CENTERVILLE, MASS. - Virginia Coan Toohey Ensign, 85, died at Centerville, Mass., on March 12, 2002 of complications from Alzheimer's disease.
Mrs. Ensign was the daughter of Robert and Constance Coan, born Nov. 25, 1916, in Brooklyn, N.Y. She graduated from Smith College in 1938, and received a Master's Degree from The City College of New York in 1964. She taught English for many years in Westchester County, N.Y. Virginia Coan married John L. Toohey in 1942. She was widowed in 1975. She moved to Monterey, Mass., and became a staff member at Gould Farm, a residential therapeutic community.
In 1980, she married Robert Ensign, from whom she was widowed in 1998. Mrs. Ensign was a summer resident of Chebeague Island, for over 65 years. She was an avid sailor, and a dedicated sailboat racer. She was a founder of the Chebeague Island Sailing School, and an ardent supporter of the island library. Besides sailing, her passions were reading, theatre-going, scrabble playing, and skiing.
She is survived by three daughters, Mary T.
Cushman of Chebeague Island, Margaret T. Bossi of Dennis, Mass.,
and Norah T. Alper of Brookline, Mass.; as well as four grandchildren.
A funeral service will be held Monday, March 25, 2002 at 1 p.m.
at Chebeague Island Methodist Church. the Rev. Thomas S. Cushman
will officiate. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The
Island Commons, c/o CCR, Box 226, Chebeague Island, Maine 04017.