Veronica Paccione Barnes

Veronica (Ronnie) Paccione Barnes was born on June 24, 1929, in Pennsylvania. She spent part of her childhood in foster care, an experience that shaped the resilience, independence, and inner strength that defined her extraordinary life. At age 12, she moved to Brooklyn to live with her mother, Dorothy Fitzgerald (predeceased), where she spent the remainder of her childhood.

Veronica was a member of the first graduating class of Brooklyn Community College, where she met the father of her children, Onofrio Paccione (predeceased), in the art program. Early in her career, she pursued her artistic passions as a fashion illustrator for sewing patterns and later worked as a high-fashion model and was also a spokesperson for Evan Picone. A lifelong lover of creativity, she often reflected on the words “Since I Cannot Sing, I Paint” by Georgia O’Keeffe. Veronica found her voice in her work, her art, her family, and in every life she touched.

Always driven by a desire to help others, Veronica went on to become a critical care registered nurse — a role she often said was her proudest, as it allowed her to care for patients with compassion, dignity, and purpose, even while recognizing that nurses were often underappreciated and underpaid. Later, she channeled her ambition into real estate, becoming Coldwell Banker Realty’s 1990 Number One Broker in North America.

Later in life, she married Murray Barnes (predeceased) they shared joyful years of family, travel and adventure, especially exploring America’s National Parks. After Murray’s passing Veronica shared her last chapter of life with Anthony Gagliotti (predeceased), who lovingly cared for her as she declined with dementia.


Throughout her diverse and accomplished career, Veronica’s greatest joy was her family. She was a devoted mother, and her home was always open, filled with warmth, laughter, and generosity for her children and their friends. She was a lifelong survivor and an admired trailblazer who deeply believed in women’s independence, as reflected in her daughters.

Veronica passed away on February 15, 2026 and is survived by her five children: Philip Paccione (formerly married to Elizabeth O’Neill), with children Philip “Fitz”(wife Nikki, and great-grandchild Luca) and Olivia; James Paccione; Martha North (Dave North), with children Tess (wife Megan, and great-grandchild Aurelia) and Jack; Dorothy McEntee (predeceased Marc McEntee), with children Shaun and Melissa; Grace Mulhall (Greg Mulhall), with children Veronica, Caitlin, Tyler, and Hudson.

Veronica lived a life defined by integrity, perseverance, love, and fierce devotion to family. Her legacy lives on in the strength of her children, the joy of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and the many lives she touched through her care, friendship, and generosity. She will live on as an enduring inspiration to many.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Veronica’s memory to the Alzheimer's Association www.alz.org. A service will be held for Veronica at Holy Name of Mary, in Croton-on-Hudson, NY at 10am on Thursday, February 19, 2026.