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Virginia Marie “Ginny” Jolivette, age 98, passed peacefully on January 3, 2025. She was born on February 7, 1926 in Pulaski, WI to Charles and Catherine Kozicki. Ginny was the third of five children--a middle child with two older brothers and two younger sisters. As the eldest daughter, she assumed a great deal of responsibility for household chores and the care of her younger siblings. This shaped her into a meticulous housekeeper in adult life. She expected the same attention to detail from her daughters, much to their chagrin.
Although raised during the Great Depression, Ginny had many fond memories of her childhood in Pulaski: meals at her grandparents’ house, visits with extended family and ice skating on the pond near her home. In high school she worked at the local drug store serving sodas and helping customers. Store owners Gene and Alice generously provided Ginny with an interest-free loan, enabling her to study pharmacy at the University of Wisconsin.
At UW Ginny met Rick Jolivette, a handsome veteran and pharmacy student. The two graduated and married in 1948, before moving to Arizona in 1950.
As a woman in pharmacy in the 1950s, Ginny was asked to sell cosmetics in addition to filling prescriptions in the small independent pharmacies where she worked. This led to her submission of the winning entry in a Helene Curtis jingle contest. Her prize was a new mink coat. Being practical Midwesterners who didn’t see the need for a fur coat in Phoenix, Ginny and Rick sold the coat and applied the proceeds towards the purchase of a new car.
After the arrival of daughters Stephanie and Renee, Ginny and Rick bought a house in North Phoenix with a large yard that accommodated the many pets the family would acquire in the ensuing years. Ginny especially loved dogs. At various times, the family owned two poodles, a St. Bernard, an incorrigible Irish setter and a cocker spaniel.
Ginny’s pharmacy career culminated in her move to St. Joseph’s Hospital, where she ultimately assumed responsibility for managing the pharmacy’s controlled substance inventory. On one occasion, she assisted the Phoenix Police Department in conducting a sting operation to catch a narcotics thief.
After retirement, Ginny and Rick built a house in Fountain Hills. They traveled extensively, visiting many countries as well as off-the-beaten-path destinations in the US. They enjoyed gambling in Las Vegas and Laughlin and playing bingo at Fort McDowell (now We-Ko-Pa). Ginny was an ace at slot poker, hitting more royal flushes than one would suspect statistically possible.
In 2013, Ginny and Rick moved to Fountain View Village. They were married almost 70 years when Rick passed in 2018. Ginny is also predeceased by her parents, and siblings Stanley Kozicki, Sylvester Kozicki, Margaret Hannon and Lorraine Zahn. She is survived by daughters Stephanie (Mike) and Renee (Skip) and many nieces and nephews.
Ginny’s funeral service will be at Church of the Ascension in Fountain Hills on January 24, 2025. Visitation will begin at 10:30 a.m. and Mass at 11:00, followed by entombment at St. Francis Catholic Cemetery in Phoenix. Arrangements are under the direction of Messinger Mortuary in Fountain Hills.
The family would like to thank Fountain View Village and Cardinal Home Care staff members past and present, as well as Hospice of the Valley, for the loving care they provided to Ginny.
Donations in Ginny’s memory may be made to Church of the Ascension in Fountain Hills or to the Arizona Humane Society.
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