Iris (nee Graves) Stevens D’Alvia, died at home, in Croton on Hudson, New York on the evening of August 5th, 2017 at the age of 77, in the arms of her daughters, surrounded by her pets. The cause of death was COPD.
Iris was born on May 2, 1940, in Raleigh, North Carolina. At the age of 2, her family moved to Philadelphia, PA, where she later was a concert pianist with the Philadelphia Junior Philharmonic and an accomplished violist and painter. A graduate of Syracuse University in 1962, she moved to New York City where she began a career as an educator and publishing associate. In 1971, she returned home to Upper Westchester for good from one long year in the Los Angeles sunshine, and became an avid environmentalist and conservationist during the early fight to close the Indian Point power plant. After the birth of her youngest child in 1980, Iris began a three-decade association with Croton Schools as the founder and director of the After-School and Continuing Education Programs for the district. Both programs thrived under her direction and she loved the generations of children and adults in the community for whom those programs served.
In the mid 1990s, Iris began a second career as a public servant for Westchester County Economic Development, and spent the last 10 years of her tenure there as the Director of the Film Office, which gave her great joy. She retired from the County at age 70, and continued her work for Croton Schools until 2016.
Iris was passionate about animals and in her retirement she maintained a part time job at her beloved veterinarian’s office in Croton-on-Hudson. Iris relished natural beauty and nurtured this love of life through gardening, amateur bird-watching, and in the simple pleasure of conversation with close friends.
Iris is survived her children, David, Rachel, and Lauren, grandchildren Griffin, Rebecca, Leah, Elena and her beloved pets, Gilly and Gert.
Visitation will be held on Tuesday, August 8, 2017 from 5-8PM at Edward F. Carter Funeral Home, 41 Grand St, Croton on Hudson, NY. Funeral service will be celebrated on Wednesday, August 9th at 11AM, St. Augustine Episcopal Church, also in Croton.
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