Rachel Sue Pekarsky

1964 - 2014

Rachel Pekarsky

New Paltz - Obituary for RACHEL PEKARSKY

Rachel Pekarsky, 50, died at home on Sunday, December 28, 2014, from advanced-stage breast cancer. A 13-year New Paltz resident, Rachel was born in Wappingers Falls, NY on May 12, 1964 to Sheila and Arnold Pekarsky (both deceased), and lived in Highland, Tillson and Clintondale before moving to the New Paltz area. As head teacher, Rachel taught Hebrew and Jewish Culture to all grades of children at the Jewish Congregation of New Paltz for the last ten years. She also operated a local cleaning service. Prior to that, she was a buyer at Hudson Valley Federation of Food Cooperatives for many years and also worked at High Falls Food Co-op. She attended classes at SUNY New Paltz, Ulster SUNY and Empire State College.

On March 2, 2014, in New Paltz, Rachel married Robert Esposito, who survives her. In addition to her devoted husband Bob, she is survived by her grandmother Lillian Keller of Poughkeepsie, her sister Andrea Pekarsky and husband Bill Weinstein of New Paltz and their children Jacob, Harry and Anya, brother Brian Pekarsky and wife Chriselle Tidrick of Brooklyn, and sister Amy Nobile and husband John of Hyde Park and their children Samuel and Charles; her Uncle Lawrence and Aunt Ruth Keller; and many others in her extended family , as well as a multitude of dear friends and students and former students.

Rachel was very close to her sisters and brother, and was a loving and devoted aunt to her nephews and niece, who filled her life on a daily basis. She was devoted to all the children she taught, not just to help them in every way possible to prepare for their bar or bat mitzvah, but to engage with the meaning of the ceremony so that their passage into adulthood was more than mere ritual.

Besides her role as head teacher, Rachel gave time and energy to the congregation in many other ways. She expanded the congregation's tutoring program and developed and updated the teaching curriculum. She acted as Shammos for the congregation, organizing weekly services and occasionally leading services when the Rabbi was away. Until her illness, she helped organize the congregation's volunteers for the New Paltz Clean Sweep every year. She was the point person to spot and address the gamut of typical maintenance issues at the Synagogue and Jewish Community Center (snow removal, broken windows, malfunctioning furnace, etc). In short, she was one of those individuals who perform a myriad of undefined roles in the background that helped make the congregation whole and kept it running.

In her business, Rachel didn't just do cleaning work - she formed relationships. She worked closely with the sexton at the Reform Church of New Paltz and developed a lasting friendship with the long-time pastor Howard Major (now retired).

Rachel loved walking and bicycling on the rail trail and actively served on the Walkill Valley Rail Trail board for a time. She also loved hiking on trails at the Mohonk Preserve and Minnewaska State Park, the side windshield of her car proudly bearing eight years of parking stickers for the State Park.

In earlier years, Rachel served as a member of the Sojourners Collective, dedicated to programming events of women's music

She loved animals. Over the course of her adult life, she had several cats and cared for two dogs after their owners had passed away.

Rachel had a strong will for living her life. Her diagnosis of breast cancer in early 2012, and the recurrence and progression of it in 2014 did not preempt her from her work or other activities. She remained active in teaching and tutoring her students up until two weeks ago, and organizing congregational services well after the High Holy Days. In October, she was still going on long hikes and bicycle rides and just three weeks ago, she hiked on Mohonk Mountain House trails during community week.

In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Rachel may be sent to the Jewish Congregation of New Paltz, www.jewishcongregationofnewpaltz.org.

Funeral services will be held at Copeland Funeral Home, Inc., 162 S. Putt Corners Rd., New Paltz on Wednesday, December 31, 2014 at 11am. Condolences may be made at www.copelandfhnp.com.