BRISTOL — On May 8, 2020, heaven gained an angel and her family lost a fierce little spitfire when Veronica Mary (Cousino) Mayer, 80, of Bristol, Vt., passed away from a fatal heart attack in the company of Ray, her loving husband of 62 years. She had just completed one of her favorite pastimes, beating him at a game of Rummikub.
Ronnie was born on Sept. 13, 1939, to Bernadette Blaise Cousino and Peter John Cousino at their family home in Bristol. She graduated from Bristol High School in 1958. She met her soulmate, Ray, in 1957, and they were married in 1958. If you knew the two of them, you knew that they were seldom apart and totally devoted to one another.
Ronnie is survived by her devoted husband, Joseph Raymond Mayer as well as her son Todd Mayer (Laura) and daughter Terri Thomsen (Ole); her two grandsons, Jacob and Jesse Thomsen; and three granddaughters, Stephanie Felion (Dale), Jennifer Mayer and Sophie Thomsen. She also leaves a great-grandson, Alan Felion and a great-great-grandson Gracen Felion. Ronnie leaves five sisters, Yvonne Morgan, Anne Myrick, Patricia Atkins, Linda Roscoe and Mary Bingham and four brothers, Thomas, Roger, Charles and Peter Cousino. She also leaves dozens of nieces and nephews and a special cousin, June Larrabee.
She is predeceased by both parents Bernadette and Peter Cousino, her sister Marjorie Paquette, and her brothers Lucius, Guy, Ambrose, Eugene and Joseph Cousino.
Ronnie’s career consisted of working at the telephone office and as an aide at Bristol Elementary and MAUHS. In her later years she worked at IBM in food service, which gave her the opportunity to travel to and from work with Ray, which she loved. Like many of her siblings, she also worked with the elderly off and on through the years and was a coveted “sitter” by her nieces and sisters.
All Ronnie ever wanted to be was a wife and mother and she excelled at both. She loved her children and grandchildren with a passion that was unparalleled. She worried deeply about the wellbeing of family and friends and spent most of her life in some form of service to those around her, whether it be calling family and friends to check in or praying for anyone and everyone who needed prayers. Her nieces often requested “Ask Aunt Ronnie to pray for me, her prayers work!” Ronnie prided herself on her fabulous chocolate chip cookies. Those cookies were coveted by family, friends, school rooms and strangers. She was generous in handing them out! Ronnie loved everyone and she had no trouble expressing that. There are children and adults all over this state who considered her their own special grandma. She had a knack for making everyone who knew her feel like they were her absolute favorite.
Ronnie was an avid Red Sox fan and loved to razz the Yankee fans. You know who you are! She enjoyed traveling but her favorite place was Wells, Maine, where she and Ray spent many hours sitting by the ocean watching the sunrise. She was a giver and loved to shop. There are many people who were the lucky recipients of her generosity. She was a tiny lady with an enormous heart full of love and adventure. Ronnie was very proud of the fact that she made eight skydiving jumps in Malone, N.Y., where her daughter Terri met her husband Ole. She beamed when she said that the jumps in New York cost her a wedding and gained her a son in law who she adored.
Ronnie was a member of the Catholic Churches in Bristol and Vergennes, Vt. She was a woman of deep faith. She and her husband spent the last 40 years starting their morning by saying the rosary together and praying for family and friends. Ronnie found comfort in reading her prayer books each morning, hours before the sunrise.
Although it is very difficult to postpone our celebration of her life, we will do so until we can all be together and hug again. She would not want us to celebrate without hugs and love.
In that vein, there will be a mass of Christian Burial as soon as possible. We will publish details when we know when it will take place. In the meantime, revel in your memories of Ronnie. Remember her spirit and smile when you think of her huge personality.
To send online condolences to the family visit brownmcclayfuneralhomes.com.◊