Virginia Anne Baca

Virginia (Ginny) Anne Baca (neé Marx), 88, passed away peacefully on Saturday, May 4, 2024 in Albuquerque, NM. Surrounded by her three children and extended family, Ginny's final days were filled with love and comfort.

Ginny was preceded in death by her husband, Elfego George Baca, Jr., and her brother, Theodore Marx.

Ginny is survived by her son, Chris Baca, and his wife, Ann, and their children, Kalin, Kolten, and Kilah; her daughter, Anne Nelson, and her husband, Erik, and their children, Danika and Anders and his wife Sydnee; her son, Paul-Baptiste Baca, and his wife, Eveliina, and their children, Kaisa-Tinúviel, Hanna-Shau’rei, and Viivi-Amárië; her brother, Emil (Junie) Marx, Jr. and his wife Lisa; a prodigious extended family; and many, many friends whose lives she enriched with her warmth and generosity.

A funeral mass will be held on Monday, May 20, 2024, at Saint John XXIII Catholic Church, located at 4831 Tramway Ridge Dr NE, Albuquerque. Flowers and plants in Ginny’s memory can be accepted at the church.

Ginny was born in Columbus, Nebraska, to Emil Baptiste Marx, Sr., and Louise Mary Marx (neé Brunner). The eldest of three children, she was a devoted big sister to Theodore (Ted) Fred and Emil (Junie) Baptiste. She loved books. A lot. Precocious and perspicacious, at nine years old she saved up her own money to buy a set of Encyclopedia Britannica and spent most nights on the roof outside of her second-story bedroom window reading her encyclopediae and mystery novels (Nancy Drew being her favourite) or, when the moon and stars did not cooperate, reading under her covers by flashlight. Her mother's calls from downstairs, "Virginia, turn off that light and go to sleep!" were ubiquitous in the Marx household. She could oftentimes be found among the stacks at the Columbus Carnegie Library, reading a book in Pawnee Park, or studying at the Y-Knot Cafe.

Impassioned by her love of learning and supported by her family, in 1955 Ginny enrolled at Monticello College, a 2-year female junior college and academy in Godfrey, Illinois, known for its beautiful campus and rigorous academic programs patterned after Harvard, Yale, and Princeton, and became a proud ‘Monti Girl’. Studious and smart, Ginny excelled in the challenging curriculums of Monticello and was a frequent tutor to her fellow pupils. After final exams, which were public examinations that attracted big crowds of people wherein the students had to write a personal essay, answer questions from their professors and from anyone in attendance from the community on all the subjects that they had taken, as well as give a musical or theatrical presentation, Ginny returned to Nebraska from Illinois to earn bachelor's and master's degrees in social work from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. It was during her time as a Husker that she met Elfego George Baca, Jr., the love of her life, who was also studying social work.

Ginny and George were married in 1960 at St. Bonaventure Catholic Church in Columbus, Nebraska. Swept off her feet, she traded in the cornfields of her youth for the high-mountain desert of New Mexico. Her Nebraska roots grew very well in the New Mexico soil and she soon came to love the Land of Enchantment as her own. (She was proudly recognized as an Honorary New Mexico Native, complete with an official certificate, in the 1980s, after 20 years.) She and George were a dynamo team, raising a family and building their community, including schools and daycares.

Throughout her life, Ginny's generosity and kindness touched the lives of countless individuals. Whether as a devoted mother, supportive wife, cherished sister, doting grandmother, mother-in-law, or loyal friend, Ginny's presence brought comfort and joy to all who knew her. Known for her quick wit and her kindness, she was always soft-spoken but insightful. A feature at extended-family gatherings, everyone looked forward to her famous brownies—always one pan with nuts and one without—with in-laws, cousins, nephews, and nieces all clamouring for their favourite and always asking for her secret recipe.

Her love of books and learning was a constant theme throughout her life and she was always involved in teaching and caregiving, both in her home and in her professional life. From case worker to teacher to librarian to bibliopegist, Ginny was always busy with her hands and her mind and her heart. Beyond her professional endeavors, she was a tireless volunteer, embodying the values of generosity and community spirit. A consummate doer, she was a lifelong Girl Scout, a 4-H parent and volunteer, a Master Gardener, a book archivist at the Zimmerman Library, active member of American Association of University Women (AAUW), a constant volunteer at her grandchildren’s schools and sporting events, and much more.

Always socially active, she had many friends with whom she shared many interests, including books (she and George helped form a book club in the 60s that is still active to this day), cooking and baking, sewing, colcha embroidery, scrapbooking, horticulture, arts and crafts, and attended and hosted many events.

More than just a mother, wife, sister, grandmother, mother-in-law, friend, altruist, humanitarian, good neighbor, philanthrope, giver, champion, fan, Good Samaritan, Ginny Baca was a truly good soul—a beacon of light whose kindness and compassion left an indelible mark on the world. Her legacy of love will continue to inspire and uplift all who were fortunate enough to know her.