Virginia Banta Obituary

Virginia Carol Banta (Ginger) passed away peacefully at her home in Aurora, Colorado at the age of 85 on November 26, 2025. She had shown great strength, determination and courage during her long battle with a terrible progressive disease.

Ginger was born in Denver Colorado on May 22, 1940, as the second of four children born to her parents Lillian and Frank Perry. She attended Englewood High School and the University of Colorado, Denver. After a few years working at Martin Marietta in Littleton Colorado Ginger move to San Francisco. 

During her years in San Francisco Ginger obtained a position with a national insurance agency and became the first female producer employed by that agency’s San Francisco o ce. Ginger ultimately returned to Colorado working with the same insurance agency in its Denver o ce. Subsequently she was o ered a position with a local agency working with architects and engineers in their professional liability insurance needs. 

After returning to Denver Ginger renewed a friendship with Richard Banta whom she had met on a blind date approximately 10 years earlier. They were married for 48 wonderful years until Ginger's death. Ginger and Rich enjoyed the same activities including tennis, racquetball, bicycling, skiing and spending time at their property in Winter Park Colorado. Whatever the activity was they were always together. They also spent many weekends riding the Colorado Mountain roads and took several extended trips in New Mexico, Utah, South Dakota and Wyoming on their motorcycles often times with others, but always with each other. Ginger and Rich enjoyed many excursions and adventures in their motorhome traveling through the western states and visiting many National Parks.

In 2010 Ginger and Rich moved to the Heritage Eagle Bend community where they met many new friends and enjoyed many community activities and events. Ginger enjoyed playing "at golf". She loved the outdoors, the friendships and the challenges of the game which she continued until the disease made it too di cult. She loved animals as she would say "all creatures great and small”. She was especially devoted to her beloved miniature schnauzers.

Ginger can best be described in six words; kind, generous, devoted, determined, proud and private. These traits were demonstrated in every aspect of her life, her beliefs, her friendships and marriage to Rich. She had a strong belief in God to Whom she prayed frequently, to Whom she praised for His marvelous creations and the amazing wonders of the world, and by trying to live her life in accordance with the teachings of Jesus Christ. She will be greatly missed and remembered as a bright, energetic and loving light in the lives of friends and family.

She is survived by her husband Richard, her sister Joyce Young (Denny), their children Troy Young (Lisa) of Littleton and Melissa Brownstein of Maui Hawaii. She is also survived by her nephews and nieces, Drake, Emma and Grant Young of Littleton and Lynette Prater Phoenix Arizona. She was predeceased by her parents Frank and Lillian Perry, her sister Beverly Loechel and her brother Frank. Perry.

A private internment ceremony was held at Fort Logan Military Cemetery. Donations can be made to Saint Jude Children's Research Hospital, ALS United Rocky Mountain,10855 Dover St. #500 Westminster, CO or your favorite animal organization.