Elissa Faraone

We are saddened to announce the passing of Elissa (Lisa) Mindy Faraone of Nanuet, New York, on June 19, 2023. Elissa passed away peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, after a long battle with cancer. She was 70 years old.

Elissa was born on May 14, 1953, the youngest of four children to Isadore and Faye (nee Teres) Schneider in Bronx, NY. She graduated from Columbus High School in the Bronx in 1971. She went on to study nursing at Rockland Community College, graduating with an associates degree in 1991. For nearly 30 years, Elissa worked as a Registered Nurse on the Pediatric Cardiology & Neurology unit at New York Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital in New York City, having had a profound impact on countless children, families and colleagues. She retired in 2020.

In 1971, Elissa met James (Jimmy) Faraone. They were married in 1976 and went on to have two children, Matthew and Fallon. For 47 years, they showed an unwavering and enduring love for each other.

Elissa was a fierce and devoted friend to those closest to her, and nothing was more important than her family and friends. She adored her four grandchildren and would light up whenever they were around. She was also loyal to her New York Yankees. She regularly attended games with Jimmy and Fallon, even in her final months. When she moved to Florida in May, her first demand was registering for MLB TV to watch the games, which she never missed. Elissa was a resilient fighter, having previously defeated breast cancer. She fought until her final days.

Elissa was predeceased by her parents and nephew Scott Key. She is survived by her husband Jimmy, children Matt and Fallon, daughter-in-law Allison, four grandchildren (Alaina, Greyson, Mackenzie and Kyle), her three siblings, nieces, nephews and her life-long dear friends Gary and Arlene Rothman and her godchildren Erik and Allison.

Public memorial services and visitation will be held at the Michael J. Higgins Funeral Home in New City, NY on Monday, July 10th from 3pm to 6:30pm. A celebration of life will start at 6pm. Following the service, a private repass will be held at La Terrazza in New City, at 7pm. A private cremation will be held in Florida.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Here to Serve, Inc., a non-profit organization focused on providing care to pediatric cancer families (www.heretoserve.org) or to the New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital (https://give.nyp.org/site/Donation2).