Gertrude M Feeney

January 30, 1921- February 22, 2017

Gertrude Feeney entered peacefully into the loving arms of Our Father in heaven on February 22, 2017. Gertrude was born on January 30, 1921 in Sloatsburg, New York to John and Elisabeth Dippre, where she was raised with her five (5) brothers. She graduated from Tuxedo High School in 1938 and thereafter worked for Bates Textile in West Haverstraw, New York where in 1940 she met James E. Feeney, who 3 years later would be her husband. They were married on January 8, 1943 and were married for fifty (50) years until her beloved husband passed away on August 13, 1994.

Gertrude and James lived in Spring Valley for the next six years of their marriage, where their two children James (1944) and Kathleen (in 1946) were born. In 1949 the family moved to Clarksville, Virginia for the next five years, where her husband Jim was the general manager of Robbins Mills, a prominent regional textile manufacturer. She truly loved her years in the South often relating stories of her cherished time there raising her children through their youthful years. In 1954 the family returned to Rockland County and settled into a new home in Nanuet and for the next twenty (20) years, Jim and Gert were the owners of the “Feeney Dairy Queen” on Middletown Road in Nanuet, which with very little exaggeration was Nanuet and Pearl River’s version of “Arnold’s” from “Happy Days”. Gert’s vibrant personality and sense of humor was legendary during those years, where hundreds of local residents always got an infectious smile from Gert often punctuated with her unique brand of humor and good cheers. In 1969 Jim and Gert retired to Lauderhill, Florida where ley lived until 1980, when they returned back to Rockland County, where she lived the next 28 years at 10 Oak Street, in New City. She was ecstatically happy to again be living close to her beloved children (walking distance in fact from Kathleen) and now also eight grandchildren that she doted over like a mother hen.

Tragically on August 11, 1986, she lost her beloved Kathleen at the age of 39 to cancer, an occurrence that she never fully could accept because she had truly lost a kindred spirit, the next generation of “her”, that would be lost to her family and the lives regrettably not to be touched by this magnificent person, raised in the image of her Mom.

In 2010 she moved to Dowling Gardens in Sparkill, New York where she lived for her last years.

She was a prolific letter writer for her entire life and to so many of her friends, nieces, nephews, grandchildren and sometimes just anyone she might know that needed a word of encouragement in their lives. Everyone that was privileged to be on the receiving end of her letters cherished the message of caring and love that always punctuated her writing. Many of those recipients have saved hundreds of her letters, often from time to time to be reread over and again because the message that they contain is timeless and still relevant in their lives.

She is survived by her loving son, James, presently residing in Hawley, PA., along with 8 grandchildren, Donna Fee, Anthony Mistretta, James Mistretta, Christopher Feeney, Jennifer Lovell, Mary Beth Drain, Kathleen Feeney and Patrick Feeney, 21 great grandchildren and countless other members of multiple extended families and friends that truly adopted her into their lives because they knew that this was a very special person that had touched their heart and soul and they wanted more of what Mom, Gertrude, Crazy Gertie, Granny and Aunt Tootie still had to share with them.

Visiting hours will be held at Higgins Funeral Home in New City, NY on Sunday, February 26 from 2-4 and 7-9pm. A funeral mass will be celebrated on Monday, February 27 at St. Augustine Church in New City, NY at 10am, interment will follow at St. Anthony Cemetery in Nanuet, NY.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital.