On November 12, 2024 the Island lost a devoted advocate for the environment and the working waterfront. Surrounded by her family, Virginia Crowell Jones departed on her final voyage from her home in West Tisbury. She is buried in a green burial plot overlooking the Tisbury Great Pond.

The daughter of Thomas and Lydia Howes Bardwell, Ginny was born on Dec. 10, 1941 in Oak Bluffs. When she was two years old, her parents parted and Lydia and Ginny moved in with Joe and Bessie Howes at the house across from Alley’s store. Joe, born in 1874, became Ginny’s primary babysitter. He had a reputation in town as a legendary raconteur and he entertained his charge with memories from his childhood and the escapades of seafaring ancestors.

Famously one spring, the toddler Ginny followed behind her grandfather unearthing the peas he was carefully planting. She threw them into the woods saying “ you never know Joe, you never know.”

In her teens, she delivered papers and saved enough to buy a horse Nicka. Ginny and her grandfather (at times), rode Nicka all over the Island.

Ginny attended the West Tisbury Primary and the Vineyard Haven High School and graduated class of 1959. She met Everett Jones while he was milking cows at the Whiting’s farm. Everett and Ginny were married in 1961.

She attended St Lawrence University where Everett was already enrolled, and when Everett was admitted to the University of Pennsylvania graduate program, Ginny also transferred to Penn and graduated in the class of 1963 with a BA in cultural anthropology. Two months later, Ginny gave birth to their son, Douglas. Their daughter Caitlin was born in 1966.

After college, the family settled in Mystic, Conn. Ginny joined the Noank Quilt Factory, a coven of sailors, quilters, hippies and rebellious housewives. In the early 70’s, she lost her mother Lydia, her grandfather Joe, and she separated from Everett. She turned the Mystic house into the “Mission,” an informal boarding house for wayward sailors. The wayward sailors also helped with splitting the woodpile and stoking the wood stove. In the mid 70’s, she audaciously (or prophetically) bought a 63’ Alden yawl, Foam, and with a captain and crew headed for southern latitudes. Ginny eventually let go of Foam, but not her love of ocean voyaging.

In 1978, she was employed by Mystic Seaport as the secretary and assistant to the director of Ship’s Preservation and Curation. She helped manage the shipyard office, commiserated with the shipwrights and caulkers, researched historic watercraft and organized a few of the museum’s classic boat rendezvous. She completed maritime trade courses offered by the museum and turned many belaying pins. She also moved ballast from many bilges and sanded and painted many hulls and spars.

In 1985, she returned to Marthas Vineyard and became office manager and troubleshooting ombudsman at the fledgling Gannon and Benjamin boatyard in Vineyard Haven. She presided in her “oval office,” managing the books, connecting G&B with her legion of nautical associates, screening customers and keeping young children’s fingers out of the bandsaws.

While at Gannon and Benjamin, she made Caribbean passages aboard Zorra, cruised to Maine on the Gen. Patton schooner, When and If, and enjoyed many day sails on the eclectic yachts in Vineyard Haven harbor. She also organized day sails for breast cancer survivors aboard the When and If.

In 2002, Ginny and a friend bought a 40’ sloop, which they sailed to Ireland via the Azores. She also made passages with her son Douglas aboard the yawl, Pacifica from Hawaii to Port Townsend, Washington then south to San Diego (“although he Pacific,” she said, “was not very pacific.”)

She transited the Panama Canal in 2012 aboard a merchant vessel and also spent a week as chaperon with her grandson Everett Healy’s seventh grade class on Shenandoah. In her final days, a trip to the Shetland Islands was on her mind.

Serving on the West Tisbury planning board for nearly 30 years, Ginny was outspoken and steadfast: a dragon guarding the gate against rapacious development. She expressed her love and gratitude for Marthas Vineyard in her work in conservation. Her Chilmark property became Mermaid Farm started by Caitlin and Allen Healy. She was involved with the Vineyard Conservation Society starting in 1968 and served on the board many years.

Briefly, she enjoyed working at the Allen Farm wool shop and was a loyal member of the knitting group at the Howe’s house. She was also the first female admitted to the Island’s salty Barnacle Club, a men’s only organization (until the Madam).

From 2007-2017, she worked in various positions in the Chilmark town hall and as the assistant harbormaster in Menemsha, home port of two of her favorite enterprises: the historic dragger, Little Lady, and the Fisherman’s Preservation Trust.

Her last waterfront enterprise was the Fo’c’sle Locker, a re-purposed fish freezer at the late Everett Pool’s in Menemsha, filled with nautical books, tales of island lore, local antiques and vintage wool sweaters.

Ginny is survived by her two children, Douglas and Caitlin, daughter in law Deborah Dominici, son in law Allen Healy, grandsons Everett and Kent Healy, the Jones family, brothers Doug and Tom Bardwell and many wayward sailors.

A celebration of her life is planned for the spring.

Donations in Ginny’s memory may be made to the Marthas Vineyard Conservation Society or the Marthas Vineyard Shellfish Group.