Nancy Cataldi, preservationist & historian of Richmond Hill
From the Richmond Hill Historical Society
It is with deep sadness that we need to report the heartbreaking news that we have lost our dearly beloved Nancy Cataldi, President of the Richmond Hill Historical Society.
Nancy passed away in her home in Richmond Hill on October 29th, 2008.
Please remember her and her family in your prayers.
Without a doubt, Nancy Cataldi’s spirit will live on through the Richmond Hill Historical Society’s mission and to further Nancy’s endless efforts in the protection and preservation of our community of Richmond Hill. Right up to the very end Nancy was deeply involved in keeping up the fight with local politicians, and other community organizations in making sure Richmond Hill would receive the funding to sustain and maintain its quality of life and the protection of its historic legacy from being lost by over development.
But it would be quite presumptuous to think we could truly ever fill Nancy’s “shoes” or replace her unrelentless drive from organizing social gatherings to hammering political offices, and making them accountable for our community’s needs and services.
The Richmond Hill Historical Society was truly blessed to have Nancy Cataldi as the President for a continuous 10 years. Early on in the founding of the Society it was deemed that elections should be held for this office but because Nancy was unbelievably successful in her role as President, it was voted unanimously that she continue for as long as she wanted. And she did just that, right to her untimely and too early end.
Just recently, Nancy had announced her pleasure in the fact that she just received notification from a Senator’s office in Albany that historic street light poles have been approved and the project is going through!!!
Nancy was a Director of HDC and in 2005, won a Grassroots Preservation Award due to her tireless efforts. She was the co-author of two books on Queens history in the Images of America Series, Richmond Hill and Maple Grove Cemetery. She will be missed.