Virginia R. Cosgrove

Virginia R. Cosgrove, of Sheldrake died November 2, 2024. She was born in Buffalo, NY May 16, 1927, the daughter of George S. Minns of Seneca Castle, NY and Laurel Lane (Pim) Minns of Buffalo, NY.  She grew up in Buffalo, attended PS 45 and graduated from Lafayette High School.  Upon marrying William Rollo, she moved to Seneca Falls, NY and eventually to Sheldrake, where she bought “Bluff House” in 1950.  In 1953, it was necessary to return to Buffalo with her daughter, Karen.  For 17 years, she worked full-time for Alcoa as an Abstractor, often training the men who would become her boss.  But her heart was always in Sheldrake.  At times, she was a carpenter, an electrician, a plumber, and a painter—caring for her house in Sheldrake and her house in Buffalo.  She was also an excellent seamstress.

In 1968, she married Myles C. Cosgrove, an engineer for GT&E (Sylvania Electronics) in Athens, Greece.  Upon completion of his engineering project, they spent 3 months vacationing on the island of Kos off the Greek mainland.  Before returning home, they traveled extensively throughout Asia and Europe.  Once back in the States, they lived in Waltham, MA and Elizabethtown, PA, before finally settling down in Oswego, NY where Myles was Superintendant of Quality Control at the John Fitzpatrick Nuclear Power Plant.  She and Myles traveled extensively over the years.  Still, every available opportunity to spend time in Sheldrake was taken advantage of.  After Myles died in 1996, she moved to Sheldrake permanently, completely gutting (except for the hardwood floors, tin ceilings and stained-glass windows!) and renovating “Bluff House”, where she lived for nearly 30 years.  She continued her love for traveling with friends and/or daughter Karen, visiting Austria, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Monaco, Mexico and Canada.  All in all, she visited 22 countries and most of the states in the Union.

She loved Cayuga Lake and was notably one of the first to go swimming each year—once as early as May 16th, (her birthday) but more usually on Memorial Day, and she would continue swimming, weather permitting, through September and October.  She was also one of the first to own a Jet Ski on Cayuga Lake, back in 1976, much to the neighbor’s dismay.

She was a member of the Oswego Mah-Jong group, the Green Thumb Garden Club of Interlaken/Ovid, two local bridge groups, and the Sheldrake-Kidders “Ladies-of-the-Lake” book club.

She was a great Mother, Sister, Aunt, and Friend.  Known as “Beano” to her family and close friends, she is survived by nieces:  Carol Lewis (Chuck) Brust, Marion, NY; Gwen Lewis Waller, LaGrange, GA; and Dale Minns Sandridge, Susanne Minns Coangelo, nephew David Minns, Jupiter FL, and their extended families.  She was predeceased by her husband Myles, her daughter Karen Rollo, her siblings, Phyllis Lewis and Russell Minns and a niece, Kathy Minns Bare.  Contributions in her memory may be made to the Myles C. and Virginia R. Cosgrove Scholarship Fund for South Seneca High School students, the Fair View Cemetery, or to a charity of one’s choice.  Arrangements are under the direction of Covert Funeral Home in Ovid.  A private graveside service will be held at Fair View Cemetery in Sheldrake.