Virginia A. "Ginny" Caretto, 82, of the Woodlands at St. Barnabas in Adams Township, formerly of Shaler Township and Gibsonia, died Wednesday at the Good Samaritan Hospice House in Marshall Township.

Born Sept. 15, 1924, in Cincinnati, she was the daughter of Ferdinand and Louise Maley Ahman.

She was the wife of Albert A. Caretto for 48 years and the mother of Joseph Caretto of Blawnox and Ann Caretto of Pittsburgh.

She began her nursing career at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Cincinnati and graduated with a bachelor's in nursing from the University of Michigan.

She was a professor at La Roche College, specializing in instruction and community health nursing.

While at La Roche, she was actively involved in a program for helping RNs and LPNs earn their bachelor's. The program inspired her to continue her education at the University of Pittsburgh, where she earned a master's in nursing and a doctorate in higher education.

She and her husband lived in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1964 and 1974, and she enjoyed traveling throughout Europe, especially Italy. For more than 30 years they vacationed at their cottage in Deep Creek, Md., where they competed in sailboat racing.

She was preceded in death by two brothers, Eugene and Robert Ahman.

<B>CARETTO— </B>Friends of Virginia A. "Ginny" Caretto, who died Wednesday, June 13, 2007, will be received from 1 to 3 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday and Monday at <B>schellhaas funeral home and cremation services</B>, 5864 Heckert Road in Bakerstown. A Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Tuesday at St. Richard Church.Memorials may be made to the Good Samaritan Hospice, 3500 Brooktree Road, Suite 320, Wexford, PA 15090, or to a charity of the donor's choice.Please pay tribute at www.schellhaasfh.com.