Kathleen Ribaudo

Kathleen Patricia Ribaudo passed away on Sunday, July 6, at her home in Lynbrook, New York, from complications of congestive heart failure. She was 82.

Kathy grew up in Woodside, Queens, New York. She was the fourth of five children (Denny, Donny, Christopher, Kathy, Thomas). She married her husband of twenty-two years, Carmine, on February 13, 1970, and they built a home in Lynbrook, New York, where they raised their three children, Diana, Steven, and Michael. Kathy lived in that house until the end, with Diana; Diana's husband, Gregg; and their two children, Tyler and Isabella, whom Kathy adored.

For more than thirty-five years Kathy was a proud owner of San-Dee Lanes Bowling Center in Malverne. She and her friend Sandy Ingrassia purchased the business together. (Kathy joked that she and Sandy pulled a fast one on their husbands by not putting them on the paperwork.) Through their vision and hard work, San-Dee Lanes became more than just a bowling center; it became a cornerstone of the community. Generations of local families bowled there. Kathy and Sandy taught countless people to bowl in a space full of joy, friendship, and fun.

Kathy's generosity in Malverne extended beyond her own business. She served as president of the Malverne Chamber of Commerce in 2017, and was a longtime member of the Chamber's Board of Trustees. She supported the Chamber and the village with her time, sponsorships, and donations, helping to shape the fabric of Malverne. She was legendary for dressing up as the Easter Bunny year after year at Malverne's annual Easter egg hunt. That was Kathy: always willing to pitch in, and having a good time doing it.

Kathy was an avid golfer. She and Sandy had a condo in Myrtle Beach where they took golf vacations while on hiatus from the bowling center. Closer to home, Kathy belonged to the Cedarbrook Golf Club. In her later years she golfed regularly with her beloved friend Eve Deringer. When they weren't golfing, the two could be spotted scooting around western Long Island in Eve's Miata or Kathy's Mini Cooper (license plate "NANA HAS 2").

Over the years she never lost her sense of adventure. Just one example: In her seventies she learned to play the drums, a hobby she greatly enjoyed. It didn't matter to her that drumming is not a hobby often taken up by seventy-something-year-old women. Kathy did what she wanted to do.

She was a straight shooter. She wasn't afraid to say what she thought. She'd keep you on your toes with her dry wit. If you screwed something up you could expect to be hit with a hilarious wisecrack - and you'd be disappointed if you weren't.

She did not always have an easy life, but she met the obstacles in her life with determination, grit, and humor.

Her family remembers her as loving, strong, funny, generous, hard-working, and a good listener.

Kathy was one of a kind. She will be missed.

Kathy is survived by her daughter, Diana (Gregg); her sons, Steven and Michael (Melissa); her two grandchildren, Tyler and Isabella; and her youngest brother, Thomas. She is preceded in death by her husband of 23 years, Carmine, and her brothers Denny, Donny, and Christopher.