Virginia R Palmieri

Virginia (Ginny) Palmieri, age 73, of Port Murray, NJ, formally of Wyckoff, passed away
peacefully on Thursday, February 26, 2026, surrounded by friends and family.

Virginia was born to Chester and Eleanor Palmieri and graduated from Ramapo High School in
the class of 1970 and subsequently Drew University in 1974 with a BA. She began working at
Drew University in 1974 and remained there until retirement in 2019.

A lifelong animal lover, Ginny shared her life with many animals over the years. Her greatest
passion was the German Shepherd Dog. She enjoyed training and showing her dogs, finding
great joy in working together. But far past the ribbons and titles, Ginny loved dogs and
developed deep relationships with them. As a 4-H leader, she helped many youngsters and
their dogs learn about training and behavior.

An accomplished master knitter (and a master of socks!), Ginny’s expert hands turned simple
yarns into works of art that she gifted to so many. Impossible to know how many new babies
were kept warm in one of her creations. Ginny loved words – no surprise for a research
librarian! And was a keen reader with an eclectic taste in books. A dog or two, a book, some
excellent dark coffee, her reading glasses on her nose, knitting in her hands and a Mets game
on TV made for the perfect evening.

Her network of friends spanned the world. An early adopter of what the internet could offer,
Ginny’s thoughtful, cogent responses and helpful advice on many discussion boards and lists
earned her the respect and friendship of a wide range of people. Through her work as an
animal communicator, she touched countless lives and hearts for decades. Her funny, intelligent
contributions and wise advice were helpful to so many, and her voice will be sorely missed in
the animal communication and dog community.

Virginia is survived by her brothers Mark (Joan) Palmieri of Rutherford and Steven Palmieri of
Hawthorne, her sister Catherine (Hosea) Stuart of Barbados, nieces Alison (William
Kolbenschlag) Palmieri and Genevieve (Joseph Metzger) Palmieri-Metzger, nephew Jesse
Palmieri, and grandnephews Nicholas and Eli and grandnieces Emma and Aurelia.

Friends may visit with the family at the Vander Plaat Funeral Home, 257 Godwin Avenue,
Wyckoff, NJ on Thursday, March 5, 2026 from 2:00 – 4:00 PM, with a brief memorial service to
be held at 4:00 PM. Interment will be private at Laurel Grove Cemetery in Totowa.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Ginny’s memory may be made to one of the following
organizations:
The Jane Goodall Foundation janegoodall.org
The Raptor Center: https://www.theraptortrust.org
Wolf Park: visitwolfpark.org

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