Hamburg loses leader and friend

HAMBURG-Long time resident, Virginia Gorman, known as Ginny to all, died on July 12 at the age of 50 after a two-year battle with cancer. An active member of the Hamburg Town Council, she has served two previous terms for a total of nine years. Her dedication was constant, as Gorman could be seen at every town meeting continuing her service to the borough despite having been on radiation and chemotherapy for some time. She is remembered dearly by friends and neighbors. "Ginny was the sister I never had," said her neighbor, Cathy Dehnel. Despite her illness, Gorman wrung as much as possible out of life. She was an enthusiastic member of a local chapter of the Red Hat Society, a national organization for women aged 50 and beyond whose sole purpose is "to have as much fun as possible without getting arrested." Fellow Red Hot Hatter and prominent Hamburg senior citizen Betsy Edsall recalled the many times they shared "having fun" and in volunteer pursuits. "She never let us down," said Edsall. "She had had a chemo treatment the same day we rolled meatballs half the night for the spaghetti dinner for the playground fundraiser. "Ginny was a wonderful advocate to the seniors," she continued. "She was always so fair-minded about everything." Councilman William Cunningham's comments duplicated those of her friends. "There was nobody that would say bad word about Ginny," he said. "She was one of the nicest people, and she will be hard to replace." Gorman was active in projects that involved the children and teens of the borough. She participated in D.A.R.E., Hamburg Jr. Police Academy, and Project Graduation. She spearheaded a town clean-up with the assistance of the young people, and was liaison to the recreation department. She also was a former PTA president. Gorman had requested that donations be sent to her pet project, construction of a new playground for the children of Hamburg. Playground Committee Chair, Dawn O'Grady, who has already received a total in excess of $1,700, said, "It's almost hard to believe that she's gone. It's very rare that you find such a giving person as Ginny." Gorman also requested that donations be sent to the Hamburg PTA, the recreation fund, and to St. Jude's Church. She had arranged that her body be donated to the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey for research.