Virginia Mae (Gambee) McAvinney, 86, of Old Saybrook, died on Nov. 15.  She was the wife of the late William J. McAvinney, Jr.  Virginia was born in Seneca Falls, New York, and graduated from Romulus Central School and Auburn Memorial Hospital’s School of Nursing as a U.S. Army Cadet Nurse.  The delight of her life was faith in her Lord Jesus Christ (leading in bible studies, Sunday School, the Good News Club and Youth for Christ) and her devotion to her family, nurturing their hopes, dreams, challenges and accomplishments.  She was a long term resident of Cayuga, New York, and then Clinton, Connecticut. 

Following William’s retirement, he and Virginia moved to Clermont, Florida. After William’s death in 1998, Virginia moved back to Clinton.

Virginia is survived by her two sons, William J. McAvinney III and his wife Virginia of Fredericksburg, Virginia, and the Rev. Joseph C. McAvinney and his wife Diane of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; three daughters, Margaret Casbohm and her husband Ronald of St. Louis, Missouri, Cathleen Herman and her husband Richard of Ontario, New York, and Patricia Cashman and her husband Jeffrey of Clinton; and 14 grandchildren, Timothy Casbohm and his wife Keri, Rebecca Baughman and her husband Greg, Jileen, Katrina, and Stephanie Herman, Matthew Herman and his wife Megan, Julia Evans and her husband Lamar, Melissa Farrington and her husband Curtis, Susannah Williams and her husband James, Christiana Cooper and her husband Tyler, Erin McAvinney, Deborah Crosley and her husband John, Shaun McAvinney and his wife Juliette, and Heather Cashman. She is also survived by her great-grandchildren, Evan, Madisyn and Zachary Casbohm, William and Calvin Baughman, James Williams, Russell, Shayla, and Elliott Crosley, Conner, Natalie, and Katherine McAvinney, and Reese Herman. She was predeceased by her brothers and sisters, Millard, Wellington, Norman, Teddy, Margaret (Woodard), Fanny (Miller), and Mary (Somerville) Gambee.

The family will receive friends at the Finger Lakes Baptist Church, 1000 Yale Station Rd., MacDougall, New York, from 12 noon to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 1, followed by a memorial service at 1 p.m., officiated by Rev. Joseph C. McAvinney. Burial will take place in Mount Green Cemetery, Romulus, New York. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Gladeview Health Care Resident’s Council Scholarship Fund, 60 Boston Post Rd., Old Saybrook, CT 06475. The Covert Funeral Home, Ovid, New York, is in charge of arrangements.