Ouida Venis

Ouida Bernice Venis, 93, died on December 12, 2022, surrounded by the love of her daughters.

Ouida was born and raised in Searight, Alabama, to the late Willie Ree Wallace (nee Bozeman) and Thomas Hutcheson. Although raised during the depression Ouida enjoyed a happy childhood and was enveloped by love from her older brothers Pendry, Marl, Belton and her sister Nina Merle. She attended Dozier High School and graduated with a small class of 18 students. After graduation, Ouida, 18 years old, left her rural home and ventured to Birmingham to attend Business School. This helped her to attain work at an insurance company until she learned of civil service positions in Washington DC. She left a small country town in Alabama to move to the large metropolis of Washington DC where she secured a position with Headquarters Marine Corp. Little did she know that this move would change her country life dramatically. Young and single she enjoyed her time in DC and had many friends and lots of fun. It is there where she met the love of her life, a Marine, Gus Venis. After playing hard to get and dating him only 6 months, Gus and Ouida eloped to Hagerstown, Maryland where they were married on November 10, 1952. Gus convinced this southern bell to move to New Jersey. They settled in Hillsborough and raised their son, Phillip, and daughters Penny and Pamela.

Gus and his brother Ollie ran a small tree climbing business and in 1962, Gus, Ollie and Ouida built and started Venis Brothers Horticultural Center and Florist in Hillsborough. Ouida decided the tree/horticulture business would benefit from having a floral shop so she went to school to learn floral design. Ouida became an outstanding designer and incredible businesswoman. Looking to grow the business even more she studied again and learned how to grow her own bedding plants. By the time the business was sold in 2004, she had six working greenhouses where she also grew beautiful poinsettias every year. People came from near and far to get her healthy plants as well as the most beautifully decorated wreaths and gravesprays. Their motto was “Where Quality Costs Less” and their customers, who sometimes became friends, knew Gus and Ouida as helpful and fair.

Ouida loved to travel and was able to go to England, Hawaii and a cross country train trip to Vancouver. She and Gus had also taken up skiing in their 40’s and every January, after the Christmas rush, they go to Vermont. As they perfected their skiing they got more adventurous and would go to Colorado.

After the business sold in 2004, moved to Centerbridge Independent Living in Bridgewater where she made many friends and gather everyone together to play various games, her favorite being pinochle. She was always looking for a “4th”. She loved bingo, rummikube, and bunco. When she got together with her family there would surely be some card game going on. This past winter it became necessary for Ouida to move to Brandywine Assisted Living where she was treated with love and compassion by the nurses, aides and events coordinators. Still being a gardner at heart, while out in the courtyard, she would snip pieces of plants and take them back to her apartment to root. She was a devoted wife, mother, Memom and “Big” Memom. Ouida was the happiest when she could spend time with her family.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 52 years, Gus Venis, her dear son Phillip Venis, cherished grandson Teddy May, and her siblings.

Surviving are her loving daughters, Penny Vogt and Pamela May-Protocollo and husband Tony, daughter in law Sharon Venis, her cherished grandchildren, Eric Vogt (Kristy), Phillip Venis (PG) Monica Futch (Lonnie), Bob May (Carolyn), and Rick Vogt. She was fortunate to experience “Great Grandmotherhood” and had 9 great grandchildren. She also leaves behind several nieces, nephews, and extended family.

Visitation will be held from 1:00 to 5:00PM on Sunday, December 18, 2022, at Cusick Funeral Home, 80 Mountain Avenue, Somerville.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00AM on Monday, December 19, 2022, at the funeral home. Friends and family are welcome to gather beginning at 10:00AM.

Interment will follow in New Cemetery, Somerville.