By Rebecca Goodman
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Virginia Spangler Trott gave up a career in the theater to become a wife and mother.

She "dedicated her life to her duties as a mother, homemaker and volunteer," said her son, Alexander Trott of Indian Hill.

A Junior League member and widow of David H. Trott, a senior executive for Procter & Gamble, Mrs. Trott, 87, died Friday in Washington, D.C. She had moved there from Hyde Park in 2000 to be near her daughter, Sarah Trott de Seve of Falls Church, Va.

She was born in St. Louis and grew up in Upper Montclair, N.Y. The 1938 Wellesley College graduate and Broadway actress continued acting for a couple of years after her wedding in 1937.

In 1940 she moved with her husband and son to Cincinnati. "As a member of the Junior League of Cincinnati, she carried over her love of the theater from college to become one of the key supporters of Children's Theatre," her son said.

She lived in Mexico City from 1952 to 1958 while her husband was president of P&G there.

"In Mexico, she had also been principal manager of a Junior League-sponsored publishing company, which was Latin and South America's largest publisher of Spanish books in Braille," her son said.

When her husband left P&G in the late 1960s and founded Crossbow Inc., a product development firm, Mrs. Trott became "integral to company operations," her son said.

With her husband an inventor and developer, Mrs. Trott "served in many capacities including director of sales. She was one of the most intelligent people I've ever known," her son said.

Survivors include another son, Stephen S. Trott of Boise, Idaho; six grandchildren; and a great-grandson.

Services will be private.

Memorials: Church of the Redeemer, 2944 Erie Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45208.