On March 26, 2020, Veronica Genevieve Furman Barnhill, age 86, of Alpharetta, GA, died at her home after a short illness. Veronica was a long-time member of St. Michael the Archangel Roman Catholic Church in Woodstock. Veronica is survived by her brother, Martin Furman, five children, Mary (Dan), Steven (Sara), Monica (Joel), Teresa, and Joseph (Dee), eight grandchildren, Deanna (Mark), Tessa, Joey-Maria (Kris), Emily, Harrison (Allie), Abraham, Joe, and Hannah, and two great grandchildren, Annaluisa and Elisabette. One of 15 children, Veronica was born near Inner Harbor in Baltimore, Maryland, on January 12th, 1934 to Polish immigrant parents. After completing high school at Holy Angels Academy (Baltimore) she studied as a novice for a year before deciding against the nunnery. She moved to the Atlanta area in the late 1960s and worked as a teacher in a daycare facility for fifteen years before starting her own daycare business in 1984. She worked until she retired in 1994 and moved into a carriage house next to her daughter, Mary, where she could enjoy her grandchildren. Veronica was a woman of strong Catholic faith, which she instilled into her children. Indeed, she attributed her resolve and ability to overcome life’s obstacles to her faith. In this regard, she led by example. She overcame many difficulties in her life, including breast and kidney cancer, and multiple myeloma. She fought these, as all her battles, with dignity and strength.
The matriarch of a large, close-knit family, Veronica was happiest when she was together with her family, especially at Thanksgiving and Christmas. She was an excellent cook and went out of her way to satisfy everyone’s special requests (from homemade Polish bread and mac-n-cheese to her famous Milky Way cake). She was generous and selfless to a fault. She volunteered at the church for many years teaching Parish School of Religion and laundering Mass Purificators. She loved gardening, playing basketball, board games, and, especially, card games with her family. She had a strong competitive nature to say the least—she really hated to lose at cards and basketball and would excoriate fellow teammates if they weren’t playing up to snuff.
To say her guidance, support, and love will be missed is woefully inadequate. She was the bedrock of the family. A Memorial Mass will follow at a later date. To offer condolences, please visit www.woodstockfuneralhome.com. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in memory of Veronica Barnhill to St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church (490 Arnold Mill Road, Woodstock, GA 30188).
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