Write a commentVirginia Reid Herrera was surrounded by her family when she passed away peacefully on September 23rd, 2026.
A brilliant social worker, loving wife, mother, and iconic grandmother, her family is heartbroken but grateful for the 85 years she gave them.
Ginny was the adored only child of Virginia (Roach) and William Reid. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, on November 4, 1940, while World War II was underway. She remembered listening to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s fireside chats on the family radio. The Reids later moved to West Hartford, Connecticut, where Ginny attended Mount Saint Joseph Academy. An effervescent teenager with a playful sense of adventure, she and a cousin sometimes slipped away to Coney Island for a day of roller coasters a little act of rebellion for a Catholic schoolgirl.
While attending a lecture at the University of Saint Joseph, Ginny discovered her passion for psychology and social work. She went on to earn her degree in social work from the university and began her career at Connecticut Valley Hospital. There, she met the love of her life, Michael Herrera, a handsome graduate student from Brooklyn. Ginny recognized a kindred spirit, and they quickly connected through their shared commitment to helping others. They married in June 1964.
Together, Ginny and Michael raised their daughters, Felicia and Michele, and their son, Michael. The young family left Connecticut for North Syracuse before settling in Oswego in 1976. Ginny was a devoted presence in her children’s lives: traveling to California with Michele’s Travel Soccer team, cheering Michael on at his hockey games, and proudly displaying Felicia’s paintings throughout her home.
Ginny and Michael built a family grounded in kindness, faith in others, and generosity. During their 54 years of marriage, they loved traveling to Mexico, listening to Tony Bennett and Spanish guitar, and spending time at the beach. Ginny was also a gracious host, known for lively gatherings on Edwards Circle and for sending neighbors home at the end of the night by flashlight.
Ginny devoted herself to the Oswego community through her work as a case specialist with the Oswego County Opportunities Options Program, where she served from 1984 until her retirement in 2002. The program supported expectant mothers and their families by connecting them with health care and community resources. Ginny helped hundreds of young women, many of them teenagers, find their way through an important and often challenging time in their lives. She found the work deeply meaningful, and even after retiring, she was touched whenever former clients told her how much her support had meant to them.
With the arrival of her seven grandchildren, Ginny became “Gigi” a role she treasured. Her grandchildren loved swimming at her home and grew up surrounded by her love and encouragement. She organized family trips to the Jersey Shore and once returned from Atlantic City with a twinkle in her eye after a lucky casino visit.
A lifelong reader, Ginny enjoyed her book club with Felicia and friends nearly as much as her Kindle. She volunteered with the Children’s Board of Oswego and delighted in a shopping spree, a workout at Curves, and floral arranging. She loved ginger snaps, a beautiful pair of shoes, leopard print, Pinot Grigio, and polka dots. She was magnificent.
Ginny was predeceased by her beloved husband of 54 years, Michael L. Herrera; her parents, William and Virginia Reid; and her uncle, Monsignor Sylvester Roach. She was immensely proud of her father, a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and Corporate Lawyer.
She is survived by her three children, Felicia Wells (Jeff), Michele Lynch, and Michael (Stephanie); her seven grandchildren, Blake (Tess), Catherine, Noah, Drew, Michael, Mia, and Elle; and her two great-grandchildren, Jaxon and Callie Rose.
Calling hours will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. on Sunday, October 4, at Dain-Cullinan Funeral Home. A service will follow at 3 p.m., after which family and friends are invited to a reception at Oswego Country Club.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the CNY Food Bank in Ginny’s memory. Together We Can End Hunger - Food Bank of Central New York.
