Virginia Bonello

1944 - 2025

Virginia"Ginni" Bonello of Troy Hill (formerly of Leechburg) passed away peacefully, surrounded by family and with the help of many, in her home on Friday, July 18, 2025. Ginni was born to Olive and Charles Baird of Bellevue with a single stated driving purpose. "I just wanted to be a good girl." She would live a life teaching us the full meaning of these words. She exuded warmth, kindness, and love, but her core was goodness. Upon graduation from Bellevue High School, she attended Edinboro State College, earning a degree in education. While there, Ginni met her future husband, Bobby Bonello, and on Feb. 8, 1964, a lifelong love affair began. She gave birth to two children, Lisa and Eli, and raised them on her version of the Thumper Rule: "If you can't say nothin' nice, don't say nothin' at all." But ever the believer in goodness and good grammar, she changed the word nothin' to anything. The family would later add son-in-law, Dan and grandchildren, Olivia and Stone. Along the way she would be called many things. A dancer, cheerleader, and hiker, she was even, briefly, quite the softball player. A sister, a friend, a wife, a mother, but she will forever be remembered by so many as a teacher. A teacher who took this drive for goodness and applied it to every role. She taught at Leechburg Elementary and the ARIN Intermediate Unit's gifted program, but she also founded, opened, and operated the Gingerbread Nursery School. Her many students speak of the atmosphere of love, acceptance, and support she provided them, empowering them to achieve success and meet their potential. She taught more than the subjects; she taught how to be a good person. Be ready to listen, be willing to forgive, and hold yourself to high expectations. Ginni enjoyed vacations in Hawaii, sharing new experiences with family and friends, and living a life filled with goodness. She will forever be missed by every life she touched. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Pittsburgh Children's Museum.