Joan Rainey, 70, of Palmyra, Virginia, passed away in her home on Friday, August 9th, 2019. She was born in Hampton, Virginia on June 11th, 1949 to Ruby A. and Albert Gerald (Jerry) Rainey. In 1963 she moved with her family to Williamsburg, Virginia. Joan graduated from York High School in 1967. During her senior year she served as editor of the school’s literary magazine, The Eboracum, and was a founding member of the Quill and Scroll Club. Reading was a lifelong passion for Joan.
She also loved caring for others. She earned an associate degree in nursing from J. Sergeant Reynolds Community College in Richmond, Virginia. In 1980 she completed the Family Nurse Practitioner Program at the Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University. The same year Joan began working in the emergency room at the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville. She was very proud of her twenty-two years of service with this hospital.
In addition to caring for people, Joan passionately loved animals. She was an active participant in animal rescue and rehabilitation and personally adopted numerous dogs and cats from rescue organizations and shelters. During retirement Joan enjoyed a peaceful country life filled with animals, reading, music, gardening and cooking. She is loved and missed by her sister, Nan Rainey of Savannah, Georgia and brother, Don Rainey and wife Carol of Pembroke, Virginia and their daughters Erin Hoffman of Bristol, Virginia and Ann Danielson of Portland, Oregon.
For information on the memorial service contact Nan Rainey at 912-508-5220 or nanrainey1@gmail.com. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Caring for Creatures animal shelter, 352 Sanctuary Lane, Palmyra, VA 22963 or the Fluvanna County Animal Shelter, 5239 Union Mills Road, Troy, VA 22974.