Victoria Ragnone

     Victoria Suzanne Ragnone, affectionately called Nana, was 77 years old and had been suffering with the horrible degenerative ALS (SUCKS!) disease for almost 3 years. She was surrounded by family at her home in New Orleans as she entered heavenly eternal rest. Her wish was to be cremated and she will join her deceased parents (Thelma and Linton Shaffer) and our cherished Great-Grandmother (Myrtle  Shaffer) in the Pacific Ocean off Hawaii, where her adored sister Pamela Reasoner resides. She was the loving wife of Thomas Ragnone, an amazing mother to Elizabeth Farrington and  Nicole Ragnone, and idolized grandmother to Vivienne Ragnone, Alexandria Bird, Lauren, Isabella, Bennett and Chloe Farrington. She was beloved Great Grandmother to Braxton and Beckett Bird. She was considered “favorite “ aunt by many of the Ragnone and Reasoner nieces and nephews. Her “in-laws”  would agree that my father was a lucky man, married for 56 years. Although a Michigander for most of her life, the last decade was spent in the South. She enjoyed spending time with family, was an avid reader and nutritionist, appreciated traveling, being active and water aerobics and keeping up with all on facebook. When your friends become friends with your parent, you know she was a truly remarkable and genuine person. We had a paper lantern send off celebration of life ceremony for Victoria last evening on the levy of the Mississippi River. Her NOLA family of friends and relatives shared the different ways in which she touched their lives. There is a possibility of a memorial to be held in Michigan sometime this summer and will keep y’all posted.    She shared a story with us: when she was younger, she saw a statue of a flamingo and told her parents that she really liked it. Her father went to a garage sale and brought home a tacky, pink plastic flamingo to put in the yard for her. She was so touched by his kindness that she decided that she liked all flamingos. Whenever you see a flamingo, remember Victoria and smile. *another way to acknowledge is to donate/support  the A.L.S. Foundation or the Steve Gleason Foundation (No White Flags!), or whoever is working on a CURE (her dream) or helping those who have been cursed with the disease function better.