Rita T. Estony

Rita Estony, currently of Cold Spring and a former resident of Yonkers for 79 years has passed away at the age of 93. She was born to Helen Krajeski and Frank Estony in Yonkers on May 18, 1932 and was a graduate of St. Peters Grade School and Sacred Heart High School, from where she said "I couldn't have gotten a better education". Just after turning seventeen Rita started her 38 1/2 year career with the State of New York. She started as a Stenographer with the State Labor Relations Board and subsequently became Supervisor of the Steno Pool and from there she became Secretary to one of the Board Members. After 28 years with the Labor Department where she made many lifelong friends. Rita received an appointment through Gov. Malcolm Wilson to become secretary to a Court of Claims Judge, from where she retired in 1988.

Starting in her late fifties through her seventies, Rita was an avid bowler winning many titles locally and statewide. She entered many tournaments throughout the county and was the recipient of many awards.

The sports writers in the local papers referred to her as "Rockin Rita". Many of the summers of her retirement years were spent at her home on Lake Oscawana in Putnam Valley while her winters were spent in Port Orange and Daytona Beach, Florida. Before moving to Cold Spring, Rita volunteered for 12 years in St. John's Hospital in Yonkers in the Transplant Department, where she made new and lasting friends and found that volunteering was a very rewarding experience. In addition to the beautiful surroundings and wonderful people in Glassbury Court, where Rita resided, the happiest times in her life were spent with her wonderful family and friends. She always enjoyed the outdoors, especially her exercise walking, along with her annual trips to Windham in the Catskills for golf with friends. Unfortunately her activities were curtailed when she contracted a rare an debilitating autoimmune disease called Multi-Facial Motor Neuropathy (MMN). It was only with the help and assistance of her very dear friend Pat, that she was able to continue residing at home an undergoing her treatments. Rita was predeceased by her brother Frank (Gladys) an is survived by her sister Helene (widow of Jack Carey), her brother Robert and wife Ronnie. in addition she leaves her wonderful and caring nieces Ellen, Susan, Patti, Liz, Lorna, Lori, Maureen and Jennifer, and nephews John and Frankie, also surviving are 21 grand nieces and nephews and 4 great grand nieces and 2 great grand nephews.