Gilles Rainville

On May 29th, 2021 Gilles (Gill) Pierre Rainville, loving husband and father of four children, passed away in Winston-Salem, NC after a long battle with cancer. Gill was born on April 19th, 1942 in Waterloo, Quebec, oldest son of the late Leo Paul Rainville and Lucette Roberge Rainville. In 1959 the family moved from Canada to Buffalo, New York, where he would later meet and marry his wife of 59 years, Veronica (Ronni) Kelly. He is preceded in death by his wife, his parents and his brother Louie. He is survived by his children Colette (Bruce), Marc (Ashley), Renee (Warren) and Danielle (Terry), his grandchildren Andrew, Caitlin, Noah and Tess, two great-grandchildren, his eight siblings, several sisters and brothers-in-law, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, friends and admirers.

Growing up the oldest child of a large family, Gill learned to be resourceful and to develop the fearlessness to forge his own path through life. A born entrepreneur, he opened his first restaurant in his early twenties in Fort Erie, Ontario and would open three additional restaurants in the Buffalo area before deciding to move his family to the more hospitable climate of Winston-Salem, NC.  In August of 1982 he founded Ronni’s Restaurant (named after his beloved wife) in Clemmons, which was one of the first establishments to bring Buffalo wings to the southern dining experience.  He eventually expanded his businesses to include Ronni’s Restaurant locations in Kernersville, Winston-Salem and Mt. Airy.  After his first bout with cancer, he decided to get back to basics by keeping only the original location, which continued to grow and thrive and has since become a favorite local eatery.

Gill’s generosity and kindness truly knew no bounds. He was known for regularly taking people in need of a little extra help under his wing and providing them with odd jobs and support. He gave without reservation to family, employees and friends, but would not tolerate any gift giving or excessive gratitude in return. In addition to volunteering for local charities such as Meals on Wheels, his philanthropy extended to include consistent support of organizations such as Wounded Warriors, UNICEF, Children’s Wish Foundation, Second Harvest Food Bank, Food for the Poor St. Bonaventure Indian Mission and School, and many more.  His goodwill was largely guided by his Catholic faith, and he was a loyal member of St. Leo’s Parish for 39 years.

Gill was a dedicated family man at heart. When he wasn’t working, he spent as much time as he could on the North Carolina coast soaking in the sun and surf and reading a good true crime novel. In his earlier years, he loved to play hockey and take long bike rides along the coastal highway. He never passed up an opportunity to treat family and friends to good meals and good times, whether it be whipping up steaks on the grill or renting a vacation home for people to gather on the holidays. Even as his own health declined, he continued to remain tirelessly focused on the needs of others. His hands worked hard for those he cared for, and the influence of his love will be felt far and wide for generations to come.

A funeral mass will be held at St. Leo’s Catholic Church on Monday June 7th, 2021 at 11 AM. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be to Trellis Supportive Care of Winston-Salem.