Virginia Marinkovich

Virginia “Ginny” Marinkovich, age 101, of Rocklin, California. Beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother passed away on October 18, 2025, surrounded by her loving family. Born September 10, 1924, in Culver, Pennsylvania to Theodore & Helen Ronca. Proceeded in death by her husband of 60 years, Nick. Survived by her four children Rene Stout (John); Terry Watson (Gary), Tina Marinkovich, Vince Marinkovich (Shawn); Grandchildren: Michelle Cavanna (Robert) Sean Stout (Amanda), Daniel Stout, Scott Watson, Valerie Ochoa (Jake), Nicolas Marinkovich (Addie), Jacob Marinkovich. Great Grandchildren: Aiden & Jameson Cavanna, Ethan, Samantha & Fiorella Stout, Finnegan Stout. Numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Ginny moved from Pennsylvania at the age of 5 to San Pedro, California. At the age of 19 upon her father’s death during world war II, she assumed responsibility to financially support her mom and two siblings. She worked for the army as a civilian for the Board of Embarkation responsible for creating confidential ship manifests during the war. During her later years she often shared the challenges of war time era which included food and gas stamps as well as mandatory blackout drills and the loss of lives of friends and family.

She was introduced to her husband by a mutual friend. After a 5-year courtship they were married on April 24, 1952 in Long Beach, California. In 1953 she stopped working outside the home and began her family. As many women in her circle of family and friends, she had to raise her kids while their husbands as commercial fishermen were absent for months at a time.

In 1962 she and her husband moved to Escondido, California, and became poultry ranch owners. In 1994 they moved to Bonsal, California, and owned an avocado grove until Nick’s death in 2012. She lived her final years with her daughter Tina and moved with her to Rocklin, California, in 2016.

Ginny will be fondly remembered by her children, grandchildren & great-grandchildren as a fun-loving feisty competitive card player who always won Rummy 500, for the numerous grey scarves she knitted and her resistance to sharing candy from her box of See’s. She delighted in rocking to sleep 3 generations of family babies while humming the same cadence. She claimed her longevity was due to her nightly bourbon cocktail. Her family will dearly miss her loving personality but are forever grateful for the years they had with her.

A funeral Mass will be held on November 7th at 10 a.m. at San Luis Rey Mission Chapel (4070 Mission Avenue, Oceanside, California). Interment immediately following Mass at Eternal Hills Memorial Park Cemetery (1999 El Camino Real, Oceanside, California). In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made in Ginny’s memory to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital & Research.