When she was 17, Virginia “Gini” Waters – on vacation from her idyllic small town in the Midwest – saw Music Man on Broadway, a musical set in an even more idyllic Midwest town, and decided then and there, “New York is where I want to be!” And so, after breaking aspiring actor Denny Duggan’s heart, she attended St. Mary’s College across the road from Notre Dame in South Bend, took classes there, met an Irishman from New York, married him, and relocated to the Land of Broadway shows.
Settling in Fort Greene, then later Park Slope, Virginia worked for the Quakers, attended St. John’s Law School, which had few female students back then, and went to work for the US Department of Labor. There she bonded with four other young female lawyers who became “the ladies who lunch(ed)” every couple of months for the next 50 plus years.
Divorcing her preservationist husband, she moved on to another federal job at the EEOC where she fought to get cleaning women the same pay as men and then fled the Clarence Thomas onslaught by joining the NYC Law Department. In 1979 she and other women in Park Slope formed a book club that would meet monthly ever after.
In 1985 she met a law enforcement guy on the subway named Joe Enright and they were married soon thereafter, moving to a small enclave in Flatbush called West Midwood (which is actually north of Midwood), a neighborhood that reminded her of her Midwest home. There, she raised her beloved son James and volunteered to take over organizing the annual Halloween Parade, which hosted 500 happy Flatbush kids, all the while representing New York in notable legal battles, many involving precedential landmarking cases. Former Law Department executive Gabe Taussig summed up her career: “Her claim to fame will be the many significant cases she handled (and won) concerning the City’s landmarks. But there was much more, including significant matters concerning free speech, land use and public health. Throughout, she was enthusiastic and committed to successfully defending the interests of the City. I will, of course, remember her for talents as an attorney. More importantly, however, I will remember her for caring – caring about her work, her colleagues and the people she represented.”
Virginia retired in 2015 and devoted more time to serving her community, organizing another book club, and tending to her garden and the continuing redecoration of her home.
What was originally thought to be gastritis was eventually diagnosed in early February as late stage pancreatic cancer. Days before she slipped away, James and his fiancée Andre Bongiorno staged a marriage ceremony by her bedside. Virginia, sipping some bubbly, reminisced with her family, extracting a promise from James that he would lend his expertise to his father in caring for the home she loved so much. From her husband she requested a traditional wake with Broadway tunes, a memorial service in her West Midwood Shangri-la, and ashes strewn in the waters off Rockaway Beach where she loved to sit and read acclaimed novels, usually by writers who just happened to be women.
Virginia passed from this earthly realm in the early morning hours of International Woman’s Day, March 8th, just as her Barbara Cook playlist reached “Till There Was You,” taking with her the love and admiration of anyone who got to know her. Possessed of an independent spirit, a nimble wit, and a gift for helping and counseling others, many marveled that she was able to achieve so much despite a husband who, it was widely agreed, had little aptitude for gardening, cooking, and no design sense at all.
Virginia is also survived by her twin sister Joan Dunfey in Boston, and her brother, John P. Waters of Palm Bay, Florida, and many nephews, nieces, grand nieces, and grand nephews.
There will be a wake at McLaughlin Funeral Home in Bay Ridge on Saturday March 15th from 2pm to 7pm and a Memorial Service at the Weinstein Chapels in West Midwood on Sunday March 30th from 2pm to whenever we run out of memories (a Zoom feed will be attempted at the latter venue).
- “What I remember is Gini’s laugh, and a tremendous, perky, streaked blond force who could dish it out and laugh with any bunch of admiring guys.” – Tom Figel, Notre Dame Class of 1968
- “We had some fun at ND, a magical trip to Europe with Connie. Her care when I had cancer and all her generosity and love to Beth, Liam and Kevin. She was so wonderful.” – Joan Dunfey, Virginia’s Twin Sister
- “She was the best mother anybody could have. Always encouraging and guiding me to choose a profession that would be satisfying. And when I needed her most, she was always there. ” – James Enright
- “I always thought of her as my second mother, my American moher. I so looked forward to speaking about our families every week.” – Agnes
- “When she laughed at my stupid jokes as we left the New Lots IRT train where our eyes first met, I thought this could be the start of something new.” – Joe Enright
- “She was the glue that kept the Ladies Who Lunch together all those years.” – Gloria Sosa
- “It’s because of you, Virginia, that I have a gardening business.” – Stephen H.
- “When we joined the Book Group in 1979, me and Peggy looked up to her as a hero – a smart, independent, professional woman dressed to the 9’s with a cool apartment.” – Barbara Auerbach
- “She was my New York guardian angel. We will all miss her terribly.” – Beth Dunfey, Niece
Now breaks a noble heart. Goodnight sweet princess; may flights of angels sing thee to thy rest. (Apologies to Will Shakespeare)
A video tribute can be found on YouTube by clicking this link.
Joe Enright's Stuff 
Wow, Joe, you covered it all! That striped sundress in the first picture is the one we talked about during our hospice visit. I loved Gini and will miss her terribly.
💔💋 ~ Peggy
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Joe,
What a loving and lovely tribute to a feisty, smart, caring, and accomplished woman, thank you for sharing. All those attributes were evident while she was at St. Mary’s. May God Bless you with continuing great memories!
Chris Murphy
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Joe, my deepest condolences on the loss of your beloved Virginia. Your writing always captures the spirit of your subject, never more than this. Getting to know you both through FDC has been a gift. Beth, sending you a virtual hug as well. Sending light and peace to you all during this difficult time.
Sally Bowman
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I can hear your voice as I read this, Uncle Joe – what a beautiful tribute to a wonderful woman! A whirlwind few weeks this has been for you all; we are keeping you in our prayers, and sending you hugs from California. We are sorry we can’t all join Liam to be with you on Saturday, but we’ll be thinking of you especially then.
Love, Christine (and Maddie, Emily and Connor)
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Joe;
I am so sorry for the loss of your loving wife Virginia. Please accept my heartfelt sympathies.
Jim Mauritzen
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For Gini from a book we both loved. After a life time she tamed me and if you look up and listen we will hear her laughing in the stars.
“But if you tame me, then we shall need each other. To me, you will be unique in all the world. To you, I shall be unique in all the world.”
You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed
One runs the risk of crying a bit if one allows oneself to be tamed.”
You-You alone will have stars as no one else has them… In one of the stars I shall be living. In one of them I shall be laughing. And so it will be as if all the stars will be laughing when you look at the sky at night..You, only you, will have stars that can laugh! And when your sorrow is comforted (time soothes all sorrows) you will be content that you have known me… You will always be my friend. You will want to laugh with me. And you will sometimes open your window, so, for that pleasure… It will be as if, in place of the stars, I had given you a great number of little bells that knew how to laugh.
― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince
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hello joe
just saw all of this…..
everything you created to honor Virginia and bring her essence to life.
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When They Leave
Gini Waters died in the early morning hours of Saturday, March 8, 2025.
Gini Waters and her twin sister Joan were a fairly constant presence in my college years. They went to St. Mary’s College, an all-women’s institution, directly across the street from then all-male Notre Dame.
They were not shrinking violets. Indeed, they barged into our all-male world, taking classes at Notre Dame, participating in numerous activities and also dating several of my classmates. Joan tended to stick with one boy while Gini viewed boys in those days like chocolate in a Whitman Sampler. Some bad, some good and some really good. Even when she dumped them, they seemed to remain fond of her.
They always called us by our last names. How to tell them apart? Both were very attractive with Joan being the brunette and very studious and Gini also a brunette but with blonde highlights and not so studious. They were as bold as brass; in the patois of some they were “Chicago broads” and we loved them. Because they were frequently at Notre Dame, I thought it was appropriate to call them “the Waters boys.” They either ignored me or told me to shut up.
They both married my Notre Dame classmates. Joan and Will Dunfey are going on 50 years plus. Gini‘s marriage was not so good but her second marriage to Joe Enright was a winner. By that time, Gini had gone to law school and ultimately became the “go to” lawyer in the law offices of the City of New York.
While I have seen Joan over the years, the last time and only time I laid eyes on Gini was probably 35 years ago at a reunion weekend. I don’t remember her from that time as she had ditched the blond. In my mind’s eye, I still see her as she was in those college days, with blonde highlights and looking great.
My fondest memories of the Waters boys were when Fred Schwartz (no relation) and I spent a weekend at their home in Wheaton, Illinois. Fred was Gini‘s date for that weekend and I was a “plus one” for Joan, but definitely not the one. In any event, Fred decided to start a fire in the basement fireplace but forgot one thing: opening the flue. The basement then filled with smoke, which proceeded to fill the whole house. Mrs. Waters appeared at the top of the basement stairs and yelled: “why do you girls always bring home such lemons.” We then understood where Gini and Joan had gotten the temerity to upbraid us when necessary.
as Tom. Mrs. Waters said, “I’m just calling him what you call him.”
When your people die, they take a part of you because, for a time, they brought light to your life and that light is now gone. It doesn’t really matter that you only see a person every five years because, if you were close at one time, the conversation picks up as if it never ended.
“Let us agree that we will never forget one another. And whatever happens, remember how good it felt when we were all here together, united by a good and decent feeling which made us better people, better probably than we otherwise would have been.” (Fr. Ted Hesburgh, President of Notre Dame, at his final commencement speech to graduates in 1987).
Gini and any number of others made me better than I otherwise would’ve been.
My night sky now has fewer stars.
When they left, part of me left with them.
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Because Gini and Joan were as genuine as they were vivacious and striking, admission to their great circle of Notre Dame friends during the 60s became lifelong friendship with them and their friend Connie. Tremendous! Gini helped us to know New York, hooked us up with her father and mother, two patrons who included us in enjoyment of their Florida stays (Nancy and I were living in Florida), and brought us along as, in Gini’s case, she became the mother hen of other young lawyers working for the City of New York. We could tell that Gini guided them in the practice of law and also gave them good counsel about life matters such as careers and endurance of a disappointment. In short, just as during university years, Gini had insights without bombast and certainly without self-importance. I remember her happiness when she met Joe and I remember learning over time how right she was to be happy. While Nancy and I have regret about Gini’s death, we have the joy of knowing how much she loved her life with Joe, Jamie and many friends.
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My childhood friend Gini became Virgina after becoming a “grown-up.”
Before that, Gini, Joan and I spent a lifetime together, at least in spirit.
After meeting in second grade, we walked to school, jumped rope, played tag, joined brownies/girlscouts/4H together…took sewing lessons together, skateboarded, went to A&W, and flirted. G&J then went to St Mary’s, and after a couple of years, I joined them on a trip to Europe together. After they graduated we moved to NYC together. My brothers used to say “…why don’t you marry them?”
Then we split. Joan to Boston, Virginia stayed in NY, and I moved back to Chicago. We “settled down.” We wrote, called and visited. Gini became Virginia.
But the Gini I knew as a child and I remained the best of friends. We’d meet every time I was in NY. We stayed in Brooklyn with Joe, Jaimie and Virginia in their beautiful, Brooklyn home. She became the accomplished woman she was meant to be.
At some point I remember Virginia liking e.e.cummings. A fragment of his poem makes me feel some solace at her loss. …I carry your heart.
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Gini, Joan, and I met on our first day at St. Mary’s in 1964. We were aspiring “women of the world,” but in reality, we were just 17 year old girls with a lot to learn! Gini was always a force to be reckoned with – attractive and smart – she was never afraid to offer an opinion or a witty rejoinder. She was a loyal friend, with whom I shared the joys and sorrows of collegiate life. I’ll hold her memory in my heart.
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So sorry to belatedly hear of this! My sincere condolences to you and your family, and congrats to James!
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