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Virginia Edna GIBB

Female 1930 - 2018  (87 years)


Personal Information    |    Notes    |    Sources    |    Event Map    |    All    |    PDF

  • Name Virginia Edna GIBB 
    Birth 19 Jun 1930  Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Female 
    Death 6 Mar 2018  Lakefield, Peterborough, Ontario Find all individuals with events at this location  [1, 2, 3] 
    Burial Cornhill Baptist Cemetery, Cornhill, Kings, New Brunswick Find all individuals with events at this location  [4] 
    Person ID I9276  bmds
    Last Modified 25 Jan 2022 

    Family Rev. John Frederick KEITH,   b. 13 Jul 1932, Cornhill, Kings, New Brunswick Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 91 years) 
    Marriage 11 Jun 1955 
    Age at Marriage Virginia : 25 years old | John : 22 years old. 
    Notes 
    • Wheaton Weddings:
      Virginia E. Gibb ’51 and John F. Keith were married June 11 in Beverly Farms, Mass.
    Children 1 son and 2 daughters 
    +1Female. Carol Esther KEITH,   b. 22 Aug 1956, Beverley Farms, Beverly, Essex, Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 67 years)
     2Female. Shirley Elisabeth KEITH,   b. 18 Sep 1958, Lisbon, Portugal Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 65 years)
     3Male. John Gordon KEITH,   b. Aug 1961, Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 62 years)
     
    Family ID F3472  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBirth - 19 Jun 1930 - Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts
    Link to Google MapsDeath - 6 Mar 2018 - Lakefield, Peterborough, Ontario
    Link to Google MapsBurial - - Cornhill Baptist Cemetery, Cornhill, Kings, New Brunswick
    Pin Legend  : Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  • Notes 
    • John and Virginia Gibb Keith ’51 sailed in October for Lisbon, Portugal, with their daughter Carol. After a year of language study, they plan to go to Angola, Portuguese West Africa, under the Canadian Baptist Mission. (Source: Wheaton College Alumni, February, 1958).

  • Sources 
    1. [S4] Obituary.
      Virginia Edna Gibb married John Frederick Keith on the 11 June, 1955. John was born in Cornhill, Kings County, New Brunswick, on the July, 1932, to John Keith and Ada Straight. Virginia (Gibb) Keith of Lakefield, Ontario, passed away at the Peterborough Regional Health Centre on Tuesday March 6, 2018.
       Virginia (Ginny to some) was born in Boston and met her husband there during his studies. They were married in 1955 and served internationally with the Canadian Baptist Overseas Mission Board for forty years, on five continents. Both she and her husband, Dr. John F. Keith, taught in English, Portuguese, and French with periods of residence in Portugal, Angola, Congo-DRC, Kenya, Yugoslavia, Slovakia, and Croatia. Assignments also took them to India, Bolivia, Brazil, Sri Lanka, Russia, Ukraine, Latvia, Estonia, Rwanda, and Albania. During John’s decade of tenure as General Secretary of Canadian Baptist Missions, she was the anchor of the family in her work as a reference librarian in the Burlington Public Library.

    2. [S4] Obituary.
      Tribute to Virginia Keith (1930-2018)
       Just before noon on Tuesday, March 6th, Virginia Keith went to be with her Lord, surrounded by her husband and her three children. Her final week was spent in hospital struggling with several health issues. Her homegoing was peaceful as John and their three children Carol, Shirley and John Gordon sang hymns (in 4-part harmony!), read scripture and prayed her into eternity. Virginia leaves behind her husband John with whom she shared 62 amazing years of life and ministry, three children, seven grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
       Virginia met John at Gordon College where he was studying theology and she was teaching French. Their marriage in 1955 was predicated on God’s promise to them from Psalm 2:8, “Ask of me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for your possession.”
       God was faithful to His promise, as they served with Canadian Baptist Ministries for 40 years, on five continents and in at least 20 countries. Both Virginia and her husband, John taught in English, French and Portuguese. At different periods of their ministry they lived in Portugal, Angola, DR Congo (Zaire), Kenya, Yugoslavia, Slovakia and Croatia. Shorter term assignments during the decade that she and John oversaw all of CBM’s international ministries also took them to Albania, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Estonia, India, Indonesia, Latvia, Russia, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, Turkey and Ukraine.
       In addition to her work as a CBM missionary, Virginia has also taught at elementary, secondary and university levels, has been a reference librarian, and in her retirement has hosted ambassadors and diplomats from countries such as Turkey, China and Indonesia at their lakeside home. But the roles she loved the most were as a wife, a mother, a grandmother and most recently, a great grandmother.
       Two of Virginia’s more memorable experiences were these. Being evacuated from Angola at the outbreak of the civil war, traveling with her two young daughters and pregnant with her son, at times lying on the floor of the vehicle as bullets were flying around them. The second was decades years later, traveling with John to scout out future ministry in Albania, when it was not permitted for them to even carry their personal English Bibles into that closed atheist country or to mention the name of God, and then several years later being there in the capital Tirana as former US President Jimmy Carter formally opened the Baptist Centre in the heart of the city.
       Virginia’s other love was baseball. While she was born and raised as a Boston Red Sox fan in Massachusetts, she fully embraced her adopted country and became an avid Toronto Blue Jay’s fan. Just two days before her death, in her hospital room, she even spent some time discussing with her children some of the Blue Jays new acquisitions and their prospects for the 2018 season.
       Virginia will be deeply missed by many, but our loss is heaven’s gain. Hers was a remarkable life, in which she faithfully served her Lord and Savior to her last days. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 10th at 11:00 am at Lakefield Baptist Church. Visitation will be Friday evening at the Hendren Funeral home in Lakefield. Online messages of condolence can be posted on the funeral home’s website (www.hendrenfuneralhome.com) by clicking on Virginia’s obituary page. Cards may be mailed to CBM and will be delivered to John and the family.
       Memorial donations to Canadian Baptist Ministries have been designated by the family to be used for scholarships for women students from the Middle East and North Africa studying at the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary in Beirut, Lebanon. Donations may be made online at www.cbmin.org/donate [write Virginia Keith in memorium gift in the additional information section] or mailed to Canadian Baptist Ministries, 7185 Millcreek Drive, Mississauga, ON L5N 5R4.
      Source: CBM – Candadian Baptist Ministries.

    3. [S4] Obituary.
      KEITH: Virginia Edna (née Gibb)
      Passed away at the Peterborough Regional Health Centre on Tuesday March 6, 2018. Virginia Keith of Lakefield in her 88th year. Virginia (Ginny to some) was born in Boston and met her husband there during his studies. They were married in 1955 and served internationally with the Canadian Baptist Overseas Mission Board for forty years, on five continents. Both she and her husband, Dr. John F. Keith, taught in English, Portuguese and French with periods of residence in Portugal, Angola, Congo-DRC, Kenya, Yugoslavia, Slovakia and Croatia. Assignments also took them to India, Bolivia, Brazil, Sri Lanka, Russia, Ukraine, Latvia, Estonia, Rwanda and Albania. During John’s decade of tenure as General Secretary of Canadian Baptist Missions, she was the anchor of the family in her work as a reference librarian in the Burlington Public Library.
       Loved and missed by her husband of 63 years, John Frederick Keith. Lovingly remembered by her children Carol Rigby (Bruce) of Maberly, Shirley Humble (Timothy) of Oakville and John Gordon Keith of Peterborough. Loving grandmother of Geoffrey and Stephen Rigby, Jennifer Sifft (Jason), T.J. Humble, Alexandra Galley (Seth), Andrew and Ben Keith. Loved by her great-granddaughters Adelaide and Vivian Sifft.
       Survived by her brother George Gibb (Carolyn) of California and her sister Edith M. Johnson (Rev. Gordon) of Florida.
       Predeceased by her parents George and Esther Gibb.
       Cremation has take place. Relatives and friends may call at The Hendren Funeral Homes, Lakefield Chapel, 66 Queen Street, Lakefield on Friday March 9, 2018 from 6:30 – 8:30 PM. A funeral service will be held at Lakefield Baptist Church, 36 Regent St., Lakefield on Saturday March 10, 2018 at 11:00 AM. A reception will follow in the fellowship hall of the church. Memorial donations may be made to Canadian Baptist Ministries and are designated by the family to be used for scholarships for women students from the Middle East and North Africa studying at the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary in Beirut, Lebanon. Donations may be made online at www.cbmin.org (or mailed to Canadian Baptist Ministries, 7185 Millcreek Drive, Mississauga, ON L5N 5R4) and expressions of sympathy may be made by contacting the funeral home at www.hendrenfuneralhome.com or by calling 705-652-3355.

    4. [S5] Find A Grave, → Memorial ID 202888647.