Cherry Rainone (1930 – 2012) was born on the Harrison Farm in Shelby County Texas to Dean and Beulah Vivian Harrison. The family moved to Fort Worth after WWII in 1946 where she attended and graduated from Arlington Heights High School. Cherry was a writer for local and national publications all her life. She also wrote poetry and lyrics that were used for local Arlington and Fort Worth productions and her son Tom, who directed and produced films in Texas and Hollywood California. Her mother's first cousin, legendary Texas Cowboy Music and Film Star, Tex Ritter and her grandfather Jacob Harrison, shared their music skills with her and...
Cherry Rainone (1930 – 2012) was born on the Harrison Farm in Shelby County Texas to Dean and Beulah Vivian Harrison. The family moved to Fort Worth after WWII in 1946 where she attended and graduated from Arlington Heights High School. Cherry was a writer for local and national publications all her life. She also wrote poetry and lyrics that were used for local Arlington and Fort Worth productions and her son Tom, who directed and produced films in Texas and Hollywood California. Her mother's first cousin, legendary Texas Cowboy Music and Film Star, Tex Ritter and her grandfather Jacob Harrison, shared their music skills with her and inspired Cherry to write.
She was a great fisherman, traveling to all parts of Texas and the globe with her late husband and Texas Ranger team dentist, Dr. Carl Rainone and friends to fish. She was a rancher and organic farmer who prepared many great Italian meals for her family, friends, top Hollywood actors, musicians and many of the Texas Ranger ball players. Baseball greats Ted Williams, Phil Rizzuto and Billy Martin loved to come over the Rainone house to enjoy Cherry's Italian cooking.
Together with her husband Carl, she co-founded Rainone Galleries in 1955 dealing in late 19th and early 20th century American painters. She promoted, collected and sold American and Texas Artists works before it was fashionable to do so.
Cherry got the First Official State Artist of Texas, Joe Grande on the Johnny Carson Show in 1967 with help from her friend, singer Frankie Laine.
Cherry and Carl Rainone and family helped build some of the top American Art Collections in the Country, including the Bill and Irma Runyon Collection of American Art at Texas A&M University. Selected fine American and early Texas paintings for the Jack Blanton family that are now housed in the Blanton Museum in Austin Texas and helped guide the Texas State Capitol with their early Texas Art Collection. Cherry was featured in Texas Monthly Magazine's Texas Women Edition, February, 2003.
Cherry was a friend to all and loved animals, often rescuing and saving their lives and the Rainone menagerie grew over the years.
Cherry was preceded in death by her husband Dr. Carl F. Rainone and survived by her loving sons Frank, Greg & wife Suray, Pete, Tom Rainone and grand daughter Emily Morgan and great grandson Cannen. She is also survived by her brothers and sisters Madelyn Cooley, Faye Spence, Carroll Harrison, Jerrell Harrison, Sam Harrison and Mary Nicolaus.
The Family wishes to Thank and acknowledge longtime family friend Ezella Glover for her many years of friendship and help, especially in the last years of Cherry's life.
Gifts in Cherry's memory can be made to any local Animal, Adoption Shelters, ASPCA and Texas Museums.
Funeral viewing and services Friday 16 March at Moore Funeral Home 1219 N Davis Arlington Texas 76012 6pm to 8pm and Funeral Mass on Saturday 17 March 10am at Most Blessed Sacrament Church, 2100 North Davis St., Arlington Texas 76012.
.gif)
