Evelyn "Evie" Marchese

1933 - 2016

Marchese, Evelyn "Evie" (Caraynoff) WILLIAMSBURG, Va. Evelyn "Evie" (Caraynoff) Marchese, age 83, of Williamsburg, formerly of Albany, Troy and Menands, and Boca Raton, Fla., peacefully passed away on December 19, 2016, surrounded by her loving family. She was preceded in death by her husband, Frank "Gig" Marchese; her parents, Boris and Katherine Caraynoff; and her brother, Sam Caraynoff. Evie attended Philip Schuyler High School in Albany, where she was involved in many activities and graduated cum laude of Schuyler's class of 1951. All her life, Evie enjoyed keeping in contact with her Schuyler friends, and participated in organizing numerous class reunions over the years. After high school, she worked for Honigsbaum's, a woman's clothing store in Albany, where she made many fond memories. Evie met Gig in 1953, on a dance floor, and they were married on February 14, 1954, dancing through 62 years together before his death in May 2016. In 1962, Evie began her career with the New York State Legislature. Her most extensive service and the focus of her career was as the office manager for Senator John R. Dunne, whose impact on her life in his support of civil rights was profound. She served Senator Dunne, with whom she had a lasting friendship until her passing, from 1965 until her retirement in December 1989. Evie spent many great retirement years with Gig as a "snow bird," from 1990 until 2011, between homes in Menands and Boca Raton, hosting many family vacations, holidays and special family celebrations, later becoming a full-time Florida resident. She enjoyed theatre with friends and perfecting her golf game. Her golf drive grew so powerful for a petite woman that her friends referred to her as "mighty mouse," and she proudly celebrated two holes-in-one over her 20 years of play; her first a 150-yard hole at Mill Road Acres in 1994, and her second a 112-yard hole at Boca Dunes Executive Golf Course in 2007. Evie also thrived on anything political, mystery books, occasional travel and time with all the friends she acquired throughout her different life chapters. Particularly cherished by Evie were her friends known as the "Pokes," who made her laugh hard and love deeply. Evie was a beloved mother and grandmother, and her memory and feisty spirit will live on in those who survive her, two daughters, The Honorable Catherine M. Bennett and Dorothy A. Rakhra (Dr. Sharni Rakhra); her grandchildren, Timothy Bennett (Diana), Anisha Rakhra and Ashlin Rakhra; and many nieces and nephews, as well as other relatives and friends. The family would like to acknowledge and sincerely thank the teams at Heartland Hospice and Agape Home Care, and Drs. James Majdic and Vijay Subramaniam for their patience, dedication and exemplary medical care, and thank all of the kind professionals from Brookdale who surrounded Evie during her residence there. A celebration of life will be held at a later date in New York. Memorial contributions may be made to: The Correctional Association of New York, 2090 Adam Clayton Powell Blvd., Suite 200, New York, NY 10027 or correctionalassociation.org; ASH (Action on Smoking & Health), 1250 Connecticut Ave. N.W., Second Floor, Washington, DC 20036 or ash.org; Heartland Hospice Memorial Fund, Inc. (U.S.), 41 Old Oyster Point Road, Suite D, Newport News, VA 23602-2177, or heartlandhospicefund.org; or the charity of your choice. Online condolences may be offered at nelsencares.com.