s love of the arts truly blossomed. A die-hard film buff, she not only was an annual subscriber to the San Francisco and Mill Valley Film Festivals, but the months before each Academy Awards became a scheduling nightmare for her as she raced around the Bay Area to make sure she had seen not only all the nominated feature films, but the documentaries and shorts as well. This was especially tricky because she also needed to hit every theatre production in the Bay Area. And, if it was a Stephen Sondheim show, she might have to see it twice!
Not only did Ginny appreciate and support a wide variety of the arts, she shared her passion with the next generation by treating her beloved nieces and nephews to many live performances, forever cementing her legacy with them as Art Docent of San Francisco. She taught us to appreciate the spectrum from The Nutcracker to The Hard Nut and everything in-between – all while succeeding in Tech and business. She was a consummate hostess and a lively, entertaining guest who enriched the lives of all who were lucky enough to cross her path. We have all been eternally enriched by her confluence of Art, Nature and Technology. Thank You, Ginny!
Her Celebration of Life will be on November 15th from 12:00 – 5:00 at Chuck & Michelle's house in the Fountaingrove area of Santa Rosa. Dedications and Memorials will be broadcast via Zoom between 1:00 – 2:00 Pacific time.
Please contact Chuck at 707.326.0641 for RSVP and address.

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