Virginia (Cammuso) Stamey

July 17, 1923 - March 19, 2021

Virginia (Cammuso) Stamey, 97, of Syracuse passed away peacefully under the wonderful care of the staff at Elderwood of Liverpool on Friday March 19, 2021. She was born in 1923 in Syracuse, the oldest of five children of Alphonso and Andreanna (Mandara) Cammuso. Her sisters, Angie (John) Crosier, Mary (Joseph) Sacco and her brother Sam predeceased her. She is survived by her sister Anna (Louis) Cecconi of Fayetteville. Fiercely independent, supportive and generous, she raised three sons on her own, and is survived by her sons Mark (Shari) of New York City, John of Syracuse and Bob (Paulette) also of Syracuse, along with a niece and several nephews, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. A living example of devotion, Virginia faithfully served as the primary caregiver for her parents as they aged until their passing. “Ginny” was a lifelong resident of Syracuse growing up on the city’s Northside. She graduated from North High at the top of her class in 1941 and went on to graduate from Syracuse University in 1945. Upon graduation, she began a 40-year teaching career with the Syracuse City School District, teaching at Bellevue Elementary, Salina Elementary, Jefferson Elementary and finally Franklin Elementary School where she taught 6th Grade for more than 25 years until her retirement in 1985. Always the educator, after retirement she answered a request to substitute teach at her parish elementary school and donated her salary to the parish. She was an active member of the Syracuse Teachers Association, the Retired Teachers Association, her Neighborhood Watch and was a faithful and supportive communicant of St. John the Baptist parish for over ninety years. In addition, she enjoyed organizing and attending reunions with her fellow North High alums. Known for her wonderful self-effacing sense of humor, she loved spending time with her sisters, friends and neighbors. She was an avid reader and particularly enjoyed Erma Bombeck, Donald Westlake and anything celebrating the history and culture of her Italian roots in Syracuse. She especially enjoyed going to the movies and theater with her friends Pat and Kate. Ginny was a lover of crossword puzzles and was a talented Bridge player and although she herself did not drink, whenever it was her turn to host a card party, she would improve her odds by plying her unsuspecting opponents with Whiskey Sours and deal off the bottom of the deck. She was a terrible but adventurous cook. She was terrified of anything with feathers and loved bargain hunting and garage sales. Not one to sit still, she traveled extensively in throughout the US and Europe with her friends Jane and Libby, sister Mary and her “favorite” niece, Elaine. She was most noted for her spontaneous car trips throughout New York and beyond, travelling often to see her children and grandchildren or relatives in Seneca Falls. A self-confessed slow-poke, she never traveled on the interstates and would occasionally reach a top speed of 45 MPH. Her family would like to thank the wonderful staff of caring professionals at Elderwood in Liverpool and especially our dear friend Mary Cutrone who provided exceptional loving care to her and daily support to us. Family and friends may call on Saturday, March 27, 2021 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. followed by a funeral service at 11:30 at the THOMAS J. PIRRO JR. FUNERAL HOME, 3401 Vickery Road (corner of Buckley Road) in North Syracuse. A private burial will take place at Assumption Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in her name to the Johns Hopkins Comprehensive Transplant Center Baltimore, MD, to which she was eternally grateful.