Veronica Ray

Newport, - Veronica ?Ronnie? Anderson Ray, 62, of 5 Russell Avenue, Newport, RI, died Monday, August 25, 2003 at Roger Williams Medical Center Providence, RI.She was the wife of George E. Ray Jr. Born in Fall River, MA on July 11, 1941, she was the daughter of the late Edward A. and Margaret P. Riley Anderson.Mrs. Ray graduated from Saint Catherine Academy in Newport in 1959. She attended Catholic Teaching College and married George E. Ray Jr., on October 10, 1964. After her marriage Mrs. Ray worked as a bookkeeper for the Coca-Cola Co. in Newport. She later devoted much of her time towards working with childrens community groups. Beginning in the late 1960s Mrs. Ray started working as a troop leader with the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of Rhode Island. After several years of volunteer work, she was offered a job as a program coordinator with the Girl Scouts. Her many duties included running the summer camps Camp Rocky Farm, Nakewa, and Promising Acres. In 1980, she accepted a position on the board of directors of the Girl Scouts. She left that job in 1985 to devote more time to her family. In 1987, Mrs. Ray began leading a Girl Guard Scouting Troop at the Salvation Army in Newport. She was then asked to direct a Salvation Army Summer Camp program. This camp was so successful that she was asked to begin an afterschool program at the Salvation Army in 1990. This program offered an alternative to ?the streets? for many at-risk students. In cooperation with the Newport School Department and The Newport County Partnership for Families, Mrs. Ray expanded her program into Coggeshall School in the fall of 1995. Today, the Salvation Army operates an Afterschool Program in all six of Newport Countys Elementary Schools. The success of the Aftershool Program would not have been possible without the leadership and dedication of Veronica Ray. Among the many accolades Mrs. Ray received for her work with children were the 1992 NCCCS Volunteer Award, the 1993 4-H Volunteer Award, the 1994 Evangeline Booth Award, and the 2001 Newport County Partnership for Families Award. Besides her husband she is survived by two sons George E. Ray III of Clermont, FL, and Andrew F. Ray of Newport, RI, her daughter Dr. Veronica P. ?Trish? Ray of Starke, FL, and four grandchildren.Her funeral will be held on Saturday, August 30, 2003, at 8:00 AM from the Memorial Funeral Home, 375 Broadway, Newport, with a Mass of Christian burial at 9:00 AM in St. Josephs Church, Broadway And Mann Avenue, Newport. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, her family requests that donations in Mrs Ray?s name be made to the Salvation Army, After School Program, 51 Memorial Boulevard, Newport, RI 02840.