The community is mourning the loss of the woman that many have long dubbed the “Unofficial Mayor” of Southborough. Bertha Ginga, who most residents knew as “Bea”, died at the age of 93.
News broke on social media yesterday of the passing of the beloved resident. A public post by her niece confirmed the news this morning.
Ginga’s death on Heritage Day came four years after she was honored by being named the “Grand Marshall” of the Heritage Day Parade.
That honor was timed for the 100th anniversary of the Southborough Village Society’s ownership of the downtown Community House.
At the time, the Community Advocate interviewed Ginga who had been serving as the building’s caretaker for 55 years, and had links going back even longer. (You can read about that here.)
Three years prior, Ginga was honored as one of the state’s Unsung Heroine.1
The 2019 ceremony booklet explained her nomination and selection:
Bertha “Bea” Ginga is a lifelong Southborough resident whose passion for community involvement makes her a deserving candidate for an Unsung Heroine Award. For decades, Bea has run the Southborough Village Society, a nonprofit that maintains and operates the historic Southborough Community House for local events. A breast cancer survior, Bea works to put on annual Relay for Life events at Algonquin High School to raise money for the American Cancer Society. As an active member of and advocate for Southborough’s senior community, she often volunteers her time at the Senior Center and works to support improved and expanded senior programming. Bea frequently delivers meals to families in need for Southborough’s “Care Giver” program. Her community involvement also extends to working with local Boy Scouts and honoring veterans at annual events. Bea has become synonymous with the spirit of the Town, often referred to by residents as the unofficial “Mayor of Southborough.”
I was one of the many who were fortunate to enjoy knowing Bea and saddened to learn of her passing. The community will miss her gregarious smile and snappy quips. Our hearts go out to the loved ones who were truly close to her.
Stay tuned for an official obituary. In the meantime, below is the Facebook post from her niece Cathi Kane DeCiero:
- Looking at the list of the Unsung Heroines from Southborough over the years, I was saddened to realize that our community has now lost five of the eight. (Other late Heroines are Patrice Kline, Linda Hubley, Donna McDaniel, and Debbie Depp-Wilson.) But at least their contributions were publicly sung before they passed.
