Obituary of Virginia "Ginger" C. (Herlihy) Roden

Virginia “Ginger” C. (Herlihy) Roden, 75, of Peabody, died peacefully Friday evening at the Kaplan Family Hospice House in Danvers with her family by her side after living with MDS and recently suffering from a stroke. She was the devoted wife of John E. Roden with whom she shared over 58 years of marriage. Ginger was born in Salem on August 22, 1942 and was the daughter of the late James and Rita (La Pointe) Herlihy. She was raised and educated in Salem and has spent the last 40 years living in Peabody. Ginger was a stay-at-home mom, and when her children left the nest she began her working career as an arts & crafts teacher. She was employed at the former Peabody/Lynnfield YMCA and later at Teachable Moments in Peabody with her two daughters. Ginger was a very talented artist who enjoyed sharing her gift with children. Her passions were puzzle and candy making, and she possessed a fervent love for the Boston Celtics and Red Sox. Her compassionate and empathetic nature, as well as great listening skills made her a favorite for her many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends whom frequently visited her. She will be dearly missed by all of them. Besides her loving husband, she is survived by her son, John Roden Jr of Peabody; her two daughters and sons-in-law, Darlene and Bruce Shapiro of Saugus and Debby and Brian Richardson of Danvers, and by her beloved two grandchildren, Zachary Brian Richardson and Avery Virginia Richardson. Her funeral will be celebrated on Wednesday at 11:00 AM at the Conway, Cahill-Brodeur Funeral Home, 82 Lynn St, Peabody to which relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend. Visitation will be held prior to the service from 9:00 AM until 11:00 AM. Burial service will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her name to Care Dimensions, 75 Sylvan St, Suite B-102, Danvers, MA 01923.