38TH ANNUAL WESTCHESTER
Senior Hall of Fame Friday, December 4, 2020 11:30 am
WELCOME TO THE 38TH ANNUAL SENIOR FALL OF FAME
Congratulations to our Honorees!
Dear Friends, It is my pleasure to welcome you to the 38th Annual Westchester Senior Citizens Hall of Fame. While we cannot be together in person, we do want to take this opportunity to celebrate. I want to extend my most heartfelt congratulations to this year’s honorees, and thank you for your unwavering commitment to Westchester County. Those we recognize today have given of their time and energy to improve the quality of life in their communities, and beyond. They have lived the history taught in schools, and are now in the position to share their unique perspectives with future generations. We owe them a debt of gratitude and respect. As a senior citizen myself, I honor their service to our County.
Over the past 38 years, we have inducted over 1,200 seniors into the Senior Citizens Hall of Fame. Today, we will add another 49 honorees to that list. Of this impressive group, six individuals have been highlighted. Today we present the Top Honors Award to Deborah Moorehead and William Greenawalt and Special Recognition Awards to Mel Burger, Mavis Cain, Eunice Kaplan and Dinbandhu Shah. I know you will join me in saluting the seniors we are congratulating here today. We live in a County that is rich in history, and those who are being honored are part of the fabric of that community. We say “thank you” to them, and look forward to next year when we can add even more names to this respected list of community treasures.
I wish you all a wonderful and healthy holiday season
Dear Friends, Greetings and thank you for joining us for our 38th Annual Westchester County Senior Citizens Hall of Fame Awards Program. This is a long-time tradition that we continue to honor in spite of the current challenges we face as a community. We feel it is important to bring together communities to celebrate the lifetime accomplishments of many of your neighbors, friends and loved ones. Today, we will acknowledge 49 Westchester residents, which includes our two top honorees, and four special recognition awardees. Each designation is uniquely designed to showcase the highest level of commitment and dedication to community exhibited by these outstanding individuals. Our event has a different look, but the sentiment is the same. We thank you for your support and we encourage you to make this occasion an annual tradition. We also invite you to nominate other deserving community members for this distinguished recognition. I want to thank the Westchester Public Private Partnership for Aging Services and the many sponsors who have shown their gratitude to Westchester County seniors by supporting this event. Together we can accomplish great things! Again, congratulations to the 2020 Senior Citizens Hall of Fame Awardees. You make Westchester County a great place to live and grow older. With warm regards,
Thank you to our Sponsors
SILVER
BRONZE
Westchester Senior Hall of Fame Top Honors William S. Greenawalt, Hartsdale
William Greenawalt was born in Brooklyn and his family moved to Hartsdale in 1937. He attended Cornell University and later Yale Law School. He was part of the United States Navy as well. He is married to Peggy T. Greenawalt and together they have 2 sons and 4 grandchildren. Mr. Greenawalt has been a progressive leader on the Democratic State Committee, and with its Reform Caucus and Progressive Caucus, and he has sponsored election reform in NYS, and he fought for and insured transparency as Acting Treasurer. He was part of Legal Services of the Hudson Valley Board of Directors, Westchester White-Tailed Deer Impact and Forest Regeneration Citizens’ Task Force 2006-2008; on the Board of Theodore D. Young Community Center, Greenburgh; Scarsdale Congregational Church (“SCC”) Moderator 198890, Trustee, Choir Member and occasional soloist. In 1963 he participated in the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom; and often does Pro Bono legal work for clients unable to pay.
Westchester Senior Hall of Fame Top Honors Deborah Moorehead, Yonkers
Deborah Moorehead was born and raised in the Bronx, NY. She graduated high school and then attended Monroe College where she studied Computer Science. Ms. Moorehead worked for over sixteen years for New York Foundling/St. Agatha Home for children, starting out as a childcare worker and working her way up to a supervisory position. Ms. Moorehead raised two children and is now raising her grandson, Justus, who is thirteen. Moorehead has advocated on behalf of Kinship parents, many of whom are Seniors, by raising awareness among both elected and appointed officials of the many challenges they face and helping to effect change. She also advocates for programming for Seniors with the Yonkers Department of Parks and Recreation. In addition, Ms. Moorehead has met with elected officials to focus attention on the particular challenges senior citizens raising children face with locating affordable housing, both because of the method of communication (the internet) and because of the unavailability of senior housing to those raising children. Her continuous efforts raise visibility on this issue which is often overlooked.
Westchester Senior Hall of Fame Special Recognition Melvin “Mel” Berger, Mount Kisco Melvin "Mel" Berger, originally from the Bronx, first moved to Mount Kisco in 1984 when he purchased a pharmacy there. Within two short years, Mel saw firsthand the impacts of addiction in his community, particularly through individuals attempting to fill fake prescriptions. He worked with the local police, and struck up a conversation with a local judge about his concern for these people, and thus began Mel's tireless volunteer work. These programs have improved the quality of life for individuals in Mount Kisco and beyond, and include treatment programs for those in the Hispanic community, anti-addiction education and support programs for local teenagers, drug take back days, and a critical emergency shelter partnership program which runs in local churches through the cold months of the year in Mount Kisco and in the surrounding communities. Even through the pandemic, Mel's tireless dedication to the shelter program continues to amaze. He has received many local and county level awards.
Mavis Cain, Dobbs Ferry Mavis has served as President of Friends of the Old Croton Aqueduct (FOCA) since 2000. She was instrumental in leading their Keeper’s House Restoration. Mavis has organized exhibits and workshops, with a docent program to provide historic information to visitors from Westchester County and beyond. She has also led many Aqueduct trail clean-ups and vine-cutting events, including partnering with the City of Yonkers, Groundwork Hudson Valley, and Green Task Force -- all to support the long-term goal of improving the overall ecology of this very special NYS park -- for which FOCA was honored with the Going Green Spirit Award by the Volunteer Center of United Way (2013). Mavis is the liaison between NYS Parks, the FOCA volunteer Board, and the community. She leads the Board meetings, Annual Meetings, local engagement, and supervises all FOCA business, events, and development efforts. Mavis and her husband moved to Southlawn Avenue in Dobbs Ferry in 1958, and raised a family of four -- three biological children and a sibling from Ghana whom they welcomed at age 10. She worked as a Creative Director at the advertising and marketing agency Lintas for many years, writing commercials for Johnson & Johnson, Unilever, and other companies, and overseeing commercial production
Westchester Senior Hall of Fame Special Recognition Eunice Kaplan, New Rochelle For several decades Eunice Kaplan created and managed the Beth El Synagogue Talking Tapes Braille program for the visually impaired. Eunice spearheaded this lengthy and complicated project, 5 days a week, and was responsible for managing over 70 volunteers who read and taped 700+ books and publications for the Jewish Braille Institute. As Eunice values reading, she worked for decades to enable children, adults and seniors to enjoy this pursuit. She continues to remain active in her senior community by reaching out to those who are socially isolated during the Covid-19 pandemic. She finds enjoyment in helping other people, whether she is working with children as a volunteer reader in the local public school or driving fellow seniors to Beth El for educational and social programming. Over her many decades of community involvement, she has had a great impact on the quality of the lives of the people she serves. Eunice grew up in a large family in Flatbush, Brooklyn. She graduated from NYU with a degree in business management. She has been a longtime professional volunteer who works tirelessly with different generations to improve the quality of their daily lives. Eunice and her husband have three children, six grandchildren and two great grandsons.
Dinbandhu Shah, Ardsley Dinbandhu Shah has been very involved with the Heritage of India Festival as a Volunteer working as Committee Member, President Elect, President and Co-Chair. He is an advisor to the past and present Presidents at IACAW. He has been a Co-organizer of IACAW Senior Citizens Monthly Program for last 12 years. These programs celebrates senior citizens birthdays, provides educational workshops, music, games, entertainment and an opportunity for Indian American senior citizens to come together and socialize and share similar cultural experiences so as to alleviate loneliness. Mr. Shah has organized musical concerts for Westchester Music of India Group to raise funds to help other organizations that provide help to victims of domestic violence and arranged various seminars on senior health and speaking on different topics like Diabetes, and hypertension. He has organized Senior Meetings and programs every last Sunday of the Month for last 12 years, and continues to do them using Zoom.
Westchester Senior Hall of Fame Honorable Mention
Sister Maria Barbera Mt. Vernon
Josephine R. Bellantoni Chappaqua
Geraldine Christiana Mount Vernon
Richard Cirulli Port Chester
Patricia Covino Eastchester
Giuseppe DeFeo Yonkers
Adelaide DiGiorgi Tuckahoe
Rosemary Dipaolo Yorktown Heights
Vincent Duffy Croton-on-Hudson
Pamela Earl White Plains
Elizabeth Fitzgerald Yonkers
Richard Fitzgerald Yonkers
Westchester Senior Hall of Fame Honorable Mention
Cheryl Geller Rye
Harvey Geller Rye
Ruth Goldberg White Plains
Susan D. Greenberg Hastings on Hudson
Audrey Halligan Port Chester
Sarah Stephanie Iachetta Rye
Rosalind Keys White Plains
Robert Kimmel Tarrytown
Shirley Kipnis Somers
Rhoda Klein New Rochelle
Earle Marsh Yonkers
Jack Mattes Somers
Westchester Senior Hall of Fame Honorable Mention
Larry McKee Elmsford
James W. McKenzie Mt. Vernon
Betsy MIller Landis White Plains
Dale Mintz Rye Brook
Jagdish Mitter Scarsdale
Robbie Reich Ardsley
Jonathan Schere White Plains
Gloria Selden New Rochelle
Nancy Sherman Harrison
Blase Spinozzi White Plains
Terrence Stewart Mt. Vernon
Kathleen D. Sullivan North Salem
Westchester Senior Hall of Fame Honorable Mention
Nancy Tetto Yonkers
Ana Torres New Rochelle
Austin Torres New Rochelle
Mary Jane Tyndal Yonkers
Dr. Rosemary Uzzo Yonkers
Selwyn Walters White Plains
Ed Woodyard Armonk
The years teach much which the days never know. - Ralph Waldo Emerson
www.WestchesterPartnership.org
Salutes all of the 2020 Senior Hall of Fame Honorees!
Congratulations to the The Senior Hall of Fame Class of 2020
914-682-7990
Proud to support the WPPP
Congratulates
ALL OF THE HONOREES of the Senior Hall of Fame Class of 2020
When did you last update your last will and testament and power of attorney? Elder Law Asset Protection Planning Guardianships (Contested/Non-Contested) Medicaid Applications
Wills, Trust & Estates Estate Administration White Plains ◦ Somers ◦ www.esslawfirm.com
(914) 948-1500 & Available via Skype & Zoom FLUENT IN ITALIAN
PROUD TO CONGRATULATE THE CLASS OF 2020
WE CONGRATULATE THE 2020 SENIOR HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES You are an admirable model to which we aspire
With Appreciation
Congratulations to Sister Maria Barbera and Jay McKenzie and all the honorees Thank you for making a difference every day.
38th
Congratulations to
Bill Greenawalt The world’s best Dad, Grandfather, and Husband. You are our Inspiration and Hero
For all your achievements From climbing the Matterhorn to all the truly BIG mountains you have climbed‌
Legal Services for the poor; Support for clients in need; Creation and conservation of New York public parks; Support and advice for public officials; And a lifetime of love, guidance (and free family legal advice).
With admiration and love,
Peggy, John, Suzanne, Kate, Jack, David, Craig, Michelle & Stavo John Jr., Samantha, Drew, Kyle, Gina, Dylan, Aidan, Rae & Becca
Congratulations to Dr. Rosemary Uzzo! Thank you for the donations of PPE. When everybody else shut down, you really stepped up!
127 South Broadway, Yonkers, NY 10701 914-378-7000
If I had to write a single letter, one note, to my family and friends, or to the next generation; I would tell them how Deborah Moorehead, my niece, even before the profound impact of COVID-19, empowered seniors in and beyond her community. Deborah helps seniors whose lives unraveled by isolation, economic loss, health concerns, and other important issues; how to slowly, carefully and urgently stitched back together their lives. Deborah has been a life-long advocate for seniors and families across the state, fighting for equal rights and opportunities for success. We all know, intrinsically, that learning to cope with grief and isolation for seniors, trying to reclaim a sense of well-being and hope is the most profound, human and necessary goal in overcoming a crisis, in particular, during the Era of COVID-10.
Deborah’s success in empowering seniors, is because her heart is filled with the language of compassion and love for the work she is doing, and a willingness to share her very own “wisdom for life experiences” that makes her mission clear. Deborah’s “dauntless perseverance” is inspirational, and in many ways, she reflects what has characterized the Ursuline tradition of Serviam (Latin for “I will serve”) for centuries-that dauntless perseverance required to realize-to achieve her mission. August 23rd, 2019, Deborah was awarded “Certificate of Recognition” for strong civic commitment, leadership and integrity from Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, New York State. “I believe that each of us comes from the creator trailing wisps of glory.” Maya Angelou. And, that is exactly what Deborah does.
Dianna Anderson, JD, Chief Executive Officer
2020 Senior Hall of Fame Honorees
"Lend a hand to one another In the daily toil of life" -Anonymous Congratulations to all Participants in this unique Virtual Senior Hall of Fame Awards Ceremony!
Rhoda & Richard Klein
Congratulations to
Jonathan Schere On your well-deserved induction into the Westchester Senior Citizens Hall of Fame
City of White Plains Recreation and Parks Dept. Thank You for all you do!
Congratulations to Rose DiPaolo on your nomination into the Senior Citizen’s Hall of Fame! Your family is so proud of you! You are well deserving of this award because you always go above and beyond to be there for others, even if it means putting yourself second. Your caring, nurturing and selfless ways don’t go unnoticed and are appreciated by all of those who come in contact with you! We all love you so much and couldn’t be more happy to see you receive this honor! Love,
Lenny, Keith, Kellie, Dana & Skylar
Congratulations to our fellow Kiwanian, Dr. Rosemary Uzzo for her service to our community. The Board and Membership of the Kiwanis Club of East Yonkers thanks you for inspiring us to continue to serve our community. This honor is a testament to your impassioned commitment to the people you have helped. We are so proud of your achievements. Fondly, Your friends
East Yonkers
Shirley/Mom/Nana/GG You’ve always been in our Hall of Fame!
Lots of love, Your family
Dr. Rosemary Uzzo All of us at the South Broadway (Yonkers) Business Improvement District congratulate you on this most well-deserved honor, recognizing the value which you add to everything that you do. You are a woman of insight and vigor, bringing to your work boundless energy, deep concern and intelligent proposals. We are a better and stronger organization because of your presence on our Board as the Yonkers’ Mayor’s Representative.
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. Executive Director- Jessica Gordon, Executive Committee- Silvio DiMeglio, James Flynn, Rick Lowell, Dennis Monasebian, Martin Ruiz
Congratulations to Tarrytown's Unsung Hero,
Bob Kimmel who has contributed immeasurably to the quality of life in our community in countless ways… With all our Thanks and Love from Your Friends at The Hudson Independent
In Honor of Eunice Kaplan We are so proud of you and love you so much! Love, the extended Kaplan Family
Saluting the Class of 2020 CONGRATULATIONS!
CONGRATULATIONS,
JACK! FROM THE CLIFFORD & MATTES’
Congratulations to our dear friend Dr. Rosemary Uzzo for this well - deserved honor. You have made us proud.
The Volino Family
Congratulations Gloria Selden From Maggie Klein and the Current Events Group at United Hebrew
CONGRATULATIONS DAUGHTER PAMELA EARL “LET YOUR LIGHT SO SHINE THAT YOU MAY SEE YOUR GOOD WORKS. AND GLORIFY YOUR FATHER WHICH IS IN HEAVEN.” MATTHEW 5:16 FROM THE OFFICERS AND MEMBERS OF ROSEBUD TEMPLE # 297 White Plains, NY OF THE IMPROVED BENEVOLENT AND PROTECTIVE ORDER OF ELKS OF THE WORLD Daughter Ruler: Deborah A. Peart