Virginia Adami

Bernice Virginia Adami, who chose to go by her middle of Virginia or “Ginny” when she was younger, of Oakland, NJ, passed away on May 08, 2024 at the age of 89 after receiving the loving care of her children, especially her son Robert who was her primary care giver for a number of years.

Virginia was born in New York City on October 16, 1934. Her parents were Edith Edna Parsons Watkins and John Watkins. She had a sister Ruth Renshaw and a brother Jack Watkins. She graduated from Englewood Cliffs High School in NJ and attended secretarial school. Her first job was at Prentice Hall in New York City. And her last job was working as a bookkeeper at Citizen’s First National Bank in Fair Lawn. Virginia was extremely proud of her time working at Citizen’s and couldn’t believe it when she heard that it took three people to do her job after she retired.

Virginia married the love of her life, Frank Adami, in 1961. They loved doing everything together and both used to say that they were each other’s best friend. They renewed their wedding vows for their 50th anniversary in 2011. This year would have been their 63rd anniversary. She has dearly missed him since the day he passed away in 2019 and has been so looking forward to the day they would be reunited once again for all eternity. Oh, what a glorious reunion that must have been, especially with their daughter Linda who passed away in 1992 at the age of 30 to also welcome her to her new Heavenly home with her mother, aunt and many others, we’re sure. “Resurgam”, or I will rise again.

Virginia was a loving, caring and devoted wife, mother, grandmother and aunt. She and Frank loved to travel, taking their children on many vacations through the years. They really enjoyed expanding their horizons after retiring by traveling to many foreign countries or destinations like Bermuda, Alaska, The Panama Canal, and Italy where Frank’s parents emigrated from in 1926.

Other trips that were the most memorable and special to them were when they spent their winters as “snowbirds” visiting Virginia’s niece Patty Divens and her family in Destin, Florida for a few months each winter for about 12 years. Also extremely special to them was when they visited Virginia’s cousin Brenda Hughes and her family in Devon, England. Devon is where her mother and Aunt Betty Parsons emigrated from in 1913. Her Aunt Betty raised her since she was six years old when her  mother passed. Also extremely special to them was when  Brenda, her husband Roy Hughes and daughter Linda Scarborough then came from the UK to visit our family many years ago.  And just this past summer, Brenda’s daughter Linda and granddaughter Eve Scarbough came to visit her and her family again. Patty and her daughter Jessie Builta Paradise from Vermont also came to visit us too. We took them to Frank and Virginia’s favorite diner, The Oakland Diner!

Virginia was a member of Oakland’s Women’s Auxiliary for many years while Frank was a volunteer fireman in the Oakland Volunteer Fire Department for 35+ years. They both also volunteered at The Valley Hospital for over 15 years when it was located in Ridgewood. Virginia volunteered in their Same-Day Surgery Unit, checking patients in for their procedures and Frank volunteered in their Transport Department. She was extremely excited and proud to be one of 203 patents to be transported to the hospital’s beautiful, new location in Paramus last month, especially after being one of their “Pink Ladies” (female volunteers) for so many years.

Although Virginia wasn’t an avid cook, she had a few things that she loved to make for her family. One thing was her “English Spaghetti”, as her husband Frank and children used to referred to it as and loved her to make for them, another thing we all loved was her Lasagna, and something kind of unique that she was infamous for doing is that she used to baste her Thanksgiving turkeys with Jones sausages each year. This is something that everyone really, really enjoyed!

Virginia was the loving wife of Frank Adami. They were blessed with an amazing and loving marriage and four children until his passing in 2019. She was also predeceased by their first daughter Linda Adami who passed away in 1992 at the age of 30. She leaves behind her daughter Diane Weinpel and her husband Philip Weinpel of Succasunna, NJ, her two sons Robert Adami of Oakland, NJ and David Adami and wife Chantheng Sun-Adami of Monroe, NY. She also leaves behind two grandsons, Jason Weinpel of Morristown, NJ and Kevin Weinpel of Plano, TX and nieces Patty Divens, Linda Scarbough, Janet Hughes, Carla Costantino, Audrey Adami, and nephews Eugene “Gene” Prospero and Patrick Adami and their families.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Virginia’s name may be made to The Oakland Fire Department or your local chapter of The Compassionate Friends, which is a non-profit organization for family members after the loss of a child.

PHOTO SLIDESHOW: The family has also prepared a slideshow of memories throughout Virginia's life. The link to access that slideshow can be found here.

Resurgam

“I shall rise again!”