03/23/1923 - 04/08/2020
Elsie Mc Gaffney Her kindness, faith and boundless love will be missed Elsie Mc Gaffney of New Hyde Park, N.Y., passed away peacefully at home on April 8th, 2020, at the age of 97 years old. Elsie was born in Manhattan, N.Y. and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., and was a longtime resident of New Hyde Park, N.Y. Elsie was the daughter of Andrew and Theresa Ruppert. She had one sibling, Marie Foster, who predeceased her, and leaves behind her other sister, Helen Kammerer. Elsie was a loving wife for 50 years to Gilbert J. Mc Gaffney, who predeceased her in 2001. She was a loving mother to her daughter, Sister Margaret M. Mc Gaffney, a member of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, who predeceased her in 2015 and her son Michael, who cared for her until her death. Elsie, a resident of New Hyde Park for almost 70 years, was a fixture in the life of its community. With her husband Gil, they were active in town organizations, charities and government. Gil was especially active in the Notre Dame Roman Catholic Church. He was one of its first Ordained Deacons serving from the early 1980’s until his death. Elsie was active at Notre Dame for over 50 years in many roles, including the organization and scheduling of Baptisms. One of her greatest joys was knitting individual blankets for each of the children who entered the Catholic faith with her help. Later in life, Elsie also became an important supporter of School Sisters of Notre Dame in Wilton Conn. adding greatly to their community. A Christian Burial will take place at Holy Rood Cemetery on April 16th. When it becomes possible, a Funeral Mass will be held at Notre Dame Church.