Veronica Rainville

On May 13th, 2021 Veronica (Ronni) Rainville, loving wife and mother of four children, passed away peacefully at the age of 78 in Winston-Salem, NC after a courageous battle with cancer. Veronica was born on November 25th, 1942 in Oxford, England, daughter of the late Francis Richard Kelly of Monaghan, Ireland and the late Theresa McMahon Kelly of Glasgow, Scotland. Veronica and her family moved to the United States in 1947 and made a home in Buffalo, NY, where she would later meet and marry her husband Gilles Rainville of Waterloo, Quebec.  The two were wed in August of 1963 and in 1982 moved with their family to Winston-Salem, NC where Veronica supported Gilles with his endeavor to open Ronni’s Restaurant which became a successful and thriving family business. Veronica is survived by her husband of 59 years and children Colette (Bruce), Marc (Ashley), Renee (Warren) and Danielle (Terry), as well as her grandchildren Andrew, Caitlin, Noah and Tess, many extended family members and countless friends she made along the way.

Veronica was a loving and dedicated wife, mother and grandmother who drew people to her with her kindness and humor. In fact, she never met a stranger and would make a new best friend on a simple trip to the grocery store. She had a gift for creating beautiful spaces inside and out, and her backyard gardens became sanctuaries to a multitude of birds and wildlife. She loved to cook and travel and compiled a legendary collection of cookbooks along the way from which she shared beautiful meals with family and friends. Her passion for social justice is evidenced by her unwavering support of a variety of global and local charities such as the American Civil Liberties Union, the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Sisters of Charity Mission. She also volunteered for programs such as Meals on Wheels. The last decade of her life she devoted to tirelessly caring for her husband who is dealing with a multitude of health challenges. Veronica had a compassionate spirit and a gift for reaching people in positive ways. Her warmth, generosity, delightful Irish expressions and capacity for bursting into song at a moment’s notice will be deeply missed by all who knew her. The family offers its sincere gratitude to all those whose energy and care made all the difference over the past several weeks. A funeral Mass will be held 1:00 PM Friday, May 21, 2021 at St Leo's the Great Catholic Church, 335 Springdale Ave., Winston-Salem, NC 27104.

In lieu of flowers, the family prefers donations to be made to Trellis Supportive Care of Winston Salem, 101 Hospice Lane, Winston-Salem, NC 27103.