Virginia Mary Angelovich

Virginia Angelovich was born on March 20, 1943, in Bridgeport, Connecticut, to Stephen and Susan Angelovich. From a young age, Virginia’s compassion and sense of responsibility were evident as she helped care for her older sister, Susan, who was developmentally disabled—a role she carried with quiet strength and love.

As a teenager, she worked as a dresser at the Stratford Theater in Stratford, Connecticut, where she met and assisted renowned actors such as Morris Carnovsky and Ed Asner. It was there, behind the scenes of the stage, that Virginia discovered her own calling to the world of performance.

At fourteen, she welcomed her younger sister, Valerie, into the family. Determined and driven, Virginia became the first in her family to attend college, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Boston University. She then moved to New York City to pursue her dream of acting, touring the South to bring Shakespeare to high school students, appearing in summer stock productions, and performing in Off Off Broadway shows, including a role in A Period of Adjustment.

In 1976, she married Michel Jouard, the love of her life. Together, they built a life rooted in love, creativity, and shared purpose. Virginia also worked as a film extra in numerous productions around New York City, including Working Girl, where she insisted that Harrison Ford winked at her.

In the 1990s, the couple moved to New Jersey, where Virginia dedicated herself to helping others as a teacher’s aide, working closely with students with disabilities. She worked in schools in Glen Ridge and Cedar Grove. Though she had no children of her own, she had a special bond with young people, who were naturally drawn to her warmth and care. Her nephews and nieces knew and loved her as Aunt Va.

Later in life, writing under the name Virginia Ashton (the name she used as an actor), she turned her creative talents to fiction and published a regency romance novel, Past Pardon. She was an active member of Montclair’s Write Group.

The last years of her life were marked by a battle with pancreatic cancer, a difficult time that she bore with grace.

Virginia was beautiful, intelligent, and fierce—a woman of deep passion and purpose. She leaves behind a legacy of kindness, creativity, and strength. She will be deeply missed.

She is survived by her husband Michel Jouard and her sister Valerie Finney.

Private Services were held at the convenience of the family.

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