Virginia H. Wroth, 83, of Wilbraham, Mass., passed away at home on Oct. 13. She was born in Baltimore, Md. on March 22, 1925, the daughter of the late Floyd T. Humphries and Anna T. (Helfenstein) Humphries. She grew up in Wellesley Hills and Andover, Mass. After graduating from Hannah More Academy (Maryland) in 1942, she attended Radcliffe College, received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania, and her RN from Massachusetts General Hospital School of Nursing. After graduation she worked in several hospitals around the country, including Texas, Louisiana, California and New York City, then later as a home care nurse for the Visiting Nurse’s Association. She was a passionate student and advocate of nutrition for over 40 years, long before an awareness of its benefits became mainstream. She was dedicated to counseling people to improve the quality of their lives through healthy nutrition, and ran a home Shaklee business for many years.
She was a longtime resident of Newcastle with her husband Edwin T. (Rufus) Wroth, and an active communicant and choir member of St. Andrew’s church. She spent every summer of her life on Heron Island where she participated in community governance, swam daily, patiently taught generations the joys of tennis, famously loved sunshine, and became the Island’s longest residing matriarch.
Virginia was predeceased by her husband Edwin T. Wroth (2003) and a daughter Diana H. Register (1971).
She is survived by a daughter, Nancy (Register) Shepard and husband William of Wilbraham, Mass.; two sons, Steven L. Register and wife Gena Canning of South Portland, and Samuel M. Register and wife Elizabeth Kantor of Hoboken, N.J.; two brothers, Floyd T. Humphries Jr. of Yucca Valley, Cal., and Romilly H. Humphries of Christmas Cove; stepson, Peregrine Wroth of Clayton, Mo.; and stepdaughter, Marion Canning of South Hadley, Mass.; seven beloved grandchildren, Steven, Benjamin, and Kaeley Shepard; David, Holly, and Christopher Register; and James Kantor-Register.
Memorial service 11 a.m., Sat., Nov. 8 at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Newcastle.
If desired, memorial donations may be made to the Heron Island Village Improvement Society (HIVIS), c/o W.C. Damon, P.O. Box 252, South Bristol, ME 04568.
Wilbraham Funeral Home is in charge of all arrangements.