Rhoda Patsner

Longtime resident of West Nyack, NY, passed away peacefully at home on Monday, surrounded by her family and a lifetime of memories.

Born in NYC on March 25, 1929, Rhoda grew up in the Bronx with her older sister Cynthia and older brother Morton as well as their parents, Lewis and Rose Metz. As a young teenager, she met her late husband Sherwin “Pat” Patsner, who was the love of her life and with whom she enjoyed fifty-four blissful years of marriage. She and Pat moved to Rockland County in the early 1960s and raised three children – Bruce, Elisabeth, and Susan in West Nyack, N.Y. She and Pat were owners of Trend Vend Inc. up until his retirement in the mid-90s. She adored their partnership both in marriage and in business.

She enjoyed sharing many stories from her time growing up in the Grand Concourse area of the Bronx and was proud to have been one of the original staff members at the United Nations. One of the shining moments of her life was being present at the U.N. when Israel was declared a country. During her time working at the U.N., she also crossed paths with Eleanor Roosevelt and many international diplomats, undoubtedly helping to plant a seed of travel. Rhoda remained a fervent Democrat her entire life in gratitude for the New Deal rescuing her family during the Great Depression.

Rhoda was a dynamo throughout her entire life. As she entered her fifties, she joined Rockland Travel Bureau, where she eventually became an owner and partner. She was a proud small business owner and was a travel maven. During her forty years at Rockland Travel, she and Pat led trips all around the world and she got a great thrill out of her adventures, such as flying on the Concorde, joining a safari, white-water rafting in New Zealand, and finally traveling to Cuba once restrictions were lifted. She and Pat also had the opportunity to visit the former Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China before the end of the Cold War. In later years, she and Pat enjoyed taking vacations with their daughter Lis and all four of their grandchildren, Ben, Samantha, Lauren, and Joel.

Rhoda was a pillar of the local Jewish community in Rockland County and was a longtime member of the Nanuet Hebrew Center, where she was actively involved in event planning up until COVID lockdowns began. She drew strength from her fellow congregants and friends, and became close with her rabbi, Rabbi Kurland. Apart from NYC, her favorite city in the world was London and she was delighted to follow news of the Royal Family, even if that meant waking up at early hours of the morning to watch ceremonies in live time. Besides world travel, she was passionate about politics and followed current events closely. As a daily reader of The New York Times, she also enjoyed challenging herself with the crossword puzzles, and she had a lifelong love of learning, no doubt kindled by her childhood love of the New York Public Library.

Rhoda was predeceased by her beloved husband, Sherwin Patsner, daughter Susan Patsner Black, sister Cynthia Metz, brother Morton Metz, son-in-law Victor Hellwege, and niece Karen Rubin. She is survived by her daughter Elisabeth, her son Bruce, her grandchildren Benjamin, Lauren, Samantha, and Joel, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Funeral services will be held at Congregation Shir Shalom (formerly Nanuet Hebrew Center) on Thursday, August 5th at 12pm. Interment will follow at Sharon Gardens in Valhalla, NY. Services will also be shared via Zoom – please contact the Congregation Shir Shalom at 845-708-9181 for link and also information on shiva.