'Always Helped People Out': Retired NYSP Sergeant Dies From 9/11-Related Illness At Age 42 'Always Helped People Out': Retired NYSP Sergeant Dies From 9/11-Related Illness At Age 42
'Always Helped People Out': Retired Nysp Sergeant Dies From 9/11-Related Illness At Age 42 Just two months after joining the New York City Police Department in the summer of 2001, Ivan Morales was among countless first responders who descended on the mangled debris and rubble of the World Trade Center in the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks, working tirelessly to find survivors and recover the remains of those who died. Twenty-one years later, Morales, a resident of Catskill in Greene County, died at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center at the age of 42 after a “courageous” battle with an illness stemming from his assignment at the site, his obituary said. Moral…
Nurse From Hudson Valley Who Sat With Dying COVID-19 Patients Dies At Age 65 Nurse From Hudson Valley Who Sat With Dying COVID-19 Patients Dies At Age 65
Nurse From Hudson Valley Who Sat With Dying Covid-19 Patients Dies At Age 65 Andrea Granata served on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, comforting dying patients when their own families could not. Now, loved ones are mourning the loss of the Westchester County native, who died Friday, Sept. 2 at the age of 65, according to her obituary. Granata was born in New Rochelle on May 7, 1957 to parents Dr. Anthony and Teresa Granata, her memorial said. She would later serve the state of New York as a head travel nurse throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and was one of the “brave” and “kind” medical professionals who sat with patients at the end of their lives when the…
Lived With 'Fervor, Tenacity': 43-Year-Old Legal Consultant From Hudson Valley Dies Of Cancer Lived With 'Fervor, Tenacity': 43-Year-Old Legal Consultant From Hudson Valley Dies Of Cancer
Lived With 'Fervor, Tenacity': 43-Year-Old Legal Consultant From Hudson Valley Dies Of Cancer A 43-year-old woman from Westchester County who worked as a legal consultant and was a lover of traveling and the outdoors has died after an eight-year battle with cancer.  Scarsdale resident Rosanna Kelly died on Saturday, Oct. 29 from pancreatic neuroendocrine cancer, her obituary said.  Born in 1979 in the Dominican Republic, Kelly later moved to New York City and graduated from Mary Bertram High School before earning her law degree from Syracuse Law School in 2005, according to her obituary. Kelly worked as a legal consultant but then moved on to specialize in …
Self-Proclaimed 'Valley Girl,' Entertainment Division Director In Hudson Valley Dies At Age 59 Self-Proclaimed 'Valley Girl,' Entertainment Division Director In Hudson Valley Dies At Age 59
Self-Proclaimed 'Valley Girl,' Entertainment Division Director In Hudson Valley Dies At Age 59 A nationally-recognized insurance specialist for celebrities and professional athletes died after a battle with cancer.  Fairfield County resident Katie Knowles Surgot, of Ridgefield, died on Tuesday, Oct. 25 at the age of 59, according to her obituary.  A lover of going to the beach, concerts, and movies who called herself a "Valley Girl," Surgot was born in Encino, California, the state where she also graduated from high school, married, and earned her degree at California State University, Northridge, her obituary said.  Eventually, Surgot moved to New…
Hudson Valley Woman Who Died At Age 38 Had 'Loving Heart, Zest For Life' Hudson Valley Woman Who Died At Age 38 Had 'Loving Heart, Zest For Life'
Hudson Valley Woman Who Died At Age 38 Had 'Loving Heart, Zest For Life' Loved ones and former classmates are mourning the loss of a Westchester County woman following her death at the age of 38. Larissa Acocella, of Pelham Manor and Manhattan, died Tuesday, Oct. 11, following a “long illness which she fought courageously,” according to her obituary. Acocella was a 2002 graduate of Pelham Memorial High School and later attended Fordham University in New York City. After college, she took a job with JP Morgan Chase, where she was most recently an executive director on the company’s Consumer and Community Banking Strategy team, her memorial said. When not at wo…
Longtime Business Owner From Area Dies At Age 64 Longtime Business Owner From Area Dies At Age 64
Longtime Business Owner From Area Dies At Age 64 A former corrections officer and business owner from the Hudson Valley died on Monday, Oct. 24.  Westchester County native Steven E. Sassone, Sr., who was born in Yonkers, died at the age of 64, according to his obituary.  A resident of Putnam County, Sassone, of Mahopac, attended Lincoln and Saunders high schools in Yonkers, and also owned the Sassone Service Center in the city in addition to owning and operating Sassone Towing, his obituary said.  Sassone also worked as a corrections officer for the Westchester County Department of Corrections, and was a pa…
Lifelong Resident In Region, Former 'Miss Mount Kisco' Dies Lifelong Resident In Region, Former 'Miss Mount Kisco' Dies
Lifelong Resident In Region, Former 'Miss Mount Kisco' Dies A woman who was a longtime resident of Northern Westchester County and was once crowned "Miss Mount Kisco" died on Saturday, Oct. 8.  Carole Ann Genussa of Bedford died at the age of 88, according to her obituary.   Born in Mount Kisco, Genussa worked with troubled youth at the Pleasantville Cottage School for thirty years, and also volunteered at the St. Patrick's Parish for six decades, her obituary said.  Genussa lived in Bedford since building her home with her husband, Philip, in 1958, and she had a love for hosting her family and friends for dinner …
Former School Board President From Hudson Valley Dies Former School Board President From Hudson Valley Dies
Former School Board President From Hudson Valley Dies A Northern Westchester woman passionate about volunteering for her community died on Saturday, Oct. 22.  Gail Wittkin Sasso of Croton-on-Hudson died at the age of 75, according to her obituary. Raised on Long Island, in Roslyn Heights, Sasso was heavily involved in her village, serving as a past president of the Croton Harmon Board of Education and a member of the Croton on Hudson Water Control Commission, her obituary said.  Sasso also co-founded the local chapter of CCoHope INDIVISIBLE, a political group.  In addition to her volunteering, Sasso was al…
Hudson Valley Native Who Was All-America Collegiate Athlete Dies At Age 48 Hudson Valley Native Who Was All-America Collegiate Athlete Dies At Age 48
Hudson Valley Native Who Was All-America Collegiate Athlete Dies At Age 48 A Northern Westchester native who was a standout athlete in both high school and college has died. Alison Relyea, who grew up in Briarcliff and graduated in 1992 from the Hackley School in Tarrytown, was 48 years old, according to her obituary. She died on Wednesday, Oct. 12 at Evelyn’s House hospice facility in Creve Coeur, Missouri. For the past 11 years, she lived in Chesterfield, Missouri, her obituary said. She graduated from Gettysburg College in 1996 and the University of Maryland School of Nursing, where she received her BSN degree, in 1998.  Throughout her younger years…
'Dedicated To Her Job, Community': Town Employee From Hudson Valley Dies After Cancer Battle 'Dedicated To Her Job, Community': Town Employee From Hudson Valley Dies After Cancer Battle
'Dedicated To Her Job, Community': Town Employee From Hudson Valley Dies After Cancer Battle A dedicated town employee and mother to two from Westchester County died on Saturday, Oct. 8 after a brave battle with cancer.  Carol Truance of Port Chester died at the age of 77, according to her obituary.  Truance served the town of Rye as deputy tax receiver for more than 30 years, and also heavily volunteered in her community, according to a GoFundMe page set up in her name. "It was her mission to provide the best service to the people of the Town of Rye," the GoFundMe page says.  In addition to her job, Truance volunteered as President of the Westmore Twigs of Un…
Area HS Junior Who Died Suddenly Remembered For His 'Everlasting Smile' Area HS Junior Who Died Suddenly Remembered For His 'Everlasting Smile'
Area HS Junior Who Died Suddenly Remembered For His 'Everlasting Smile' A Hudson Valley teen is being remembered for his "everlasting smile" after his sudden death. Dutchess County resident Jack Aidan Strehl, age 16, of Arlington, died on Friday, Oct. 14. A cause of death was not provided. Known as a hardworking member of the maintenance crews at The Links at Union Vale, Jack always impressed coworkers with his work ethic for such a young man, his obituary said. In July of 2017, at the age of 11, Jack earned his Blackbelt in Tae Kwon Do at Telesco’s Martial Arts after only five years of training. "We are proud that Jack’s name was always said with excitement …
Community Supports Family Following Sudden Death Of Area Teen Community Supports Family Following Sudden Death Of Area Teen
Community Supports Family Following Sudden Death Of Area Teen School classmates, family, friends, and the community are mourning the loss of a 16-year-old Hudson Valley boy who has died. Dutchess County resident Jack Strehl, age 16, of Arlington, died suddenly on Friday, Oct. 14. A cause of death was not provided, said a GoFundMe account.  The GoFundMe has raised more than $50,000, to help pay for the funeral and financial expenses associated with his death for the well-known family.  "Sometimes, there are no words," said the GoFundMe started by friend Jennifer Sullivan. "Sometimes, our love and support for a family is all we can do du…