The document provides obituaries for Joyce Bennett and Eleanor McDonough Gray. It also lists upcoming community events in Amityville, New York, including meetings for the Rotary Club, Kiwanis Club, Boy Scouts, Chamber of Commerce, and School Board. Additionally, it announces a workforce development conference to be hosted by the NAACP addressing unemployment among African Americans.

1. 6 • AMITYVILLE RECORD, April 29, 2015
Obituary Notices
RECORD CALENDAR
Obituary notices are printed without
charge, as space permits. Family
members and funeral directors may
submit obituary notices to us at 85
Broadway, Suite A, Amityville, NY
11701 or may call 631-264-0077. We
will also consider publishing clear
black and white or color photographs
with the articles. Photos are kept
on file at our offices by date of
publication and may be picked up at
your convenience.
by Eileen Interiano
Joyce Bennett, a resident of Bay Shore since 1971, died
on Feb. 19, 2015 at home. She was 69 years old.
Mrs. Bennett was born on Feb. 16, 1946 in Brooklyn to
Salvatore and Jean Pisano. In 1957, she moved to Ami-
tyville where she worked as a sales clerk for various cloth-
ing stores. She was also a trained hairdresser but retired
after five years to care for her family.
In 1971, she married Ronald Bennett and moved to
Bay Shore where she worked in a couple of dress shops.
She met Ronald on a blind date and they immediately
connected. “I knew she was the one,” said her husband.
Mrs. Bennett dedicated her life to caring for her hus-
band and children, said her family. “She was a religious
woman,” said her husband. “She valued her family and
religion. She was my companion and my best friend.”
Joyce Bennett, homemaker from Bay Shore, at 69
NAACP to host economic development conference, May 1
Known for her authentic Italian eggplant parmesan
she enjoyed being a stay-at-home mother and helping
others. “She liked her home and the things she had there,”
said her husband. “She was a very giving woman.”
He added that she was always the first to help out any-
one in need and that she loved animals. On every trip to
her son’s home, she would carry with her a treat for his
dog.
Inadditiontoherhusband,Mrs.Bennettissurvivedby
her children, Denny and his wife Marie, and Michael and
her granddaughter Bryanna Bennett all of Bay Shore.
Mrs. Bennett reposed at the Powell Funeral Home, 67
Broadway, Amityville. A funeral service was held there
Feb. 28, 2015. Interment was in Long Island Cemetery in
Pinelawn.
by Eileen Interiano
Eleanor McDonough Gray a former
Amityville resident for 70 years, died in
Glen Rock New Jersey, Feb. 25, 2015. She
was94yearsofageanddiedwithherfamily
at her side.
She was born in Brooklyn where she at-
tended and graduated from Saint Agnes
Seminary in 1939. She also attended St.
John’s University. Eleanor worked in the
banking and financial industry where she
met her husband of 60 years, William Vin-
cent Gray.
She was involved with many activities
in the Amityville community. She was a member of the
Amityville Women’s Club and a founder of the Historical
Society. Eleanor also was a parishioner of St. Martin of
Tour R.C. Church and a member of the Good Samaritan
Hospital Guild.
In addition to those activities, she taught and played
Tournament Bridge and had a passion for dancing. She
also loved to sew and taught it as well.
Eleanor McDonough Gray, longtime Amityville
resident and member of local organizations
Eleanor McDonough Gray
The following is a list of public meetings and special events for
the coming week. Readers should know that meetings are subject
to change without notice.
THURSDAY, April 30
•Amityville Rotary weekly meeting: 8 a.m. For info., call Al
James at 631-264-0077. The president is Martha Peterson.
•KiwanisClubofAmityvilleweeklymeeting:Timeandloca-
tions vary. For details online go to www.amityvillekiwanis.org
or call President Bobby Mills at 631-836-5297.
FRIDAY, May 1
•Long Island Banjo Society meeting: 8 p.m., VFW Hall, 270
TrouvilleRd.,Copiague.Freeadmission.Listen,singanddance
to banjo music. Beginners, advanced and professionals are in-
vited to play along. For info., call 516-889-2184.
TUESDAY, May 5
•Amityville Boy Scout Troop 84 Meeting: 7:30-9 p.m., Simp-
sonChurch2ndfloor,30LocustAve.Troopwebsite:www.ami-
tyvilletroop84.org.
WEDNESDAY, May 6
•Amityville Bd. of Ed. Regular Meeting: 7 p.m., Park Avenue
Elementary School, Ireland Place. For further info., call 631-
598-6524.
•Amityville Chamber of Commerce meeting: 8 a.m., Ami-
tyville Fire Dept., 55 West Oak St., Amityville. For info., call
631-598-0695.
Calendar items are printed for non-profit organizations, as
space permits, or when an event, service or information is be-
ing sponsored by a profit-making organization without charge to
readers. Submit items to us at Amityville Record, 85 Broadway,
Amityville, NY 11701, at least two weeks prior to the publica-
tion date in which the item must appear. Sorry, but open-ended
requestswithoutthespecificdatesoftheeventsarenotacceptable.
While we make every attempt to accommodate each request, we
cannot guarantee publication of any items. For further informa-
tion, call 631-264-0077.
The NAACP’s Conference on Workforce Development
will hold a legislative breakfast at the Bread of Life Fellowship
Church, Fri, May 1, noon to 4 p.m. at the Wyandanch Public
Library, 1345 Straight Path, Wyandanch.
Recent reports have shown that unemployment among Af-
rican Americans is more than double than that of their non-
minority counterparts. This forum seeks to connect the com-
munity with valuable resources and information designed to
“Mymotherwasafunnyandlovingper-
son,” said her daughter Eleanor Rivara.
In addition to her husband and her
daughter, Mrs. McDonough Gray is sur-
vived by her son-in-law Joseph Rivara of
Glen Rock, New Jersey and her grandchil-
dren: Jaclyn Gray Rivera, James Joseph
Rivara, and Marguerite Victoria Rivara
andbyhersisterandbrother,JoanKretzof
Amityville, and Thomas McDonough and
his wife Carol of Ponce Inlet, Florida along
with many nieces and nephews. Her par-
ents, Marcella and Stephen McDonough
Sr., and her brothers John and Stephen
McDonough predeceased her.
Father Gerard Gordon, pastor of St. Martin of Tours
R.C.C conducted a prayer service at the Powell Funeral
Home in the afternoon of Feb. 27. Father Gordon offici-
ated at a Mass of Christian Burial in St. Martin’s, assisted
by the Consolation Ministry and members of the family,
followed by interment in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery.
increasecareertraininganddevelopmentopportunities. Atthe
breakfast New York Sate elected officials will discuss New York
State workforce development initiatives. The breakfast will be
followed by a series of workshops in areas such as hospitality,
technology, construction, airport careers, youth employment
and re-entry. The conference was organized by the branch’s
Economic Development Committee targets professionals, con-
tinuing education workers and students.
Serving All Faiths Since 1908
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Wesley C. Powell • Wesley A. Powell
Family Owned and Operated
for Five Generations
67 Broadway, Amityville, NY 11701
(Route 110, Just North of Merrick Road,
In the Heart of the Historical District)
Tel: 631-691-0172
Handicapped Accessible
Pre-Need Information Available
D’Andrea Bros.
Funeral Home
Serving our communities since 1959
Beatrice E. Lewanduski
George Wischerth
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Alix Melamed, Preplan Counselor
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Ask us about planning ahead - we’ll answer all your
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Call us... 631-691-5700
www.dandreabrosfuneral.com
Physically Challenged Accessible
99 Oak Street, Copiague
Just East of Bayview Avenue