Virginia “Ginger” Dale Smith was born August 4, 1935 to Bill and Elaine Nixon in Eureka and passed away April 5, 2020 in Fortuna at the age of 84.  

She attended the Garberville School on Sprowel Creek Road and graduated from the eighth grade there. After graduating from Ursuline High School in Santa Rosa, CA, Ginger returned to Garberville where she married Allen Clark Gardner. They lived up on the top of Maple Lane in Garberville and had three sons together, Michael, Mark and Matthew.

Allen was tragically killed in a vehicle accident on the bluffs between Garberville and Redway on January 19, 1960. Their youngest son Matthew passed away at the age of two-and-a-half at the Garberville hospital only a few months later.

Ginger continued to live in Garberville with her two sons, working for her parents at Nixon’s Market until she married Richard Eugene Smith, whose parents ran the Lansing Inn in Garberville. Richard, Ginger and the two boys moved to the Bay Area shortly thereafter, where Richard went to work for Heublein Inc. in Menlo Park bottling liquor. Ginger worked as a Realtor® and in accounting for various companies.

Richard and Ginger then had a son, Shon Richard Smith, and moved to Newark, Calif.

The family returned to Garberville often visiting family for all the major holidays and summer vacations. Growing up their oldest son, Mike, returned to Garberville during the summer and worked for his grandfather, Bill Nixon, at Nixon’s Market, located where the Cadillac Wok is now. Son, Mark eventually moved out to the Gardner homestead in Whitethorn, where he raised his family. It was always Ginger’s dream to eventually come home and be close to family.

Unfortunately, Shon was killed in a vehicle accident in April of 1984, three weeks after their oldest son, Mike, wife Susan and daughter Jessica moved to Garberville from Ojai.

Once they both retired, Richard and Ginger sold their house in Newark, and moved to Pioneer, in the gold country east of Sacramento. Ginger was an incredible artist and had many beautiful paintings on her walls. She also became a member of the local quilting group, which she enjoyed immensely and was very proud of the beautiful quilts she made.

Their second oldest son, Mark Gardner, of Whitethorn, passed away on March 14, 2012 in a vehicle accident after having an apparent heart attack.

Up until she had a stroke on June 10, 2015, Ginger and Richard continued to live in Pioneer. During this same period of time, Richard, developed advancing Alzheimer’s and the couple could no longer care for themselves. On July 6, 2015, their only surviving child, son, Mike, and daughter-in-law, Susan Gardner decided it was time to bring them home to Garberville.

Richard and Ginger continued to live with Mike and Susan in Garberville until Richard’s Alzheimer’s advanced to the point he needed 24-hour care. He passed away on April 5, 2018 at Timber Ridge in Eureka. In the meantime, Ginger, continued to live at home in Garberville until she too needed 24-hour care. She spent three months at Jerold Phelps Community Hospital in Garberville before moving up to Sequoia Springs in Fortuna, where she passed away from pancreatic cancer.

Ginger was preceded in death by her parents, Bill and Elaine Nixon; sons, Matthew, Shon and Mark; her sister and brother-in-law, Patti and Kenny Lewis of Redway and Cave Junction, Oregon.

She is survived by her son, Mike Gardner and wife, Susan of Garberville; granddaughters Jessica Gardner of Garberville and husband, Matt Marino of Sonoma; Holly (Gardner) Tinakicht and husband, Karim, from Luxembourg; Heather (Gardner) Rundgren of Santee, CA and husband, Mike; great-grandsons, Allen Marino of Garberville; Adam and Zachary Tinakicht of Luxembourg; and Henry and Dashiel Rundgren of Santee, CA. She is also survived by many cousins, nieces, nephews, and many friends.

There will be a celebration of her life at a later date when gatherings are allowed once again. Special thanks to Craig and Linda Parkinson and Loren and Sue Pancoast from the Assembly of God Church in Garberville and all her other friends and family there for making her feel so loved and cared for the last few years of her life. She loved you all.

The following was written by the Joe Rial, Activities Director at Jerold Phelps Community Hospital in Garberville who spent some very special time with her.

Ginger was someone who appeared to be serious and somewhat formal. She was articulate and spoke with knowing, and wisdom. Upon first meeting her, she had an authority you might find in a high school principal. She was in fact, the opposite in many ways. She could be irreverent and snarky and would not shrink from letting you know how she felt. She had a wry sense of humor and despite her failing health would make jokes about it. It was never clear if she made light of dying for herself, or to make those around her more comfortable with the inevitable.

What was most endearing was how much she did not want to be a burden, especially to her family. She did not like being dependent and grudgingly accepted that she was. She often spoke with regret for imposing on her son Mike and his wife Susan, and granddaughter Jessica, even though they assured her it was no problem.

She loved to take drives in the country and would talk about her surroundings with love. She was considerate and tried to make others comfortable. She could also be mildly flirty, which was wonderful to see. She did not want to dwell on the darkness, but would instead, rail against it. Life was rich in her to the end. She did not like to toot her own horn and lived a life that served as an example of humility, generosity, and consideration. Her loss will never be fully understood, but forever felt. Ginger would rather we think of what she left, instead of what she took when she left us. That is who she was and it honors her to remember that.

Photo credit: Jessica Gardner. Great-grandson Allen and Ginger

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Ginger Smith’s family. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.