Virginia "Ginny" Carey DeSimone

Age 95, passed into her Heavenly Father's embrace on Sunday, May 3, 2026, surrounded by her children and grandchildren. She lived with warmth, curiosity, and quiet strength-qualities that shaped her family and the many lives she touched.

She was born in 1930 in Morris, Illinois, to John Leo and Loretta Conley Carey. From those beginnings, she went on to serve as a congressional aide and nonpartisan civic organizer and leader, while also guiding her American family. Virginia brought a generosity of spirit to her relationships and to her public work.

She met others with an impish humor that put people at ease-never at anyone's expense. In her presence, others felt welcomed and respected. A lifelong learner, she began at St. Angela Academy in her hometown, graduating as a top student and earning a four-year scholarship to Marycrest College in Davenport, Iowa. After two years she continued at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, and completed her degree in history at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

Books were a constant in her life. Bookcases lined her walls, with stacks in nearly every room. She was often part of one or more book clubs, gathering with friends who shared her curiosity and love of conversation.

Her professional life unfolded with ease. She didn't seek positions; opportunities found her. She began in the Department of Neurology and Psychiatry at Northwestern University. U.S. Senator Paul Douglas then recruited her to open his Chicago campaign office during his successful 1954 race. She later served in his Senate office as a special assistant during his work on civil rights and consumer protection, including the Truth in Lending Act.

A proud Douglas protégé and a lifelong Franklin D. Roosevelt-style Democrat, Virginia held a steady belief in policies that uplift the less fortunate, ethics in public life, and campaign finance reform. She supported the creation of the Paul H. Douglas Ethics in Government Award at the University of Illinois, which honors integrity in public service. Near the close of his career, U.S. Senator Paul Simon invited her to assist him during his final year in the Senate. She also helped Senator Douglas in retirement, guiding the completion of his memoir, In the Fullness of Time, and preserving his voice with care.

Recognized early as a leader-serving as class president in high school and college-Virginia later focused her civic life in Arlington, Virginia. Through the League of Women Voters, she served at the local level, then led the Virginia League, and later served as First Vice President of the National League, where she helped train the organization's congressional lobby corps of citizen members.

She also chaired the Committee of 100 in Arlington and guided the United Way of the National Capital Area. In each role, she brought integrity, steady judgment, and a belief in the role of informed citizens.

Above all, she believed her greatest achievement-her "immortality," as she often said-was being a mother. Raising her three children was the joy and purpose of her life, a calling she met with devotion, humor, and enduring love.

She is survived by her family, who carry her memory forward: her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She is lovingly remembered by her daughter Jane Dittmar (Frank Squillace) of Charlottesville, VA and their children Will (Kelsey), Mary (Jen), Virginia, Jed, Leia, and Joe; her son Jim DeSimone (Beth) of Orlando FL, and their children Rebecca (Xavier) and John (Zorena); and her younger son Dan DeSimone (Helen Dooley) of Washington, DC and their children Helen Virginia, Alexander, and Dahlia. Her legacy lives on in her great-grandchildren-Tessa, Jimmy Mason, Porter, Samantha Belen, Hedy, Carey, and Owen. She is also remembered by nieces and nephews across the Carey and DeSimone families.

Waiting for her in Heaven are her parents; her siblings, John, Jane, Tom, and Nancy; her former husband; and close friends whose lives were intertwined with hers.

The family extends gratitude to John Lanham, MD, and his nurse, Rhonda, for their care and guidance. They also thank the team at Senior Helpers for their daily support, and the caregivers of Trinity Hospice for their presence and kindness in her final days.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, September 5, 2026, at 10:00 am at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in her hometown of Morris, IL. She will then be laid to rest in Mount Carmel Catholic Cemetery in Morris.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks those who wish to honor her memory to do so by supporting candidates who commit to campaign finance reform and to ethical public service.

Local arrangements have been made under the direction and care of Reeves, Fruland & Baskerville Funeral Homes and Crematory. (815-942-0700)