Sept. 23, 1934 — Feb. 4, 2024
Ashland has lost a legend with the passing of Geneva “Gina” Ing, 89, although her fame and accomplishments stretch far beyond the Rogue Valley.
Born Geneva Lorene Baker on a farm in North Carolina to Mamie (Harrell) and Noah Baker, Geneva grew up in a modest household with two younger sisters in Scotland Neck. She skipped piano lessons to go to the movies, and dreamed of a different, more glamorous life.
As a young woman Geneva hopped on a bus headed to California, leaving her Southern accent behind. With her determination and headstrong personality, Gina began a lifelong trend of bucking the system and pushing for female equality.
Gina married the love of her life, Dean Ing, in 1959. They had two daughters together before moving in 1970 to Oregon, a state that would become home base for the rest of their lives, except for a three-year adventure to Missouri, where Gina received her degree while Dean taught at Northwest Missouri State University.
Public radio fundraiser
Back in Oregon again, Gina became a professional fundraiser at Eugene’s NPR station, KLCC. In 1981 the family moved to Ashland when Gina became the first development director at what was then KSOR, known today as Jefferson Public Radio. Back then it broadcast just to the Ashland area, but today JPR broadcasts to more than 20 counties throughout Southern Oregon and Northern California. Much of its success is thanks to the hard work of Gina Ing and the many miles she put on her car, driving across the region spearheading community campaigns and developing grants to extend the reach of public radio. She was a fixture during JPR’s on-air fund drives, often heard exclaiming, “Just one more call!”
Her favorite memory from that decade was sipping champagne in the back of a limousine with famed pianist Marian McPartland while traveling to a concert in Klamath Falls in a snowstorm. Another claim to fame for Gina was founding the JPR wine tasting with Lorn Razzano in the early 1980s.
Gina moved on to help lead fundraising campaigns for many other nonprofit fine arts organizations in Oregon, including the Rogue Valley Symphony, the Wildish Theater and the Eugene Symphony. She also worked with girls’ empowerment group Ophelia’s Place, CASA of Southern Oregon and Southern Oregon Friends of Hospice.
Stages and and sparkles
Gina was a well-known figure on stages throughout Oregon, welcoming audiences to performances at such venues as the Britt Festival in Jacksonville and the Hult Center in Eugene. She loved organizing and attending gala fundraising events, which is why Gina leaves behind a closet full of sparkly gowns, glittered tennis shoes and flashy scarves to her grandchildren.
Those who went before Gina include her parents, her husband, Dean, in 2020, youngest daughter Dana Ing Crawford in 2022, and sister Shirley Rowe. She is survived by sister Betty Vann of Virginia, daughter Valerie Ing, sons-in-law Eddie Tompkins and Brett Crawford, all of Ashland, and granddaughters Sophia Miller of Portland and Lena Crawford of Ashland. She will always be loved by her stepdaughters Diana (Joel) Hughes, Vicki (Lee) Robertson, and their children and grandchildren, and honorary grandson Jesse James.
Gina wasn’t quite ready to go. She was preparing for a cruise down the Danube River this year, and said she planned to live to 100. But she made it to 89 before losing a battle (which, if you knew Gina, was quite rare) with pneumonia.
A celebration of lives
One of Gina’s closest friends for 60 years, Suzanne Voulgaris, followed her in passing just four days later. They will be honored together in a joint celebration of life at 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 24, at Belle Fiore Winery at 100 Belle Fiore Lane in Ashland. An RSVP would be appreciated at [email protected].
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