Virginia Garside Harnett Virginia Garside Harnett, Elmhurst IL, formerly of Sarasota FL and Racine WI, died May 12, 2021 at the age of 102. She was born Dec. 26, 1918, on the family farm in Sheboygan Co WI, during the worst of the flu pandemic. Working several jobs, she paid for her expenses to attend Carroll College in Waukesha WI, where she was inducted into 3 national honorary fraternities: Pi Kappa Delta Delta for forensics, Sigma Tau Delta for English, and Delta Sigma Nu for scholastics. She was also a member of Alpha Kappa sorority and loved to sing (to the tune of Little Brown Jug) their song: "When an AK girl sits on your knee, she's not concerned with chemistry." Virginia graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BA in Speech, English and Drama and went on to earn 20 graduate credits at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After college she moved to Racine to teach speech and drama at Horlick High School and married Edmund Harnett of Racine on Dec. 20, 1947. In 1956 she organized and was the first president of the Racine Cooperative Nursery School which still thrives. In the 1960s, '70s and early '80s, Virginia was an ad hoc instructor of speech and communications at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, the College of Racine and Gateway Technical College. Throughout her life Virginia was devoted to the theater. In 1965 she was recognized by the Racine Children's Theatre for 25 years of outstanding service including directing dozens of children's plays, 20 years on the RTC Council and 2 years as president. In 1986, after 42 years of service, she was honored as the first Life Member of the Racine Theatre Guild, the oldest community theatre in WI, for her "Exceptional Generosity of Time and Talent" having directed plays, being secretary for 19 years and serving as its first woman president. In 1988 she was honored by the Racine Arts Council for "exceptional enhancement of and contribution to the arts in the Racine area" for helping to organize and direct the Racine United Arts Fund. In 1985, after Edmund retired at age 70, they bought a winter home in Sarasota FL, a city they had both loved for many years. In 1988, they moved full time to Sarasota. After enjoying years of tropical gardening and year-round picnics at the beach, Edmund passed away on July 3, 2000. Virginia's love of the theatre kept her attending performances at the many professional and community theaters in Sarasota. She served 18 years as timekeeper for the Sarasota Academic Olympics and was a devoted member of the First Methodist Church of Sarasota where she directed plays and served on many committees. Her most dramatic appearance there was in a fashion show when, at 90, she paraded on stage as "Eve" in a costume that made her appear to be nude. In 2013, at 95, a series of health crises led Virginia to move to Oak Park IL to be near two of her three children. Virginia went on to recover as she had from so many previous crises and continued to attend as many plays, concerts and lectures as she could. While the second pandemic of her lifetime ended live performances, Virginia continued to enjoy life and televised performances until the day before her death. Asked about how she lived to be 102, Virginia said she "used the talents she had for the benefit of others; kept curious; made the most of what was thrown her way; and exercised moderation while eating healthy foods." She was proud to have qualified as a "Super Ager" in a long-term study being conducted by Northwestern University Hospital. After her death, she donated her brain to their research on the differences between those who remained mentally acute into very old age and individuals of similar genetic, health and life experiences who developed dementia earlier in their lives. Virginia was preceded in death by her husband, Edmund. She was the oldest of three children and outlived her sister, Phyllis; and her brother, Wayne. Survivors include her three daughters Darcey Haanstad of Denver CO, Gail Gross of Oak Park IL, and Eileen Teska of Milwaukee WI, 7 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Virginia to Racine Theatre Guild 2519 Northwestern Avenue Racine WI 53404 or First Methodist Church of Sarasota 104 S Pineapple Avenue Sarasota FL 34236 would be appreciated.