Veronica T. Kiernan, devoted to family, community
Veronica "Ronnie" T. Kiernan, 78, of Rehoboth Beach, passed away Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. She was born in the Bronx, N.Y., July 9, 1947, daughter of Martin and Mary Keefe.
Ronnie grew up in the Bronx, attending St. Angela’s Merici. After graduation, she attended Gwynedd Mercy College.
She met the love of her life, Jimmy Kiernan, Nov. 27, 1969, at the Neck Inn, a popular pub in Throgs Neck, N.Y. They married June 27, 1970, and began their life journey of happiness, family, and fulfillment.
Due to Jim’s career, several relocations included setting up homes in Richmond, Va., Annapolis, Md., Columbus, Ohio, and Denver, Colo., often traveling to Rehoboth Beach for their annual family vacations. Before long, they decided to accept an offer to move to Rehoboth Beach to join Rehoboth Resort Realty. This enabled Ronnie to be a full-time, stay-at-home mom, raising their children and being actively involved in their activities. She was frequently a “Cookie Mom” for Girl Scouts and could always be counted on to chaperone a field trip.
As the children got older, she re-entered the workforce, first as a bookkeeper, and then obtained her real estate license to embark on a multi-decade career as a vacation rental booking agent.
In 1986, Jim and Ronnie, along with two Wilmington-based couples, opened a little Irish pub named Irish Eyes on Wilmington Avenue in Rehoboth. Irish Eyes would continue to grow to locations in Lewes, Middletown and Milton.
Through these community connections, Ronnie developed a passion for charitable giving and used her relationships to organize, execute, and volunteer at functions for the benefit of the American Red Cross, Beebe Healthcare, Rehoboth Beach Boys and Girls Club, Autism Delaware, and many more.
She will most fondly be remembered as a loving mother and dedicated wife, and for things such as her love of hosting a party, always welcoming others into her home, her keen ability to find a bargain in any store, her countless recipes creating memorable family meals, and her lack of enthusiasm toward driving, which led to Jimmy affectionately spending many afternoons “Driving Ms. Roxy.”
She was preceded in death by her parents; her brother, Martin Keefe; her sister, Sr. Maryellen Keefe; and her husband, James J. Kiernan. She is survived by her daughters and their spouses, Jennifer and Jay Bastian, Kathy and Michael Newcomb, Maryellen Kiernan, and Amy Kiernan; her six grandchildren, Molly Bastian, Jake Bastian, Quint Bastian, Matthew Newcomb, Morgan Newcomb and Ellis Kiernan; a special niece, Carla Dolan; her sister-in-law and her husband, Leslie and Hank Giles; as well as countless other family, friends, and business associates.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at noon, Thursday, Dec. 18, at St. Edmond Catholic Church, 409 King Charles Ave., Rehoboth Beach, where friends and family may visit beginning at 11 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in Ronnie’s name to the James J. Kiernan Memorial Scholarship Fund, c/o The Greater Lewes Foundation, P.O. Box 110, Lewes, DE 19958.
Visit Ronnie's Life Memorial webpage at parsellfuneralhomes.com.
