Obituary ~ Virginia A. Lester-Santy

Virginia "Vergi" A. Lester-Santy ~ 1950 - 2018

Virginia Anne Lester-Santy of Gabriels, passed away unexpectedly on Friday, Oct. 12, 2018, at Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital in Plattsburgh, at the age of 68, surrounded by her loving husband and two sons.

Virginia or “Virgi” as she was often referred by is survived by her loving husband of 20 years, John Santy of Gabriels; a son Daniel (Kellie) Seeloff of Canandaigua; a stepson David (Samantha) Santy of Mechanicville; and multiple siblings: Frederick Lester of Stausburgh, Colorado, David (Susan) Lester of Newfane, Patricia (Dennis) Draper of Hilton and Raymond (Emelia) Lester Jr. of Niagara Falls. She has six grandchildren whom were the apple of her eye and who adored her immensely: Noah, Luke, Marissa, Jonathan, Delaney and Payton.

She was predeceased by both of her parents and her younger brother, Timothy.
Virginia was born in Niagara Falls, N.Y. on July 25, 1950 to Raymond and Jacqueline (Smith) Lester. She graduated from Niagara Falls High.
Later she became employed as a secretary for the Franklin County Nurses in Saranac Lake for 20 years before retiring in 2015. By far the most important thing in her world was her family. Her love ran so deep, there was rarely a moment where she wasn’t thinking or doing something with or for them.
John was the love of her life. She loved doing anything at all with him, whether it was road tripping to see their kids or running down the road to sneak some ice cream at their beloved Donnelly’s, where he was, her heart was.
Being a mom and then a grandma made her so proud and so happy. It was her world. She absolutely loved being a grandma, often spoiling her grandkids with random gifts or “because I love you” cards in the mail, she never missed a birthday and began planning Christmas well in advance because it was so much fun for her. She loved them so much and they all knew it.
Taking up another portion of her heart was the numerous pets she had over the years-she leaves behind her fur babies, Pidge, Chip and Wilson.
Virginia was a member of The United Methodist Church of Saranac Lake and had deep roots within her faith. Her love for her community was shown almost on a daily basis with her extensive volunteering. Whether it was working the rummage sales her church, serving up their Wednesday night suppers or spreading her contagious warmth and kindness at the Adirondack Medical Center, Virginia was always there to offer her hand.
She loved being an amateur photographer with family members, always bringing out a camera or her phone to snap pictures of any moment. Often later she would make those pictures into gifts for family members. Crocheting was a self-learned hobby that she took pride in and often made her grandchildren things.
While her son, Dan, was growing up, she was often referred to as a second mom to many of his friends. It was well known that her front door was always open, the coffee always on, cupboards always full and the conversations always available. Many of Dan’s friends benefited so much over the years from that open door, the kindness and often tough love she always gave. It was appreciated so much during those years and to this day is still talked about and remembered by many of them.
She will be missed immensely by so many. The hole she leaves in so many hearts will be impossible to fill. Her silly dances, goofy sentiments, contagious laugh, beautiful smile and zest for life will be missed on a daily basis. She was loved so much and brought so much good to the world. Anyone lucky enough to have her in their lives, even for a short time, knew how blessed they were.
Funeral arrangements are in care of the Fortune-Keough Funeral Home in Saranac Lake. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20 at the United Methodist Church, followed by burial in the Brighton Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the Paul Smith-Gabriels Fire Department in care of the funeral home.
Family and friends wishing to remember Virginia Anne Lester-Santy may also sign the online guestbook at fortunekeoughfuneralhome.com.