Virginia "Ginger" Sayle's Obituary
Mary Virginia “Ginger” Lee Sayle (67) died in the early morning hours Saturday, Sept. 28th at Baptist Hospital. Ginger was a graduate of St. Mary’s Episcopal School and made her debut at the National Debutante Cotillion while at Marjorie Webster College in Washington, D.C.She devoted her life to raising three fine sons as a single mom. She spent her last years as “Gigi,” the doting grandmother, to her seven grandchildren. All of these children were the greatest joy in her life. Beyond that was her love of plants and flowers. As a small child, she was so captivated by a singular plant that she tried to actually eat the blooms!Her own garden brought her years of pleasure and continual learning. She was a self-taught encyclopedia of botanical names for plants. A member of the Memphis Garden Club, she won numerous ribbons for her specimen plants, as well as the prestigious Catherine Beattie Medal in 2009.Ginger also enjoyed painting flowers, still-life and landscapes with her beloved girlfriends in her art group. Her life was measured out in art projects and traveling from continent to continent. She never tired of planning her next adventure with family and friends. Her lap was always filled with travel brochures and plant catalogues.She was proud of her lineage as a great-great granddaughter of Captain James Lee of the Lee Line Steamboat Line founded in Memphis in 1862. She leaves as her legacy three sons: Harry Eugene Sayle IV (Erin) and Peter Morrow Sayle (Hayley) of Memphis; Robert Lee Sayle (Amber) of Knoxville. She leaves seven beautiful grandchildren, Hank, Carter, Sara, Virginia, and Mary Ellis of Memphis, Parker and Owen Sayle of Knoxville. She also leaves her only brother, Robert E. Lee III and one nephew, James Forrest Lee of Dallas, TX.Visitation will be at Memorial Park Funeral Home on Tuesday, October 1st from 5-7 p.m. and a memorial service and reception will be held in Ginger’s backyard garden, Wednesday October 2nd at 11 a.m. A private burial will follow at Forest Hill Cemetery – Midtown.The family requests the memorials be sent to the cutting garden at Dixon Gardens or the Memphis Botanic Gardens.
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