Lauren Chappell Ginn

PORTLAND – Lauren Chappell Ginn left this earth for a peaceful realm on Jan. 24, 2025. She was born, with her twin sister, Tracy, to Joy and John Ginn on March 28, 1961, in Mt. Kisco, N.Y.

Lauren grew up primarily in Old Greenwich, Conn. where she blossomed in a family that was unique in its passion for theater and art. Joy and John were active members of Connecticut Playmakers and Lauren was always on the scene at plays and rehearsals. One memorable moment was when she stood in for her sister as a troll in the forest for Camelot after Tracy had backed out on opening night. Lauren proceeded to create quite a splashy sensation, doing a cartwheel right off the stage! As a member of the middle school gymnastics team, she would perform her routines with boundless energy and musical grace. She was also world famous for her fearless elegance performing an inward one and a half off the high dive.

Lauren loved to laugh. Her impish grin and witty humor were contagious. Her good friend Beth said she was a loyal friend and a riot; one time Lauren showed up in the family station wagon with a bush attached to the grille. She was a gentle person who radiated from the inside out. Always fashionable and a trendsetter, she even caught the attention of Eileen Ford at Ford Modeling. She also enjoyed dancing at back-country dives in Connecticut as well as into the night at Studio 54 in NYC.

Lauren loved cruising around with her beloved brother, David, into the city to look at lights or along local, countryside roads. When she was 16, David pieced together an old VW bug called “Spotz” (which broke down in Harlem) to transport Lauren and Tracy to their first and most memorable rock concert in Forest Hills, Queens, to hear Joni Mitchell play “Hejira” resonating across the clay courts. Lauren enjoyed all types of music, from Amy Grant and the Bee Gees to Keith Urban and Kacey Musgraves; she was a passionate sharer and recipient of music You Tubes.

Everyone who knew Lauren knew that she was a gentle person who radiated from the inside out. Her eye for beauty was remarkable. After graduating from Greenwich High School, Lauren studied photography at The New England Photography Institute in Boston. Her black and white photographs were sensitive documentation of friends and interesting strangers along her path, with a keen focus on trees and coastlines. Lauren would also set up simple still life pictures lit with subtle color and dramatic shadow.

Lauren moved to Maine in 1984 and fell in love with the people and landscape in Vacationland. This inspired her to draw and paint, later moving on to creating collages that she showed in coffee shops. These dynamic assemblages were surreal and vibrant magazine cut-ups of people, nature and artful splashes of the cosmos. Lauren was also an active member of the nonprofit creative community at the Root Cellar in Portland.

Lauren’s years at North School Apartments in Portland were memorable for the wonderful community of people there and her colorful home outfitted with love by “adopted” brother Stephen Schmitt. Lauren enjoyed decorating with Symbolist and Impressionist artists amid the antique oddities collected by her mother, Joy, as well as her own fabulous photographs on her color-filled walls.

Lauren’s favorite job was at “The Cheese Shop “in Greenwich, where she could eat endless amounts of exotic Brie! Later in life, Lauren was employed with eldercare, working for Aging Excellence in Brunswick, where she enjoyed sharing her clients’ life stories and laughs.

Lauren is survived by her loving twin, Tracy, cousins, stepsisters and numerous friends spread all over the US and her feisty kitty Oliver. May she join her brother, David, to go “cruising for gyros” and her loving parents, John Ginn and Joy Shannon, stepfather Palmer Shannon and cousin Christie for a round of charades and laughs into eternity.

Lauren will be immeasurably missed. Her family and friends who love her dearly will always hold her close in their heart pockets and share her unique light forward as she shines on all of us with her spirited laughter and love forever.

In honor of Lauren’s memory, you may consider supporting Crossroads, an organization dedicated to helping those struggling with mental illness and addiction. Crossroads offers vital treatment and recovery programs, but they are often overwhelmed and understaffed. Your contribution will help ensure more people can receive the care they need: https://crossroadsme.org/about-crossroads/support-crossroads

A memorial for Lauren will be held in May, with details to follow.

Condolences may be expressed online at http://www.hobbsfuneralhome.com.