Virgina Cassin

Virginia Cassin, age 96 beautiful years old, passed away on Friday, October 16, 2020. Her last days and hours were spent in the peace and comfort of her home at Northern Lakes Senior Living, in Baxter, MN. Five of Ginie’s eight children were gathered near her bedside. Her departure was sweet and without pain. Ginie was born to Maude Hinckley Robie and Theodore Mead Robie, on April 13, 1924 in Beloit, WI. After a brief residence in Dallas, Texas, the family moved to Oak Park, Ill., just outside of Chicago. There she met and married her sweetheart, William A. (Bill) Cassin, who had just returned from WWII military duty in Europe. Life was always full of excitement and joy as Ginie and Bill were blessed with eight children. Duty to church and community were of lifelong interest to both of them. In their early years as parents, Ginie and Bill were active team leaders in Christian Family Movement (CFM), and the CANA Conference in St. Edmunds Parish in Oak Park. Eventually the call to community involvement and civil right activism found Ginie joining the League of Women Voters and the Community Welfare Council of Oak Park as well as the National Conference of Christians and Jews (NCCJ). In the late 1970’s, the citizens of Oak Park elected Ginie to the position of Municipal Clerk… a position she held for twenty years. Not only was she the first woman to hold that position in that town, she was also the first woman to become a member of the Rotary International of Oak Park, Ill. After “retirement” Ginie and Bill became actively involved members of the Ernest Hemingway Foundation of Oak Park. They spent tireless hours helping foundation purchase and renovating the birthplace of Hemingway, which eventually became a world-class birthplace museum. After 90+ years in the Chicago area, Ginie joined her daughter, Sheila MacLaughlin, and sons, Patrick and Sean Cassin in Minnesota. Her two years as a part of Northern Lakes Community were comfortable and very enjoyable. Until the time of Covid came along, Ginie enjoyed the friendship of many dear neighbors as well as the happiness of gathering with her extended family of children, grandchildren and great grandkids in the Brainerd Lakes area. She filled many lives with love and joy. Ginie is survived by her eight children: Michael (Barbara) Cassin, Patrick Cassin, Sharon Cassin Frame, Sheila (Rick) MacLaughlin, Timothy (Marcia) Cassin, Sean Cassin, Brain (Donna) Cassin and Kieran (Jeri) Cassin; eighteen young adults will miss their grandma as well as twenty six great grandkids. Ginie was preceded in death by her husband Bill, parents, Maude and Ted Robie, brother, Bill Robie, and her nephew David Brown Robie.