Virginia Heinlein
Encyclopedia
Virginia "Ginny" Heinlein (April 22, 1916 – January 18, 2003), born Virginia Doris Gerstenfeld, was the third wife of Robert A. Heinlein
, a prominent and successful author once known as one of the "Big Three" of science fiction (along with Isaac Asimov
and Arthur C. Clarke
).
Born to George and Jeanne Gerstenfeld, Virginia was raised in Brooklyn and had one brother, Leon. She was red-haired, an organic chemist and biochemist, and served as an inspiration for many of the active and talented red-haired women in Heinlein's stories. She met Robert when they both worked at the Naval Air Experimental Station in Philadelphia when she was a lieutenant in the WAVES
in the U.S. Navy in World War II. She moved to Los Angeles
in 1946 to take an advanced degree, where Heinlein had already relocated after the war. They married on October 21, 1948 in New Mexico. Shortly thereafter they moved to Colorado, but in 1965 her health was chronically affected by the altitude, so the couple moved to Bonny Doon, California
.
Prior to a trip to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (where they happened to be when Francis Gary Powers was shot down in his U-2
spyplane), Virginia learned to speak Russian
, which proved invaluable in talking with local citizens.
Virginia Heinlein was highly esteemed among her husband's fans for her exceptional willingness to correspond with them and/or to otherwise acknowledge them. This continued until her last days, with activity in a Usenet
newsgroup devoted to Heinlein fans. She was very touched when other users sent her Mother's Day greetings, an homage to her bestowing the title of "Heinlein's Children" on Robert's fans worldwide.
After Robert's death in 1988, she moved from California to Florida. She established a literary society in her husband's name, the Heinlein Society
.
Robert A. Heinlein
Robert Anson Heinlein was an American science fiction writer. Often called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was one of the most influential and controversial authors of the genre. He set a standard for science and engineering plausibility and helped to raise the genre's standards of...
, a prominent and successful author once known as one of the "Big Three" of science fiction (along with Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov was an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000...
and Arthur C. Clarke
Arthur C. Clarke
Sir Arthur Charles Clarke, CBE, FRAS was a British science fiction author, inventor, and futurist, famous for his short stories and novels, among them 2001: A Space Odyssey, and as a host and commentator in the British television series Mysterious World. For many years, Robert A. Heinlein,...
).
Born to George and Jeanne Gerstenfeld, Virginia was raised in Brooklyn and had one brother, Leon. She was red-haired, an organic chemist and biochemist, and served as an inspiration for many of the active and talented red-haired women in Heinlein's stories. She met Robert when they both worked at the Naval Air Experimental Station in Philadelphia when she was a lieutenant in the WAVES
WAVES
The WAVES were a World War II-era division of the U.S. Navy that consisted entirely of women. The name of this group is an acronym for "Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service" ; the word "emergency" implied that the acceptance of women was due to the unusual circumstances of the war and...
in the U.S. Navy in World War II. She moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in 1946 to take an advanced degree, where Heinlein had already relocated after the war. They married on October 21, 1948 in New Mexico. Shortly thereafter they moved to Colorado, but in 1965 her health was chronically affected by the altitude, so the couple moved to Bonny Doon, California
Bonny Doon, California
Bonny Doon is a census-designated place in Santa Cruz County, California. Bonny Doon sits at an elevation of . The 2010 United States census reported Bonny Doon's population was 2,678....
.
Prior to a trip to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (where they happened to be when Francis Gary Powers was shot down in his U-2
Lockheed U-2
The Lockheed U-2, nicknamed "Dragon Lady", is a single-engine, very high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft operated by the United States Air Force and previously flown by the Central Intelligence Agency . It provides day and night, very high-altitude , all-weather intelligence gathering...
spyplane), Virginia learned to speak Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
, which proved invaluable in talking with local citizens.
Virginia Heinlein was highly esteemed among her husband's fans for her exceptional willingness to correspond with them and/or to otherwise acknowledge them. This continued until her last days, with activity in a Usenet
Usenet
Usenet is a worldwide distributed Internet discussion system. It developed from the general purpose UUCP architecture of the same name.Duke University graduate students Tom Truscott and Jim Ellis conceived the idea in 1979 and it was established in 1980...
newsgroup devoted to Heinlein fans. She was very touched when other users sent her Mother's Day greetings, an homage to her bestowing the title of "Heinlein's Children" on Robert's fans worldwide.
After Robert's death in 1988, she moved from California to Florida. She established a literary society in her husband's name, the Heinlein Society
Heinlein Society
The Heinlein Society was founded by Virginia Heinlein on behalf of her husband, science fiction author Robert A. Heinlein, to "pay forward" the legacy of the writer to future generations of "Heinlein's Children."-External links:*...
.
External links
- Virginia Heinlein (1917-2003) - SFWA News Obituary at the Science Fiction Writers of America