Velinda Ballantine

Velinda Ballantine was born on May 17, 1971 in Harlem Hospital, New York City. She was raised in the South Bronx of New York by her parents Anselmo and Hattie Yvonne Ballantine.

Velinda attended CS 67 Elementary, where she graduated as the Valedictorian. She attended IS 70 Junior High School, where she graduated as Salutatorian. Velinda attended Dewitt Clinton High School for her freshmen and part of her Sophomore years. Velinda’s freshmen year was the first year Dewitt Clinton approved females to attend the school. Velinda was homeschooled during her sophomore year, as she started her fight with Lupus. The homeschool teacher expressed that Velinda was the smartest and most organized student he taught. Even though Velinda was struggling with Lupus during her sophomore, junior and senior year, she graduated High School in 1989 with Honors. Her siblings would always say they have big shoes to fill.

Velinda enjoyed Bookkeeping. She processed family and friends’ taxes for so many years. Her uncle Shorty let her help maintain the bookkeeping for his moving company after she graduated High School. Velinda worked as a Bank Teller for HSBC bank in Co-op City. She also worked as a teller for Pay Omatic check cashing in the Bronx NY. Velinda worked for Uplift Home Health Agency as a Bookkeeper in Columbus Ohio. When Lupus prevented Velinda from working a steady job, she started taking online classes with Devry for Accounting. She loved working with numbers, but she loved reading even more. Velinda’s favorite author was Stephen King. If he wrote a book, she read it. She was a big time STAR TRACK fan. As a child she loved to watch and talk about Star Track with her uncle John. He was also a fan. She liked watching Syfy movies and scary movies. Velinda loved sports. She loved to watch the New York Mets play baseball. She enjoyed watching the Golden State Warriors play basketball.

Velinda loved shopping. She was the queen of online shopping. She loved her natural colors, her capri pants, wedge shoes, her designer bags, and her lip gloss.

Velinda is preceded in death by grandmothers, Lucy Leslie and Anita Ferris; grandfathers, Willie Leslie Sr. and Anselmo Ballantine Sr.; grandaunt, Hazel Stovall; cousins, Ky Swails and Nicki Stovall; uncles, John Leslie, and Milton Clark; and God mother, Ruth Glover.

Velinda is survived by her parents, Anselmo and Hattie Yvonne Ballantine; siblings, Delvin (Chanae) Ballantine Sr., Sherise (Andre) Smith, Cynthia Ballantine, Zelvin (Erica) Ballantine and Valencia White (Peaches); aunts and uncles, Theresa Stovall, Nannie Williams, Dorothy Swails, Willie Leslie, Charles Leslie, Alger Glover, and Christopher Ballantine; cousins, Stacey Heyward, Latoya and Shamirra Williams, Natasha, Simone and Willie Jr. Perry, Edward Aziz, Stovall’s, Ballantine’s, Jennifer Leslie, and Timothy, Kimberly, and Christen Smith; God children, Kelly Levon, Keith Heyward, Nicholas Williams, Daniyyel Matthews, Kamora Nun-Amat, Solonia Nunn-Amat, and Davion Scales; seven nieces, Delvonna Ballantine, Lauryn Walker, Julisa Stepney, Zahria Ballantine, Danaia Smith, Mahogany Bryant, and Victoria Dash; eight nephews, Delvin Ballantine, Jr., Bilal El-Amin, Andre Smith, Jr., Donovan Ballantine, Christopher Smith, Shamal Mayo, Jeremiah Mayo, and Santino Peaks; three grandnieces and one grandnephew; and best friends, Leslie Hightower and Tonya Levon.

Visitation 10:00 AM and Funeral Service 11:00 AM Monday, June 1, 2020 at MARLAN J. GARY FUNERAL HOME, THE CHAPEL OF PEACE EAST, 5456 E. Livingston Ave.

Interment at Glen Rest Memorial Estates