Virginia Trautz

Known as Ginny to those she held dear, Virginia was not only a woman that exuded elegance and grace, she was also quite a Strong force in everyone’s life, “There’s nothing you can’t do” was Virginia’s attitude and she lived her life by it. Even as her vision was failing, she taught herself to play the piano with her eyes closed, so that once the vision was gone she would still have music in her life. But, maybe that‘s because entertaining was in her blood. . As a young girl she went door to door in her neighborhood to find children to teach. She started with about ten children, but that number grew and grew. In high school she so loved dance that she took a bus to Philadelphia after school to perfect her technique by taking different ballet classes. She loved to share what she’d learned with others, which eventually led to her opening the Virginia Trautz Dance Studio. She spent much of her adult life sharing her joy for dance with her community. Her business was a 50 year journey. And it influenced many other things in her life, if her T.V was on she’d be checking out Dancing with the Stars, or anything else that involved dance or music; if she was off to New York she’d take in a showing of the Rockettes. Frank Sinatra was among her favorite singers.

And she was worldly: her years found her traveling to Puerto Rico, Holland, London, Paris, San Francisco, Bahamas, and Bermuda. Paris and Hawaii were her favorites. She also had a thing for sewing, be it clothes for her vast doll collection or to just add a little something extra to her wardrobe. Come the holidays she always entertained and did all the cooking. Of course, she found her real calling late in life: a grandmother for the ages. And, yes, she taught them to dance.

She was blessed with and loved her 4 children: Linda (Tim) Tuno of Mt Laurel, Gary (Diane) Trautz of Florida, Donna Sweatman of St. George, South Carolina, Dean (Eileen) Trautz of Cedar Park, TX; grandchildren: Jim, Lisa, Michael, Angela, Michele, Jamie, Laurel, AnnMarie, Zoe, Mia, Deana and 13 great, great grandchildren, Predeceased by her husband, Leon Trautz and grandchildren, Christina and Joshua.

Come celebrate 98 great years Friday 10 am-1 pm at Sweeney Funeral Home, Riverside NJ, where there will be a service at 1 pm. There will be a private Interment at Harleigh Cemetery, Camden. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to: Animal Welfare Assosiation.