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From Steven Mattia via Facebook:
Hello to all our West Nyack friends and all the people who had the opportunity to know Karen Radliff.
It will be 50 years ago this July 29th that we lost our friend, sister and daughter. When Karen lost her life at Lake Nanuet for many of us our childhood was over. For the past 50 years we have tended to her grave at St. Anthony’s cemetery in Nanuet. Each year on that day, July 29th, we have gone to pay our respects to our friend. We made it a point to never forget her. This was a promise we made at the time we buried her.
To pay our respects on this 50 year anniversary, the Radliff family and many of us will be at the grave at 12 PM on the 29th followed by a Memorial mass in her honor at 1 PM at St. Anthony’s. Hoping to see many of you that day. Please pass this on to others who may not be on facebook. Looking forward to seeing the neighborhood gang and many of her friends from so long ago
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Carol Hampson (Vislocky)
It was such devastating news that awful day. Everyone who knew karen loved her so!
Peggy, thank you for such a beautiful tribute to Karen.
Neil Goldberg (Goldberg)
I did not know Karen, I went to North. I was, however, at Lake Nanuet watching as the Lifeguard staff valiantly trying to save Karen, but unsuccessfully. That day had a profound impact on me, and that experience shaped a lot of my future, more than I realized until this fine dedication I just read. The community had lost a beautiful, popular individual whose memory would affect many forever. Rest in Peace Karen. I did not know you but I have no doubt it would have been an honor.Cathy Rieschl
I remeber her well. She was such pretty girl and I still can't believe that she is gone over 50 years. I will miss her smiling face and always think of her. What would her life be like if she were still alive. Hope to see my class mates at the 50 year class reunion if possible. I will be liviing in FL at that time, closer to family..
Cathy Rieschl
Michael O'Donohue
Karen and I dated on and off for 3 years, our sophmore year at North and then Junior and Senior year at South. She was so beautiful, kind and nice. I regret not being so nice back to her at times. However, our good times far out weighed the bad times and I cherish those memories.
Tom Mascola, Hal Quinn, Steve Scherer, Larry Smith and I were renting a house on LBI that week when a cop came to the door and told me I needed to call home. My immediate thought was one of my grandparents had died. After my mother told me the devastating news, Larry and Steve drove me home to New City consoling me the whole way. I will always be in debted to them for that act of kindness.
Oddly enough during one of Karen and my dating off periods, she and my friend Kevin Landau dated for a short time. I hope Karen and Kevin are up in heaven smiling down on us all.
Tom Bellavia
Bobby, Sal and I have been friends over 50 + years. I see them all the time. We never talk about it, Never. But I will always remember Karen, She was such a nice loving heart of a person. She would always tell us how crazy we were and she would say " You and Bob better behave!".
I cant believe its 50 years. We will always miss her, and Never forget her.
Barbara Murray (Warner)
My father and Bob Radliff were good friends at work for NYTelephone in the Bronx. When the Radliffs asked my parents to come see their new house in West Nyack, my parents immediately put a contract on the lot across the street. I was in first grade. The Radliff kids were our first friends in West Nyack.
After elementary school, Karen and I traveled in different social circles, but our neighborhood group was always around and we spent lots of summer days and nights growing up together.
The night before Lake Nanuet, I ran into Karen at the Dairy Queen on Rte 59, next to Hogans Diner where I was working. I told her I had my father’s car for the night and asked her if she wanted to go driving around? It was rather impulsive for us, since we’d never spent an evening out together, but she said sure! She got in the car and said, “ Where should we go?”
We were a month away from leaving for college, so we decided to drive by some of our old haunts in Rockland. We drove up to South and parked at the top of the football field, and reminisced about all the time we’d spent there. We drove up Germonds Rd and did a loop around the Jr High parking lot and laughed about how our worlds expanded in 7th grade when we were suddenly thrust into the orbit of all the New City kids in “C” Wing. We drove to North and agreed that it hadn’t mattered that they split our class because we both had some of our best friends still at North
I remember that she wanted to drive by Mike O’Donohue’s house. She knew he wasn’t home and they were on the outs at the time, but he was on her mind that night, and in her heart. We drove down Main St in New City, past Carroll’s and the Marshmallow. I also recall that she wanted to drive to the pizza restaurant where she had worked, so we went there.
And I remember that we ended the night at HoJos in Spring Valley for coffee before we drove home.
For many years after, I wondered what cosmic force arranged for Karen to spent that last night with me, taking a magical tour of our special childhood places. Sometime afterwards, when I told this story to Bea Radliff, she said, “Karen said she had such a wonderful time that night.”
So that is how I remember her, in the front seat of my dad’s AMC Gremlin, cruising through Rockland County for a last look at some our favorite places, sharing stories about our friends and our experiences, and enjoying the summer evening. We were so happy.
Michael O'Donohue
Barbara, this is great, glad you and Karen had this time together.
Mike
Susan Carbone (Battistiol)
Barbara,
What a lovely post of such great memories!
Susan Carbone
Michelle Miller
Hello Barbara,
Such a lovely, haunting post. I can visualize your entire route, taking in the sights and sharing stories. .
It's so nice to know that you and Karen a wonderful time that night.
Michelle Miller
Peggy McCann
Barbara -
What a touching post. I still remember when I heard about Karen. I came home from working at the Clarkstown Pharmacy and my mom told me - I couldn't believe or comprehend that it was true. Jeff Moran was my neighbor and I had to go and ask him, he was a lifeguard at Lake Nanuet.
What a lovely memory of a beautiful friend and classmate.
Peggy McCann