An inspirational story about Marie Notaro
On the night of January 6, 2021, the day of the insurrection, Ms. Marie Notaro, then 84, of Newburgh, New York, suffered a stroke and brain bleed and was taken to Montefiore St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital in Newburgh. After recovering there, Ms. Notaro was taken to Helen Hayes acute rehab for rehabilitation and then transferred to United Hebrew of New Rochelle for subacute rehab. There, Marie’s health started to decline, and her weight started to drop. She was then transferred back to St. Luke’s Cornwall. As she continued to decline, where she was hardly eating, not responding well, and at only 108 pounds, Marie’s family, to make her comfortable, had to make one of life’s toughest decisions, and that was hospice care. She was then transferred to Kaplan House in Newburgh. With little hope left, the team at Kaplan House provided Marie with excellent care. Slowly and steadily, Marie’s health started to improve, and she started to eat better, becoming more responsive, and then, to the amazement of her children, ultimately out of hospice care.
In May of 2021, Marie, still very weak, was finally transferred one more time to the New Paltz Center on Jansen Road in New Paltz for rehab and long-term care. It was in Unit A that Marie’s health excelled. Her weight is now in the 130s, she is very responsive, and she is still receiving long-term and rehabilitation care. Today, Marie, 86 and turning 87 in November, is the oldest of eight children and has three children in her town: a daughter, registered dietitian Christina Notaro-Barton; a son, Roy, who also looks out for her; and another son, Ralph, who isn’t local. Married in 1957 to her husband Frank for 63 years, he was a National Guard Reserve officer for two years and then a brave New York City firefighter with the FDNY.
Frank Notaro was a handyman who owned a Brooklyn hardware store for 15 years following his FDNY retirement. He sadly away passed in 2020. Marie is originally from Carol Gardens in Brooklyn, and later she raised her children in Marine Park. Marie and Frank then moved to Newburgh and joined Habitat for Humanity of Greater Newburgh at its inception and participated for over 20 years, where they developed close friendships. As a homemaker, Marie, while in her 40s, decided to go back to school as an art major and ultimately received her bachelor’s degree from Brooklyn College.
She loves singing and, later in life, was part of the Sweet Adelines, a female international chorus singing group.
As seen all in Poughkeepsie Journal, Poughkeepsie, NY Local – News Break, and Hudson Valley One
