Evelyn Gisondo

Our Beloved Evelyn, In Memoriam
August 29, 1929 – February 19, 2017

Evelyn Gisondo was born in the Bronx, on the verge of the Great Depression, to Lena Goldberg and Jacob Bookman. She was the beloved wife of Joseph A. Gisondo (dec’d), mother of Laura (dec’d) (Edwin Rath), Ron (Stacey Berke), Paul (Merrill Koptiuch) and Amy (Richard Slingerland). Evelyn's siblings include Isadore Bookman (dec’d), Sylvia Groen, Sally Schochet (dec’d), and sister-in-law Celia Bookman.

She reveled in the company and accomplishments of her cherished grandchildren Alanna, Jessica, Rachel, Searra, Jacob, Skyler and Isabel.

From an early age, Evelyn nurtured her passion for reading and history. She attended Evander Childs High School in the Bronx. In her senior year, despite being an honors student in all other subjects, she failed gym and had to repeat it in order to graduate.

Shortly after World War II she met Joseph Gisondo at a union hall rally in the Bronx and eloped with him in 1948. They lived in the Bronx where they had Laura (1951) and Ronnie (1952). In 1959, Paul was born and they moved to their first house in the Battle Hill section of White Plains, where they lived for over 50 years. Amy was born in 1967 to close out the baby boom. The house at 61 Wayne Ave was the epicenter of many family events including epic holiday parties.

Evelyn continued her higher education at SUNY Purchase, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in History in the late 1970s, specializing in the history of the labor movement in America. Her professional path led her to work in medical records at the Westchester County Medical Center. Her passion for reading led her to volunteer as a literacy tutor in the 1970s and 80s.

A few years after Joseph passed away in 2008, Evelyn moved to an apartment overlooking the Long Island Sound in the Village of Mamaroneck. She spent the last year of her life at the Atria in Briarcliff Manor, a caring and comfortable assisted living facility near her daughter Amy.

Evelyn’s skill as a sharp scrabble player never abated, even in her final years of life. She enjoyed classical and swing era music and did not let her musical shortcomings stop her from joyfully singing all of her favorite songs. She studied Hebrew and loved to engage family and friends in the colorful Yiddish tongue of her ancestry. She loved swimming and long walks on ocean beaches and tolerated summer camping outings to Montauk, amassing quite a collection of sea glass. She loved knitting, and has adorned her beloved children and grandchildren with various knitted sweaters and accessories over the years. And she will always be remembered for her famous lemon cheesecake, lovingly baked in a “water bath”.

Evelyn touched the lives of all those around her in profound and lasting ways, and will be sorely missed by all.

In lieu of flowers the family suggests a donation to Planned Parenthood of White Plains.