Virginia Harrison Smith Neuschel

AdvanceVirginia Harrison Smith Neuschel died Tuesday, November 20, 2012. She was born February 16, 1912 in Bluefield, W. VA to the late Edward Howard and Anna Maria Condit Smith. She was preceded in death in 1991 by her husband Sherman K. Neuschel and by her four sisters and one brother. She is survived by her son, Erik J. Neuschel, her daughter, Kristen B. Neuschel and son-in-law, Alan Williams; her grandchildren, Scott Neuschel, Jesse Williams and Rachel Williams, and a number of loving nieces and nephews. Virginia was raised in Bluefield and in Granville, OH, where she graduated from local schools. She graduated from Denison University in Granville in 1934, having been inducted into Phi Beta Kappa in her junior year, with a degree in geology. After three years working in the geology laboratories at Denison, she moved to New York to study geology at Columbia University, where she received her Master of Science degree in 1938. She married fellow geologist Sherman Neuschel in September 1939, the very week that Hitler launched World War II. During the war, Virginia worked much of the time with her husband, locating and mapping strategic minerals in the western United States for the government. Later, she joined Sherm in occupied Japan in 1947, where she led a scientific research team mapping Japan's former island colonies. During their stay in Japan, both of their children were born. Virginia also worked in Tokoyo for the American Red Cross during the Korean conflict. After the family's return to the United States in 1953, Virginia worked for the U.S. Geological Survey, until her retirement in 1977, as one of the editors of Geophysical Abstracts and Bibliography of North American Geology and later as the head of the Office of Geologic Inquiry. In 1979 she and Sherm returned to Japan for a year to teach at the International Institute for Mineral Research and Development. In 1991, she moved to the Winston-Salem area to be near her children. Ginny passed on her appreciation for nature to her children and grandchildren; in addition to geology, she enjoyed, and shared with her family, bird watching, reading and travel. In later years, she enjoyed extensive travel in Europe with old friends as well as time with her much-loved grandchildren. Her eldest sister always called Ginny ""the distinguished sister,"" but she is remembered as an accomplished woman and strong role model who never boasted about her achievements, and who always remained curious about the world as well as friendly towards and tolerant of people different from herself. In recent years of declining health, she maintained her sense of humor and appreciated everything that was done for her. A memorial service in celebration of Ginny's life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, contributions in her name may be made to Denison University or to Planned Parenthood (https://secure.ga0.org/02/pp10000_inhonor), an organization that Ginny wholeheartedly supported from its inception. The family wishes to thank the caregivers in the Catered Living Unit, Greystone Cottage and the Healthcare Center at Bermuda Village as well as to those from Hospice of Davie County for making Virginia's last year's happy and comfortable.



Service:
A memorial service will be held at a later date.