Marie A. Larkin

Marie Anne Larkin passed away peacefully surrounded by family on July 26, 2024 at the age of 86. She is survived by her 5 children; 3 daughters and 2 sons, and their spouses. (Arthur Larkin and Mary Dulka of Chappaqua, NY, Anne Marie and James Mahoney of Poughquag, NY, Christine and Laurence More of Ridgefield, CT, Jennifer and George Lorey of Boca Raton, FL, and Thomas and Patricia Larkin of South Salem, NY). She is also survived by her beloved 8 grandchildren, Catherine, Dumitru, Caroline, Ian, Kevin, Jack, Victoria and Connor. She is also survived by her brother, John Sheehan, and her sister in law Linda Sheehan, as well as her sisters in law, Therese Karsch and Katherine Larkin, and also a niece and many cousins. She was predeceased in death by her loving husband, Dr. Arthur G. Larkin, as well as her second husband, Peter Rakov.

Marie was born in New York, NY, to Thomas and Carmela (Albanese) Sheehan on August 24, 1937. Born and raised on the lower east side of Manhattan, she was a tough one from the start. She came from humble beginnings and always wanted more for the lives of her children. Marie graduated from Cathedral High School in Manhattan at age 16 and earned a full academic scholarship to Misericordia Nursing School, in Manhattan, NY. This began a 50+ year nursing career that exposed her to many facets of nursing, from the operating room to the delivery room. Marie met her husband, Dr. Arthur G. Larkin, in the operating room at Knickerbocker Hospital in Harlem, where he was a surgeon at the time, and she, a nurse. And the rest, as they say, is history. Marie and Arthur were married on October 20, 1962, at St. Joseph's Church in Manhattan, and together, they raised their 5 children in West Nyack, NY.  Marie was home with all her babies until her youngest started Kindergarten. She went back to nursing, and to school, after that, all while raising 5 kids and managing a very busy household. Marie was so proud when she graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas College, in Sparkill, NY with her Bachelor’s degree in 1981. (and so was her family!) She continued on to receive her Master’s degree in nursing administration from Pace University in Pleasantville, NY. Achieving all of this while working and raising 5 children was a monumental task, but Marie tapped into that grit that she developed as a child, and never looked back. She loved it all! She had an amazingly successful career in nursing that spanned over 50 years, working in various specialties of medicine, in many different hospitals, including Columbia Presbyterian and Sloan Kettering in NYC, and Phelps Memorial in Tarrytown, NY. She ended her nursing career as a transplant case manager at GHI.  

The proudest job titles Marie wore were that of Mom and Grandma. She and Arthur raised their 5 children, Arthur, Anne Marie, Christine, Jennifer and Thomas, to be happy, independent and successful, providing them with the most amazing and loving childhood on Stonehedge Drive in West Nyack, NY. Marie loved to decorate for Christmas and would often cover the house with countless poinsettia plants and Christmas lights and bows. Taking her children to see the Nutcracker at Lincoln Center at Christmas was one of her favorite pastimes. Summers were spent at West Nyack Swim Club and always 2 weeks at their favorite place, Long Beach Island, NJ. Marie loved Broadway musicals and took her children to see countless shows. She loved Fred Astaire, Frank Sinatra, and watching old movies like Casablanca and Holiday Inn.

Unfortunately, Marie lost her beloved husband, Dr. Arthur G. Larkin, in 1997, after 34 years of marriage. She was grateful to be present for the birth of all her grandchildren, and she loved helping to take care of them, fostering individual relationships with each one. Marie was so proud of all of them, and loved attending birthday parties, plays, sporting events, graduations and celebrations for them all. Later in life, Marie was lucky to find Peter Rakov, a widower himself, and together they married in July 2004. They spent the next 19 years living in Hurley, NY. They enjoyed traveling and going to museums and restaurants in their retirement. Unfortunately, she lost Peter in April of 2023. 

While the past 4 years have been difficult for Marie, she always demonstrated that the strength of the human spirit can often transcend medical intervention. While her loss will leave a gaping hole in our lives, her strength, courage and love will most definitely live on in her beautiful children and grandchildren.

A visitation for Marie will be held Wednesday, July 31, 2024 from 3-7pm at, Michael J Higgins Funeral Home; 321 South Main St. New City, NY 10956. A Mass of Christian burial will be held on Thursday, August 1, 2024 at 10am, at St. Francis of Assisi; 128 Parrott Rd. West Nyack, NY. Interment to follow at Gate of Heaven Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Marie’s name to the Sandy Hook Promise

at https://www.sandyhookpromise.org/