The Story of “Ginny B.” - A Senior Who never Gave Up!
Ginny Breuer
Introduction to Ginny Breuer-
Picture if you will… a ball of fire and a chatterbox rolled into one!
That was the essence of Virginia ‘Ginny (Parsons) Breuer’ of West Hartford and Newington, CT.
She was a force to be reckoned with in the most positive ways!
She was born into a multi-generational lineage of Parsons, a New England family settling in historic Northampton, Massachusetts for more than six generations.
She was the consummate traditional wife and mother (with the exception of leaving the cooking to her husband.) She had ‘other fish to fry.’
Ginny’s interests included writing and her natural talents in tennis, basketball and field hockey and music ( piano playing and choral singer which she continued throughout her life.
As a young adult, she received her formal education at Colby Junior College in New London, New Hampshire, and initially worked at Trinity College in the Admissions and Bursar’s Offices as a switchboard operator and mimeographer. Additional career moves included secretarial work for a dentist and 12 years as a nursery school teacher. Ginny had so much support and love to give!
Her greatest love and blessing was meeting William Breuer, an engineer and her future husband. After marrying in 1953, they had two children- son, Bill and daughter, Shirley, in 1957 and 1960 respectively.
Ginny remained very involved with many activities in Newington, Connecticut where she resided for many years.
Volunteering was another passion. She served residents at Jefferson House, a skilled nursing and Rehabilitation community with both short term and long term residents for 20 years which effectively became her second home. She was also voted Volunteer of the Year.
Her connection to others was her bubbly personality, and the innumerable people she touched through writing cards, letters, thoughtfully clipping and mailing articles she knew would be of interest to everyone she knew.
(I thought she single handedly supported the Newington Post Office!)
As a senior citizen, Ginny enjoyed the simple pleasures in life and put much energy into all she did, with her upbeat nature and devotion to family and her faith.
However, in 2010, a tragic incident occurred at her home.
She lived in a 1950’s Cape Cod style home with a breezeway that was considered an architectural feature that served as a covered passageway to link the main house to another structure, most commonly a detached garage. This provided a convenient and protected route, shielding occupants from the elements like rain, snow, or hot sun when moving between the house and garage. It also served as what would be considered a mudroom, storage space or extra entertaining area.
One day in the spring of 2010, Ginny went to her porch-breezeway while taking items to the recycle bin.
Her routine was to put it under the table each night. While attempting to do this, she fell to the ground. She laid on the floor for many hours as night turned to day and beyond.
Ginny stated, "I tried and tried and tried to get up but I couldn't. My father always said, "Never give up" and this is the first time I ever had to”
During this time of distress, Ginny’s thoughts brought her back to advice from the family motto of former generations. The saying, "Numquam desistas," Latin for "Never give up" which was her motivation to remain positive.
Her daughter, Shirley found her on the porch the next morning, April 7th, as they were going to a cardiology appointment together.
At first Ginny didn't respond when Shirley called her name. The second time she did and said, "I'm so glad you're here on time."
Shirley asked, "How long have you been out here?" and she responded,
"Since 5 pm last night." (This was roughly 18 hours.)
She had sustained only a badly scraped elbow at the time.
Ginny’s resilience shone through when she told her daughter about the ordeal.
"When I realized I was going to be out here all night, I crawled across the porch to get the plastic garbage bags. I figured I'd use them as a pillow.
I said to myself, I'm just going to think of all the fun I had playing in the back yard with my kids until Shirl comes tomorrow."
That’s exactly what she did… occupying her thoughts with fond memories, maybe singing songs, trying to stay warm and get some sleep.
Ginny may have been frightened, as anyone in this situation would.
However, she knew that morning would come. She never wavered in her belief that she would be found soon.
She was hospitalized to treat her wound.
Ultimately, the doctors discovered that, unbeknownst to her, cancer had invaded much of her body.
Ginny received care at her beloved Jefferson House where she had volunteered for two decades.
After consulting her children, Ginny opted not to use any aggressive medical means to fight the cancer, due to the extent of its spread and the toll it would take.
After hearing her story, I was amazed at her bravery and positive attitude, having endured such a vulnerable time for the many hours she laid on the floor alone. But most of all, I couldn’t stop thinking about how this occurred and truly felt heartbroken for her!
The Importance of Fall Prevention
This could and does happen literally to anybody. In fact, falls leading to serious injury and death in those 65+ occur frequently..
Frequent of occurrence: More than one out of four older adults die from falls each year.. Over 47,000 seniors have died to date in 2025. In addition, according to the National Institute of Health, up to 70% of patients do not accurately report or do not report falls at all to their physicians!
These are alarming statistics which can be construed as the best kept secret among the public!
Fall Prevention Tips (The Mayo Clinic) June 2024
Link- https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/healthy-aging/in-depth/fall-prevention/ These tips involve - the following categories-
Review your medications, previous falls, health concerns with your physician;
Keep moving - mobility, gentle exercise, wear supportive, non-slip shoes;
Remove all home hazards such as cords, area rugs etc;
Make sure your environment is well lit;
Use assistive devices to ensure safety;
Refer to a physical and or occupational therapist for a home evaluation.
Could Ginny have anticipated this event? ‘Not likely, as she may have felt safe within her routine. However, if there were symptoms brewing, she might have just kept moving forward, thinking nothing of it, which fit her personality. People of “good New England stock” are often those who are strong and seemingly have the attitude that they can weather any storm.
Reflections for the Future
A word of caution to the givers of this world… Just in case, you must draw a line in the sand and make a conscious decision to give as much to yourself as you did to others, particularly in the sunset of your life.
Taking time to smell the roses, taking care of your personal needs and maintaining safety is vital!
As I write this, I am finally coming to this realization.
It indeed can extend your life and improve the quality of life!
I have many fond memories of Ginny. She is truly missed. But her legacy and ability to embrace life on any terms lives on!
In Honor of Ginny Breuer
Ginny’s birthday was August 29th. If you would like to donate in Ginny Breuer’s name to the Jefferson House Good Samaritan Fund ( Part of Hartford Hospital- HartfordHealthcare, call- 860-667-4453. Alternatively, email jeffersonhouse.org. Jefferson House has been in operation for 120 years.
Thank you for reading, sharing and commenting for the benefit of others…
Donna
8-4-2025