Former Village of Flower Hill resident Catherine Cornachio, who once served as president of the village’s women’s club, died in her Somers, N.Y. home on Christmas morning. She was 90.
“She raised seven children and she did a pretty good job of it,” her son William said, adding that his mother was also active in the parish at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church.
Catherine and husband Bill moved to their Woodhill Lane home in 1965 and left for the upper Westchester community in 1987.
Together, the couple raised children Lynn, William, Sherry, Jack, Joan, Donna and Chris. Jack died in 2011. She is survived by six of her children, 20 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren.
William, who now lives in an unincorporated part of Manhasset, said his mother had a love of learning throughout her life. She was an avid reader of the New York Times and played bridge regularly.
“She also really loved joining my father on his motor boat during the summer months, spending the day on the water,” William said. “Together they enjoyed all that Manhasset Bay and it’s environs had to offer.”
The couple of 48 years met through a friend of Bill’s who showed him a photograph of Catherine.
“My father’s friend wanted him to meet another girl, but my father said I have to meet that woman [Catherine],” he said.
After Catherine and Bill moved to Somers, she became active at St. Joseph’s Church there.
Bill Cornachio died in 1995. Catherine is also survived by her brother, Peter Gormacki.
William said it was his mother’s “last wish” for her funeral services to take place at St. Mary’s.
All seven of Catherine’s children attended the St. Mary’s schools. Bill and Jack later attended Chaminade High School.
Arrangements have not yet been made, he said, “because we wanted to have the service at a time that people who knew her could be there.”
