Virginia Clark Keare

Virginia Clark Keare (7.20.37-7.8.26) Keare, Virginia “Ginger” Clark of Cupertino, CA on July 8, 2026. Ginger was born on July 20, 1937, the beloved daughter of Leonard and Doris Clark, and adored younger sister of Leonard “Butch“Clark, who sadly preceded her in death in 2013. She grew up in Verona, NJ in what she would describe as an “idyllic childhood filled with unconditional love and no dissention”. She went to Skidmore College, majoring in Psychology, and on one of her many weekends traveling to the men’s colleges, was set up on a blind date, at Dartmouth College, with Douglas Hamilton Keare, a friend of her brother Butch( who were ’56 classmates). They married on September 12, 1959 and spent the next 60 years travelling and living around the globe, moving to Concord MA, Paris, Kuala Lumpur, Bangladesh, settling in Washington DC, and finally retiring in Boston and Cape Cod. Nurturing a close family was Ginger and Doug’s most important focus, and the root of their joy. She is survived by children Heather, Doug and Stacey and their spouses, Chris, Jill and John, as well as their 9 grandchildren, Drew, Lindsay, Lauren, Brian, Carter, Haley, Ryan, Jeff, and Brooke who were the benefactors of their amazing partnership. Together, Ginger and Doug lived a life full of fun and adventure, travelling extensively with the family they built. They fostered and prioritized intellectual curiosity, kindness, integrity, fun and an interest in people, all over the world, in all their family members. Ginger was an amazing matriarch to her beloved family, always positive and optimistic, even in the face of sometimes relentless teasing, and her happiest moments involved creating spaces and experiences that brought her family together and let them enjoy each other. She was a beautiful and prolific writer who often shared her kindness and wisdom through notes and letters, writing her parents nearly every day for the 5 years she lived abroad when her children were little, sharing a living diary with Haley, and sending notes to family members and friends, which were cherished. She was always creating special moments for the grandchildren, cooking beautiful meals and constructing elaborate decorations for the holidays, building forts in the bushes for a picnic, baking yummy desserts (her coffeecake and oreo pie being favorites) and hosting watercolor painting classes for them. Everything was done in the spirit of fun and connection. She was also a wonderful friend, and in her and Doug’s retirement years created a beautiful home on the Cape which she kept filled with her many beloved friends and family members who were so important to her. She took painting and poetry classes and brought the learning home to share with the kids. And, in the past 7 years she moved to The Forum in Cupertino,CA where she made even more new, wonderful friends and lived close to Stacey and Doug ,who spent a lot of wonderful times with her, in their homes and hers. She will be remembered as someone who was loving and warm, gentle, and kind, and always supporting the golden rule of “treat others as you would want to be treated”. She was also brave and adventurous in her extensive travels all over the world, despite her extremely cautious instincts, which she got from her mother. She loved unconditionally and was kind and accepting of everyone, embracing differences and supporting each family member’s individual interests and strengths. She had an enormous number of friends scattered all over the world that she maintained contact with through letters and notes, and stayed connected to with trips and visits. She will be missed immensely for the way we all felt when we were with her, and the gifts that she gave us all of character and kindness, and the interest and support she gave all of us, unconditionally. A private celebration of life will be planned for close friends and family at a later date.

Virginia Clark Keare

July 20, 1937 - July 8, 2026