Obituary of Arlene McDermott

Arlene McDermott, beloved mother to Cathy, Kevin, Larry, and Cara (Falcetti) and to their devoted spouses Kate McDermott, Judy McDermott, and Bruce Falcetti, was called home by God on December 28, 2023. She passed as she lived, surrounded by her family and comforted by her faith. She is missed and mourned by her children, her sisters Margaret Mullins and Dorothy Nemeth and by her brother-in-law, Joseph Nemeth. She treasured her grandchildren: Laura Ugbomah and her husband Patrick, Andrew Falcetti and his wife Ariel, Peter, Timothy, Daniel, Brian, and Connor McDermott as well as her great-grandsons Christopher Ugbomah, Jayden Ugbomah, and Vincenzo Falcetti. Arlene was predeceased by her husband, Peter McDermott, in 1977. Arlene also leaves behind many nieces and nephews in a rich extended family. Born Arlene Born in Queens, New York, she knew her vocation was to be a teacher from an early age. She taught for a total of 49 years, 47 as a well-respected primary school educator at the Jewish Foundation School on Staten Island. She was passionate about sharing books with her young students and teaching them to read. Arlene was an avid dog lover who also enjoyed reading mysteries, gardening, and traveling with family. Holidays were always special to Arlene, who reveled in hosting family gatherings. The family is grateful for the richness of her life, for the legacy that lives in the hundreds of students and parents whose lives she touched, and for her pure-hearted selflessness. We will welcome visitors to Matthew Funeral Home for a wake on Tuesday, January 2, from 4:00 to 9:00 p.m. There will be a Mass of Christian Burial at St. Teresa’s Church on Wednesday, January 3, at 9:30 a.m. followed by interment at St. Peter’s Cemetery. For those who would like to honor our mother’s life, we respectfully suggest considering donations to a cause close to Arlene’s heart in lieu of floral tributes: National Mill Dog Rescue at NMDR.org Or St. Jude Hospital at StJude.org Thank you to all who have reached out with messages of support and with wonderful stories about Arlene’s life. We also thank the team at SunRise East Meadow for the extraordinary care they were able to provide Arlene when it was most needed.