Veronica Ann Cavoto, of Naples, Florida, passed away following a courageous 6-year battle with cancer on Saturday, April 9, 2016 in Austin, Texas. She was 73 years old.

Veronica was born in 1943 in Pittsburgh, the daughter of the late Michael and Josephine Zerishnek. She received her nursing diploma from Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh where she was subsequently employed as a recovery nurse. She married Dr. Michael Joseph Cavoto in Pittsburgh on June 3, 1967, before settling in Indiana, Pennsylvania, where the couple spent 30 years raising their family and contributing to the community.

Veronica - 'Ronnie' to her friends, Sissy to her beloved husband and close family - loved collecting seashells during long sunrise walks on the beach in Naples, which she used to create beautiful photo frames and Christmas decorations to give away to family and friends.

She was happiest with a full, loud, and lively house - the more people sitting around her table, the better. With eight children, 10 grandchildren, extended family and innumerable friends, "dinner for 30" was the norm, not the exception. She made it seem easy. Somehow, every bowl of beebee soup, every slice of hand-made pizza, and every plate of pierogies seemed to taste even better than the last. Nobody ever left the Cavoto home hungry.

Ronnie was tireless, accomplishing more in a day than most do in a week, but she was never too busy to talk. You rarely got Ronnie's voicemail when you called, and you didn't need to set an alarm clock on your birthday. She would be the first to call, not just to wish you a Happy Birthday, but to sing it too.

The holidays were her favorite time of year. She found joy in finding the perfect gift for everyone on her list, baking cookies, hanging stockings by the fireplace, and decorating impossibly tall Christmas trees. She cherished the revolving door of visitors that came with the season, each blast of cold air and stomping feet heralding the arrival of old friends and good times.

She didn't need an occasion to give gifts, however. Friends and family were liable to find a thoughtful card in their mailbox or a package on their doorstep at any time, simply because Ronnie happened upon something that reminded her of you that day. The homes of her children are stocked with a lifetime supply of dishtowels appropriate for every imaginable holiday and occasion, courtesy of Mom's unexpected packages.

Ronnie's singular indulgence were long, hot bubble baths in the evenings, but only after everyone was fed, the children were tucked into bed, and there was nothing more that anyone needed. Afterward, you could find her sitting at the kitchen table, with flamboyant, colorful reading glasses perched at the end of her nose, making to-do lists to ensure tomorrow would be yet another wonderful day for everyone that depended on her.

She was selfless, generous, patient, and compassionate, with every moment of every day cheerfully devoted to the service of others - her friends, her family, her church. Always outgoing and engaging, strangers were only friends she hadn't yet met. Above all else, she loved the Lord and her family.

The life Ronnie lived, and the example she set, will continue to inspire all who knew her. She now walks beside us all, unseen and unheard, but will always be near and will always be loved. Her work here is done, but she will never be forgotten.

Surviving family include: husband, Michael Joseph, Naples, Florida; six daughters, two sons and ten grandchildren: CarolLynn and Emily Morgan, Newtown, PA; Cynthia, RJ, Lauren, Jack and Luke Brideau, Austin, Texas; ChrisTina, Daniel and Ryan Mohan, Austin, Texas; Caryn, Matthew, Aidan, Kellen and Amelia Buggey, Wexford, PA; Charleen Marie, John and William Gledhill, Devon, Pennsylvania; Cylvia, Brian and Christian Cook, Raleigh, North Carolina; Michael Anthony and Erin Cavoto, Austin, Texas; Matthew Joseph and Sarah Cavoto, Seattle, Washington; and two sisters: Marie and Edward Salmon, Coshocton, Ohio; and Dorothy Herman, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF), 383 Main Avenue, 5th Floor, Norwalk, CT 06851.

Visitation will be held from 3-5 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. on Friday, April 15, 2016 at Bowser-Minich Funeral Home, 500 Ben Franklin Road South, Indiana, Pennsylvania. A Funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 16, 2016 at St. Bernard of Clairvaux Catholic Church, 200 Clairvaux Drive, Indiana, Pennsylvania.

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