Virginia Elizabeth (McElroy) Greene, 87, of Newburyport, Massachusetts, formerly of Avon, Connecticut and Chatham, Massachusetts, died Saturday, July 23, 2016.

She was born June 16, 1929, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, daughter of Archibald and Alice McElroy. Beloved wife of the late Willis Greene, loving mother to daughter Dr. Anne McSally and her husband Michael of Greenland, NH, and, to son Andrew Greene and his wife Carolyn Fisher of Marshfield, Mass. Loving grandmother to Erin and Patrick.

Ginny was very proud of the fact that she graduated in the top 10% of her high school class as the only child of a single mother. She attended Temple University before working for a variety of interesting employers including Farm Journal, Wyeth Labs, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Smith Kline and French, American Cyanamid, NBC Studios and Bank of New England. She completed her college degree at age 46 with a B.S. in Elementary Ed and enjoyed her time in the Farmington, CT school system as a permanent sub.

Ginny also took great pride in her family, 62 years of marriage and her kennel of top winning, nationally ranked English Setters. She beat breast cancer twice in her lifetime and Alzheimer's disease in the last 12 years. In her final journey, she was still able to smile. She was a survivor ahead of her day. Ginny had a very bright mind, a generous heart, an infectious laugh and was a great conversationalist. An active reader, walker and cyclist in her youth, she was an accomplished pianist and true 1950s lady. Her greatest joy was her family and she savored times spent with them on Cape Cod and in Northern New England. She will be dearly missed.

The family wishes to thank Brigham Health and Rehab Center, Compassionate Care Hospice, Duxbury House, and Anna Jacques Hospital for their excellent care.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be directed to The Alzheimer's Association or The American Cancer Society.

Funeral arrangements will be private.