Obituary

Virginia "Ginny" Setzer McLean

August 13, 1925 - November 22, 2011

Martha Virginia Setzer McLean died Tuesday, November 22, 2011 at Lake Norman Regional Medical Center. Ginny, as she liked to be called, was the daughter of Virginia Ragland and Auburn H. Setzer, who in their early married life were missionaries in the Congo. Virginia was born August 13, 1925 in Lakeland, Fla. As a young child she had an unusual musical talent, and studied voice, piano, and violin at the College of Lakeland. At the age of 15 she moved with her family to Valdese, North Carolina. She graduated from Valdese High School with the class of 1942, and then went on to attend Woman's College University of North Carolina, now known as the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She graduated from Woman's College in 1942 with a major in Hospital Dietetics. She spent the summer of 1946 in New York City. That fall she began her first job at Lowrance Hospital in Mooresville. While in Mooresville she met William Edward McLean, who became her husband of 61 years. They were married on August 23, 1947.
After leaving Lowrance Hospital, Virginia worked at Rowan Memorial Hospital in Salisbury and Queens College in Charlotte. She then joined the Dietetics Department at Charlotte Memorial Hospital, and later became the head of the dietary department at Huntersville Hospital. After retirement she worked as director of the Ceramics House at the War Memorial in Mooresville. Ginny was a skilled and talented visual artist and musician. Her greatest love, however, was her work with her church, where she applied her musical and artistic abilities to glorify God. She deeply loved her many friends and rejoiced in her life in the church community. Virginia was a member of Vanderburg United Methodist Church. She was a former choir director, former president of the Friendship Club, and secretary of The United Methodist Women. In 1969, along with the Reverend Robert H. Combs, she organized and led a very successful Lay Witness Meeting. Virginia was an artist and as long as she was physically able she kept a lovely bulletin board in her Sunday School classroom. Ginny's family would like to thank the doctors and nursing staff, especially those in the critical care unit, at Lake Norman Regional Medical Center. Her family would also like to express their gratitude to Hospice of Iredell County, for their compassion and help. Virginia was preceded in death by her husband, William Edward McLean of Mooresville, North Carolina. They are survived by one daughter, Marilyn McLean Wood, and son-in-law William Zeno Wood, Jr., of Lewisville, North Carolina, as well as two grandsons: Matthew Zeno Wood of Raleigh, North Carolina and Patrick McLean Wood of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Virginia is also survived by her niece Frances Caramello Barlettai of Tampa, Florida, and Sherry McLean Hoffman, Ruthellen McLean Doherty, Kathy Shimpock, Carol Mulford her nephew Larry Earnest McLean and his wife Jan and their son Michael. She is also survived by several grandnieces and nephews. There will be a visitation from 10am-11am on Saturday, November 26 at Vanderburg United Methodist Church; funeral service will be held from 11am to noon, also on November 26 at Vanderburg Methodist Church. Burial will follow in church cemetery. Mrs. McLean's family requests that memorials go to Vanderburg Methodist Church, or to the American Heart Association.