Ronald Joseph Vieira's Obituary
Ronald Joseph Vieira
12/25/1936 – 10/17/2018
Ronald Joseph Vieira was born on December 25, 1936 in New Bedford, Massachusetts, where he picked up his first trumpet at the age of four.
His mother, Doris Fortier, was French and his father, Joseph Vieira, was Portuguese. As a young boy, Ronnie played trumpet in the New Bedford “Festival Band”.
Ronnie graduated from New Bedford High School and attended the New England Conservatory where he studied the trumpet and the Flugelhorn. After graduating in 1958, Ronnie moved to Washington, D.C. to join the Air Force and became a member of the “Airman of Note”.
After the completion of his Air Force enlistment, Ronnie joined the faculty of the Fairfax County Public School System, he was a “Band Director.” where he passed on his passion for music to his students for over 20 years. Teacher by day, musician at night, music was Ronnie’s world. Ronnie was a member of The Federation of Musicians for many years.
Ronnie leaves behind a reputation in the Greater Washington music arena as being one of the best, and a fun guy to work with. His legacy includes playing in the Washington Redskins band, and when the Ringling Bros. Circus was in town, you could find him in the band section, trumpet in hand.
Ronnie played trumpet professionally in DC/MD and Virginia with The Gene Donati Orchestra. He played for JFKs inauguration. He also played at the Kennedy Center; Shady Grove Music Fair; Wolf Trap, the Circus and Ice Capades. The list goes on and on.
In 1997, at a John Signorello Concert in Vienna, Virginia, Ronnie met Nancy Molner through mutual musician friends, Anne Marie and Carroll Skinner. Ronnie and Nancy were married in 1998 in Annapolis, MD. Since that time, Nancy and Ronnie have resided in Baltimore, MD in the Federal Hill neighborhood.
Ronnie is survived by his wife Nancy Molner Vieira of Baltimore, Maryland; daughter Sophia Edmunds and her husband Thomas of Mechanicsville, Virginia; step children Saundra Passera and her husband Alan, Caroline Kardaras, Stephanie Lee and her husband John and the late Cynthia Gordon. two grandchildren Katie and Lauren Caldwell. Ronnie is also survived by his sister, Beverly Flaherty of Glastonbury, Conn. Also survived by many other loving relatives and friends.
Funeral Services will be held at the Fort Myer Old Post Chapel, 204 Lee Avenue, Fort Myer VA 22211. On Wednesday at 1:00pm followed by entombment of cremains in Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors. Due to the Covid-19 restrictions the services will be limited to 10 people in the chapel.
Arrangements by Charles L. Stevens Funeral Home, Inc., 1501 E. Fort Avenue, Locust Point MD 21230
Additional information and Tribute site may be viewed at www.charleslstevensfuneralhome.com
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