- Date Of Birth: March 8, 1928
- Date Of Death: March 27, 2016
- State: Ohio
Virginia Ann Wheeler Martin, known to her friends as “Jinny,” passed from this world on March 27, 2016 at age 88 of natural causes. At the time of her passing, Jinny was surrounded by loved ones.
Born March 8,1928 in Youngstown, OH, where her father was then employed, the family returned to the county of their pioneer roots, settling in Medina, Ohio in 1930. Virginia Ann Wheeler attended Medina city schools, kindergarten through grade 12 graduating in 1945. She was accepted into Miami University, Oxford Ohio, becoming a member of the Delta Gamma sorority and graduating in 1949 as a Bachelor of Fine Arts majoring in painting and illustration and minoring in English.
During World War II, Jinny volunteered to paint names of the military personnel serving in the war on a building wall at the Medina comer of South Court and Washington Streets. After college she was employed as a graphic artist by Gowe-Leahy Lithography Co. in Medina until she joined American Airlines as Medina’s first Airline Stewardess in July 1950. Based in Tulsa, OK for four years, she continued her pursuit of a Master’s degree at Tulsa University as her employment permitted. On 2 OCT 1954 she married Barney Martin, based in Pensacola, FL, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy (Class of 1947), a naval aviator and a career officer, in his mother’s summer home, Muskegon, MI. They spent their first year of marriage in the Philippines and Japan where he was attached to the naval squadron, VW-3 Det. Able, commissioned at Sangley Point Naval Air Station, PI in June 1955 as VQ-l. Jinny was a co-designer of the squadron’s insignia.
Subsequently, after Barney was accepted as a Naval Specialist Officer (Intelligence) in late 1955, the Martins lived for 3 months in Japan, returning to the USA in January 1956. They purchased a home in Alexandria Virginia while LT Martin was assigned to duty at the Pentagon. In July 1959, he was ordered to the U.S. Embassy Paris, France where he served as Assistant Naval Attache’ and the couple resided in St. Cloud, a Paris suburb. These were delightful years of entertaining and being entertained by various foreign attache’s and traveling Europe with their Tibetan Terrier, Mr. Softee. In July 1962 Barney was ordered to the Pentagon, and shortly thereafter was chosen by CNO Admiral David L. MacDonald to be his Naval Aide. This resulted in 2 years of entertaining, meeting dignitaries and invitations to The White House. Two years later, Barney, now COMMANDER Martin, was assigned to the afloat Staff, 6thFleet as its Intelligence Officer, home ported in Ville Franche Sur Mer on the Cote d’Azur, France, and later at Gaeta, Italy where Jinny maintained residence traveling extensively throughout the Mediterranean, Mideast and North Africa, following the ship. In Gaeta they rented a restored watch tower overlooking the Mediterranean built in 1560. Returning again to Washington, D.C. in 1967, the Martins spent the remainder of CAPTAIN Barney’s naval career in the area, residing in Tantallon, MD. In 1976, Captain Martin retired from the naval service. The couple moved to Rancho Santa Fe, California, in part to be near a Long Beach, CA family business for which Barney was CEO. The couple built their dream home, designed in part by Jinny, with panaramic views of the ocean and mountains. Barney died of Leukemia in 1996. Jinny resided in their home until the time of her death.
Over the years, while supporting many naval and civilian activities and philanthropies, Jinny has been active in countless organizations. She was affiliated with and held positions of leadership in the Tantallon, MD Garden Club, (president), San Diego Wednesday Club, San Diego Natural History Museum,(board member), American Airlines Kiwis’, Rancho Santa Fe Republican Women’s Club, National Society of the Colonial Dames of America, National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Delta Gamma Alumni Association, Noah Homes Inc. (board member), Tantallon Garden Club, Navy Relief, North San Diego Genealogical Society, (president), Rancho Santa Fe Opera Guild, (co-chair of The Sahm Musicale) and others. But transcending this, Jinny was especially interested in the San Diego Zoological Society to which she devoted much of her life serving many years on the Wild Animal Park Advisory Board, co-hosting with Barney the chairmanship of the 1996 Gala Rendezvous in the Zoo (RITZ) and promoting all aspects of the Society in particular and wildlife in general. Her passion was for animals in general, and especially dogs, the latter having always been her loving companions,as well as horticulture, gardening and reading.
But of all her interests, her love and respect for family history and genealogical matters was the mainspring of activity during her life. To this end, she accumulated a large library devoted to these subjects, including many volumes of personal family research.
