Virginia “Gina” Tallarico Rexford, of Bedford, aged 86, passed peacefully in her sleep on Monday, March 18, 2013, surrounded by family. Gina was the daughter of Pasquale and Anna (Batchelder) Tallarico. She was born on January 7, 1927, grew up in Baltimore and spent many summers at the beloved family farm in Wilton, New Hampshire. She graduated from Forest Park High School, and attended Purdue University, The University of Maryland, and Johns Hopkins University.

Gina married Maitlon Rexford in 1958 and raised her 6 children in Wilton, NH, Union, NH, Randolph, MA, Pembroke, MA, Brockton, MA, Scituate, MA, Jacksonville, FL, Charlotte, NC, Greenville, SC, Gloucester, MA, and Rocky Mount, NC, settling in Bedford, NH in 1978.

In Bedford, Gina worked at Amoskeag Bank/Citizens Bank for 25 years, and retired in 2007. She enjoyed seeing customers each day and getting to know their families.

She loved her vacations to the Caribbean and Europe with her husband and, in later life, traveling to visit her children and grandchildren. She had a beautiful, easy smile and a witty sense of humor and had a positive outlook in everything she did. She loved music, enjoyed sewing, gardening, Sudoku, and loved to cook; she made an amazing lasagna for family gatherings. She dearly loved her dogs.

She was an accomplished pianist, beginning her studies at age 5 with her father’s graduate students at the Peabody Conservatory, and performed at her high school graduation. She was a talented seamstress and for a time had her own dress shop.

In her school years, she studied dance and played high school basketball, volleyball and tennis. As an adult she enjoyed tennis, softball and bowling. Later in life, one of her greatest joys was watching her grandchildren perform at recitals and concerts and play sports.

She had a keen interest in her entire extended family, tremendous patience and a kindness that was apparent to anyone who met her. After a period of sadness in the 1950s, she decided she would rather be happy, and from then forward, she almost always was.

She was her children’s hero for the way she devoted her life to raising her family, doing it largely on her own.

Gina was predeceased by her husband Maitlon in 1980 at age 52, her sisters Isabelle Weston and Elizabeth Fangmeyer, and her brothers Albi Tallarico and Alan Tallarico. She is survived by her brothers Leslie Tallarico of Wilton, and Dr. Robert Tallarico and wife Myrtle of Gainesville, FL, and her sister-in-law Dorothy Tallarico of Mission Viejo, CA.

She is survived by her 5 sons, Hugh “Rick” Auld, of Melbourne, FL; Steven Auld and his wife Cathy of Jacksonville, FL; Frank Rexford of Chapel Hill, NC; Kimball Rexford of Goffstown, NH; Jeff Rexford and his wife Wenell of Allen, TX; and by her daughter Ann Belz and her husband Brad of Bedford; and by her grandchildren Melissa, Jeff, Katie, David, Andy, Tommy, Stephen, Jackson, Parker, Harrison, Rylie, Jasmin, Josh, Ryan and Kaitlyn; and by her great-grandchildren Jackson, Haley and Logan; and by many nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Heart Association of New Hampshire in Virginia’s name, 2 Wall St., Manchester, NH 03101.

A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, April 6, 2013 at 11 a.m. at the First Unitarian Congregational Society of Wilton Center in Wilton, NH.

A reception will be held following the service at the “The Red House” across the street from the church.

The arrangements are in the care of the Michaud Funeral Home, 32 Maple St., Wilton, NH. To view an online obituary or leave a condolence, please visit our web site www.michaudfuneralhome.com.