Marie A. Dmytry passed away peacefully after a valiant battle with pancreatic cancer. The daughter of the late John and Antonina Paciorek Duch, she was born in the family farmhouse in the Town of Plattekill.
Marie’s educational career began at the Quaker Street K-8 School, a building to which she walked every day. Marie’s success with her studies allowed her to skip several grades and attend Wallkill Senior High School at the age of 11. She would graduate from this institution at 15 years of age. From there, she would walk two miles to catch the bus on Route 32 so she could attend New Paltz Normal School (now SUNY New Paltz) to study teaching. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Teaching at the age of 19 in 1947.
Marie was hired for her first teaching position at Balmville Elementary School in Newburgh by Amy Bull Crist (who, at the time, was the Superintendent of Schools for Orange and Ulster Counties). Her teaching career continued to the City of Poughkeepsie, City of Newburgh, and finally 26 years at Leptondale Elementary School in the Wallkill Central School District. She always said that she could and did teach her students to read from a newspaper. Reading and helping others to read was a passion for her. Over the years, former students would often contact her to express their fond memories of having her as a teacher. She even took her lunch time to teach students how to knit as she was a knitter extraordinaire. Her many creations are now family heirlooms. We would watch her in amazement as she viewed the television while effortlessly knitting up a storm making a sweater.
Marie was also an ardent gardener, especially of flowers. She always wanted to show visitors and family what was blooming around her home. Dahlias were a particular favorite.
Marie loved to travel with her late husband, Edward. Together, they enjoyed trips to Poland, her country of heritage; Italy, to meet with Pope John Paul II; Alaska, Hawaii, the Caribbean Islands, and various other US states.
She was a class act with a life lived to the fullest. Wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, friend, and most of all, teacher to all she came in contact with. She will be missed dearly.
Our family would like to thank Hudson Valley Hospice, Dutchess/Ulster, for their unwavering support throughout Marie’s journey during her illness. In particular, Katherine, Kate, Hope, Dawn, Cheryl Rich, KD, Sister Maria, Danielle, Kim, Kip, and Celia treated Marie with incredible compassion. We would also like to extend our sincerest gratitude to Dr. Ruth White, oncologist at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, NYC, and Dr. Joseph George, cardiologist, Advanced Physician Services, New Windsor. We are eternally grateful to all of the above named for their kindness and care.
Marie is survived by her daughter Marie Smith and her husband Lawrence of Wallkill, her daughter Eileen Dmytry-Rubin and her husband Ed of Wallkill, and her son Richard Dmytry of Wallkill. She is also survived by her grandchildren Brian Smith (Sarah) of Wallkill; Adam Rubin of Scottsdale, AZ; Lyndsey White (Bradley) of Highland; Jillian Rubin of El Cerrito, CA; Antonina and Charolette Dmytry of Wallkill. Further, Marie is survived by her great-grandchildren Paige, Matthew, and Rylee Smith of Wallkill, all of whom she deeply loved and adored. Additionally, Marie is survived by her twin sisters Constance Pallozzi of Kinderhook Lake, NY and Theresa Eldredge of Loveland, OH.
Marie was predeceased by her husband, Edward Dmytry; her sisters Anna Gnida, Veronica Gazek, and Jean Sylcox; her brothers John Duch and Joseph Duch.
A funeral mass will be Friday, June 26, 2020, 10:30 a.m. at Most Precious Blood Church, Walnut St., Walden, NY. Fr. Thomas Colucci will officiate. IF ATTENDING, MASKS ARE REQUIRED.
Following the mass, interment of ashes will take place in St. Charles Cemetery, Gardiner, NY.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating in honor of Marie’s memory to the Lust Garten Foundation for Pancreatic Research at www.lustgarten.org/donate or Hudson Valley Hospice Foundation at www.hvhospice.org.
Arrangements were made by Wallkill Funeral Home.