Virginia Roney died peacefully on July 27th, 2012, at her home in Stamford, CT, surrounded by family and by the loving companions and caregivers at Edgehill, where she had lived since 1999.
She was born the eldest of two daughters of John J Goodwin and Alice T Carey Goodwin in Chicago, IL on July 25, 1915. During the Depression, after her father lost his job, her family was forced to leave their home and to move in with relatives. Her much loved Uncle Arch Ward helped her get a job at the Chicago Bears, where she was George Halas’ first secretary and the office manager for the team. At the Bears, where cash flow was always a bit short, she suggested the idea of bundling tickets, creating the concept of season tickets for professional football. The first person who responded wasn’t interested in buying season tickets. Instead, Richard T Roney suggested that he would offer free advertising in the Chicago El in exchange for free season tickets. Not long after, she became engaged to the handsome young salesman and they married on December 26, 1940. The Chicago Tribune featured their engagement on its sports page under the headline “Bears’ First Loss – Halas’ Secretary” in which Halas is quoted saying “Who’s going to run things around here now?”
With her new husband, she moved first to New York City and then to Philadelphia, where she became the loving mother of six children, whose lives she enriched immeasurably. Later moves took her to Glen Ridge, NJ and to Old Greenwich and Stamford, CT. At the time of her death in Stamford, she had been a Fairfield County, CT resident for forty-five years.
When she became an “empty-nester” she rejoined the work force at Olin in Stamford CT, where she worked for a number of years. She was a long time volunteer for Meals on Wheels. She loved summers at the shore, dogs, bridge (a Life Master), reading, and walking at Tod’s Point in Old Greenwich and the Cove in Stamford with her friends.
She is survived by five of her children: Ruth McMullin (husband Tom) of Savannah GA, Rick Roney (wife Regina) of Santa Barbara CA, Sheila Taintor (husband Rick) of Newburyport MA, Mary Roney of Colorado Springs and Bob Roney (wife Cathy) of Geneva IL. In addition, she has seven grandchildren: David McMullin of Jamaica Plains MA, Jessica Sheya of Sacramento CA, Nathaniel Taintor of Portland OR, James Taintor of The Hague, the Netherlands, Meg Taintor of Everett MA, and Shawn and Kevin Roney of Geneva IL. She has six great-grandchildren. Her son Tom, her husband Dick and her sister Mary Pruneau predeceased her.
A memorial service will be planned for early Fall. She would be pleased to have friends make donations in lieu of flowers to two of her favorite charities, Habitat for Humanity or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
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