Obituary of Alfred Restifo

DELMAR - Alfred P. Restifo, 83, of Fishkill, NY passed away on Friday, August 5, 2011 after a prolonged illness. He was born on June 14th, 1928 in Albany, NY and was the son of the late Sebastian and Dorothy (Wilke) Restifo. His family moved to Elsmere in 1931 and he spent the next 77 years in the towns of Bethlehem and New Scotland. Al was a student of the Bethlehem Central School District from kindergarten through twelfth grade, graduating in 1945. He then spent a year at RPI before transferring to Siena College where he received a B.S. in Chemistry in 1950. He subsequently earned a Masters in Elementary Education from SUNY Oneonta. He then returned to Bethlehem Central School District as a teacher for 41 years - the first half at Clarksville Elementary School, the rest at Bethlehem Middle School. He was known as "Uncle Al" by many of his 3004 pupils who appreciated his passion for teaching and his sense of humor. Al married Valerie Swirzcki in 1950 and they had seven children. He was an active parishioner of St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Delmar. Throughout his years there, he sung in the choir, was a lector and cantor, a Eucharistic minister, and taught religious education classes. Al loved local history and at varying times was a member of both the Bethlehem and New Scotland Historical Societies. He also loved classical music, reading, and theology. For many years, he participated in yearly retreats at St. Joseph's Abbey in Spencer, MA. He was predeceased by his parents and his stepmother, Anna (Anita) Restifo. He is survived by his brother, Joseph Restifo of Westerlo, NY, his seven children and their spouses: Mark Restifo (Sherill) of Ghent NY, Stephen VanDyke-Restifo (Edna) of Voorheesville, NY, Bernard Restifo of Sanford, NC, Therese Hendricks (Walter) of Hopewell Jct, NY, David Restifo (Nancy) of Alexandria, VA, Christopher Restifo (Theresa) of Voorheesville, NY, and Karen Coleman (Thomas) of Walden, NY. He is also survived by his former wife, Valerie Thompson, 17 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren. Relatives and friends are invited to call on Thursday, August 11, 2011 from 4 to 8 pm at the Applebee Funeral Home, 403 Kenwood Ave., Delmar. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday, August 12, 2011 at 9:30 am at St. Thomas the Apostle Church, 35 Adams Place, Delmar. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery, 481 Rte 9W, Glenmont. The family would like to thank all of Al's "angels" who helped care for him during the last five years of his illness. Memorial donations may be made in Al's memory to St. Thomas the Apostle Church, 35 Adams Pl, Delmar, NY 12054, or to The Alzheimer's Association, 2 Jefferson Plaza, Ste. 103, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601.