Virginia Gayle Swift

 Virginia Gayle Swift

 To be called Ginger 

Virginia Gayle Swift was born June 11, 1939, at the Martin Maternity Home in Seattle, WA To Randall and Hazel Swift. Ginger joined a big brother, Corky, at home. In 1943 When Ginger was four, they moved to Bellevue. Two years later the young family moved to Vashon Island where she would spend her childhood through High School and marriage. She started her first-grade year at Burton Grade School, where she made lifelong friends. In fourth grade she became a member of the Girl Scouts. 

 Life on Vashon was filled with friends and a large sibling group (seven all together) plus many extra kids along the way. Ginger lived a country life, riding horses, playing in the hay, dressing up chickens, playing in the woods, and growing and harvesting a garden. She helped raise her younger siblings as is the way of big families. She spent time hanging out with her grandparents who lived on their farm and eventually built the house she spent her later years in. Her grandma taught her to sew and the love of creating with textiles was born. Ginger was friendly and sociable. She was always ready to do fun things and have adventures. 

 Ginger graduated from Vashon High School in 1957. After graduation she went to work at a bank in Seattle and spent part of her paycheck on nice shoes. She loved nice shoes. 

Ginger met Dan Clare on a blind date. He was serving in the Army and stationed on Vashon. They were married at her family home in 1958 in a garden wedding on a very warm July 5. Her youngest sibling ran around without any clothes. Her Matron of Honor was Peggy Swift, Corky’s wife. 

Shortly after the wedding the young couple moved to Sacramento, CA where Dan was finishing college and working at a lumber yard. Ginger went to work for the State as a secretary. In 1960 Casey Renee was born and Ginger became a full-time homemaker, a career she cherished. After Dan graduated from college in 1962 the family moved to Portland, OR where they bought their first house and Daniel Allan was born. During these years Ginger was active in the Presbyterian church, Eastern Star, Rainbow Girls, and she bowled at the Interstate Lanes on a bowling team. She was athletic and bowled a nearly perfect game. She also sold Avon and became a Girl Scout leader to 16 Brownies! The young family was very busy. They remodeled and added onto the house on Wilbur Street. In 1967 or so they bought a second home in Venersborg, WA which was affectionately called, “the farm” and the family spent many weekends there playing in the woods and having adventures. 

In 1968 Douglas Franklin was born. The family sold their Portland home and moved to “the farm.” Ginger continued to be active in the Methodist church, she continued as a Girl Scout leader and became the Battleground Neighborhood Chairman. Her troop used to meet in an old one-room schoolhouse and became involved in sewing and camping. Her enthusiasm for scouts was clear in the growth of the neighborhood during her leadership. She bowled on a team at the Tiger Bowl Lanes. She also became a Cub Scout leader. As it turned out they were not able to build on the Venersborg property due to lack of water. So, they purchased land outside of Battleground and built a large home where they lived from 1970 to 1981. 

Ginger continued to lead in Girl Scouts as Neighborhood Chairman. She also became involved in Camp Julianna and ran a day camp as well as other events. These were fun and busy times as she loved working with children and adults. Ginger started to raise sheep and have other farm animals as well as a huge organic garden. She became a Forestry 4-H leader for Douglas’ group, the Noble Firs. She was very busy with fairs and parades and farm work in those years. She began to work with wool fibers from raising sheep to creating textiles and every step in between. Ginger also pursued her college degree, taking classes at Clark Community College. 

In 1976, Ginger and several other women started an adult Girl Scout Troop called the Ellegantes. This group was life changing and gave her the support she needed at many different points in her life. There were always opportunities for friendship and adventure. She remained a key member all through her life. Through the Ellegantes Ginger was able to travel to many different parts of the US and the world. She felt blessed when her Senior Girl Scout troop joined the E’s and all became friends as adults. 

In 1981 Dan’s work moved south to Wilsonville, so they moved to Butteville, OR. Ginger became active in the Butteville Community Church. She also became involved in the Aurora Colony Museum as a board member and as a docent. She was instrumental in starting a living history experience for school children at Stauffer Wells Farm in Woodburn. She continued raising sheep and co-founded the Aurora Colony spinning Guild. Ginger, with her friend, Mary Ann, began a small company called Gemini Wool Products. They traveled around giving spinning demonstrations and selling wool and sheep-related products. 

Ginger worked at the Aurora Colony Gift shop for several years and then opened The Common Way with her friend Chris. It was an antique mall and gift shop with items related to the communal Aurora Colony. She loved to garage sale and research antique pieces. 

Ginger was actively involved with Doug’s class at North Marion. She was always available for costumes or to help organize events. 

Through the years Ginger had multiple opportunities for travel, both foreign and domestic. She traveled to Japan, the Virgin Islands, France, Alaska, Hawaii and many locations around the country. In 1993, Ginger realized a lifelong dream of visiting the Holy lands. 

While living in Butteville in the 1980’s, Ginger became a grandmother for the first time and spent many hours teaching and loving her three grands, Hank, Cody and Abby. 

In 2001 Daniel married Lynn and brought two more grandchildren in, Kathleen and Kelly. Holidays were memorable times, especially Easter when all the grands would hunt eggs.

Ginger also designed and built a barn house where she lived until 2013. In these years she became a Master Gardner. The yard and gardens had paths and interesting and unique landscaping. She created a permanent camping area and many campout memories were made there. 

In 2005 Ginger became a grandma again when Trula Pearl was born. Followed by Dash Diamond in 2009. She travelled to California many times to visit and have fun with these two. In 2008 Ginger welcomed her great grandchild, Aiden. 

 In 2013 she moved back to Vashon to live in the house that her grandparents had built in 1948. It was a homecoming for her. Several classmates, including her good friend Karen, also lived on Vashon and they became constant companions. Ginger was an active member of the Bethel church. She sewed quilts for charity and for fun. She volunteered at Granny’s Attic in the fabrics and craft department. She landscaped her little house and made it her own. 

Ginger loved her family and friends. She was happiest surrounded by the busy, happy sounds of the people she loved. She taught us to work hard, saying things like: “If a job is worth doing, it’s worth doing well” and “If you see something that needs to be done, do it.” She taught us to be curious and to love people. We miss her very much.

 Ginger passed away June 5, 2024, just short of her eighty-fifth birthday. She stayed in her beloved home surrounded and cared for by her children and grandchildren in her final days. 

Ginger is survived by her three children; Casey Rouse (Don), Daniel Clare (Lynn), Douglas Clare (Talia); her grandchildren and great grandchildren. She is survived by seven siblings: Corwin Swift (Peggy), Ron Swift (Mary Jo), Lenore Inks, Calvin Swift (Beverly), Kermit Swift, Becky Verhonic (John), George Swift (Christine) and numerous nieces and nephews. 

Her Celebration of Life will be held July 27 at 2:00 pm at the Bethel Church on Vashon. The service will be in person and streaming online at Bethelvashon.com.