Rhona Charkey

Rhona Lee Charkey, née Damsey, 85 years old, beloved wife, mother, and sister, was born on January 20, 1932, in Brooklyn, NY. She attended Midwood High School, graduated with a B.A. from Hunter College while in her 20s, and worked toward a Masters Degree in English Literature from Fairleigh Dickinson University as a young mother.

She met her husband of 64 years, Edward, at a Hunter College Hillel dance in 1950. Ed was drafted into the army shortly thereafter, but the romance prospered while Ed was stationed at posts in Fort Dix, NJ and Aberdeen Proving Ground, in Maryland. There was no going back after Rhona brought Ed her homemade banana cake.

They were married in 1953, and had three children – Bonnie Jeneba, 60; Lori, 57; and Alan, 55. After living in apartments in Tarrytown, NY and Mt. Vernon, NY, they moved to their single-family home of 59 years in a quiet neighborhood in New City, NY.

Rhona, who was an expert writer, worked in the advertising department at the Rockland Journal News in Nyack, NY.

From a very early age, Rhona was a passionate intellect. She read books and the news voraciously, expanding her knowledge in multiple topics, including current affairs, English literature, American and European history, fine wine and French cooking. She was politically active with the League of Women Voters in fighting the Storm King Hydroelectric plant proposal and the Indian Point nuclear reactors.

She designed beautiful gardens for her home in New City and took up a keen interest in raising the family’s Labrador Retriever. She always enjoyed smart dressing and accessorizing, and was a wonderful cook and great fan of fine or casual dining. She could spend hours delighting in arts museums or historic structures, where she exhibited a keen eye for detail.

Rhona’s interest in arts and culture were paramount, but no more so than in her obsession with classical music, particularly chamber music - the initial topic of conversation that drew Ed and her together. Rhona and Ed attended countless classical music concerts over the years – locally, and regionally at Tanglewood, Music Mountain and Lincoln Center. Before purchasing tickets to a concert, Rhona would carefully review the credentials of the players in each ensemble.

Starting in 1981, Rhona and Ed traveled extensively in Europe.

Rhona was a strong-willed, opinionated person. She delighted in beauty but detested the dull and tiresome. She died this past Thursday of a horribly debilitating disease, Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, after a protracted, multi-year battle.

In 1977, after her son Alan was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma at age 15, Rhona quit her job with the Journal News to selflessly devote her time to Alan’s recovery. That devotion included driving Alan to the hospital in Manhattan daily, staying with him during the long hours over which his treatment was administered, and helping him cope with its side effects at home.

We all loved her.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions be made to CurePSP, Inc., at www.psp.org.