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Written by: Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 10 August 2015

Created: 10 August 2015

Last Updated: 14 August 2015

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(Updated August 13) Though Frank Gifford was well known as a football player, television commentator and husband of Kathie Lee, many don't know that Gifford lived in Scarsdale and raised three children here with his first wife before moving onto Greenwich. Gifford passed away at age 84 on Sunday August 9th.

Gifford met his first wife Maxine at the University of Southern California where he played football and she was the homecoming queen. They were married in 1952 and had three children together, Jeff, Kyle and Vicki. The two boys both played football on the SHS team and Vicki was a cheerleader.

An article in the Boca Raton news in 1974 says that Gifford lived on an estate in Scarsdale on the site of a dairy farm near Winged Foot Golf Club where he played "as often as he could." He was a member of the club since 1961. Readers helped us to identify Gifford's former home that still stands on Grand Park Avenue.

Residents who grew up here remember that Gifford was a frequent fan at Scarsdale High School football games. The Scarsdale's sports booster organization, Maroon and White was founded in 1966, and at its first awards dinner honoring male athletes Frank Gifford addressed the group at Schraffts Restaurant in Eastchester. Frank and Maxine Gifford made an appearance in the 1968 film "Paper Lion," based on a 1966 book by George Plimpton.

In an article from philly.com in 1993, Gifford said that after he retired from playing football, his TV work and traveling kept him away from home. Saying Maxine was very shy, Gifford writes, "When Maxine had to deal with my celebrity, that shyness really hurt her. Work became my narcotic of choice, my entire focus. And it destroyed my marriage." He divorced Maxine after 26 years.

Their youngest child Vicki was married to Michael Kennedy, a son of Ethel and Robert Kennedy in 1981. Michael died in a ski accident in Aspen in 1998. Michael and Vicki had three children and the marriage ended after it was alleged that he had an affair with the children's 14 year-old babysitter.

Though Frank and Kathie Lee were well known in Greenwich, their Scarsdale years have been largely forgotten. Share memories you have of Gifford in Scarsdale in the comments section below.

Rosalyn Binday, a longtime Scarsdale resident who runs Advocate Brokerage in Scarsdale sent in the following clarification:

"Los Bajos was NOT Frank Gifford's house. Because it is a Spanish style house, the Lowe's who purchased it around 1980, gave it the name "Los Bajos" as that is what "The Low's'" means in Spanish. Prior to that, the house was named "Shady Acres".

Frank Gifford's house was sandwiched in between "Hidden House" and "Shady Acres". The last I knew Steven and Barbara Kantor live in what used to be the Gifford house. As a point of interest, I am pretty sure that Maxine Gifford told me they had purchased the house from football star Kyle Rote, who also played for the New York Giants.

To better explain how I know this, the Gifford's were my next door neighbor and my family knew Maxine and the children. (Frank no longer lived there, as they had divorced.) We lived in "Hidden House", which we sold to Brandon Steiner, the founder and CEO of Steiner Sports Marketing. The name "Hidden House" preceded my ownership and had been the name of the house since the beginning of mail delivery. It was originally a Quaker farm. The deed stated "Now or formerly Rollins Farm" and what was to become the Gifford house was at one time the cow barn of the Quaker farm. We bought Hidden House from Mike Manuche and Martha Wright. Martha was an actress and singer. Mike Manuche owned a very successful steak restaurant, which was frequented by famous sports people of the day; specifically members of the NY Giants (like Frank Gifford). They were all very good friends."

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Written by: Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 03 August 2015

Created: 03 August 2015

Last Updated: 03 August 2015

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Family, friends, parents, librarians, teachers, students and book lovers gathered at the Scarsdale Library on Friday July 31 to remember an avid reader who shared her passion for books with so many in the Scarsdale community.

Librarian Mary Allen McAden passed away on July 22 at the age of 78. McAden was the Fox Meadow School librarian for twenty years and according to one colleague she knew the name of every child in the school. Enthusiastic and animated she was a master at reading aloud to children and was able to recommend the perfect book for any reader. She retired from Fox Meadow in 2004 and then took a part time job at the Scarsdale Library and also led innumerable book groups for adults and children in Scarsdale.

Her children Abigail and Graham led a touching ceremony where they recounted her life story and shared their own memories of their mother and stories they gathered from others who knew her well. McAden grew up on a horse farm in Ohio and graduated high school as the valedictorian of her class. She graduated from Miami University in Ohio, taught high school in Ohio and moved to New York in 1963 where she attended Columbia Teacher's College. She taught at Mt. Vernon High School and then spent ten years at home raising her children, but ultimately returned to Queens College to get a master's degree in library science. From there it was onto 20 years as the Fox Meadow School librarian where she became a favorite of many in the community.

Friends called her "loyal, frumpy, smart as a whip, mischievous, tough as nails and wimpy too." Often repeated sayings included, "it's all good," "on her behalf", "for the greater good" and "a piece of work." In addition to books, McAden loved jigsaw puzzles, babies and her garden. Her friend and colleague Cheryl Higgins shared reading dates and lengthy phone calls, which McAden would open by saying, "I am calling today to take your emotional temperature." According to Higgins, their conversations always "got back to laughter."

Her son Graham said that his mother would "talk to anyone, anywhere. She had a unique ability to connect with people." He continued, "She loved books, and the stories of peoples' journeys, though her journey ended prematurely. She would have thanked you for sharing your journeys with her." He said that McAden moved to The Osborne in Rye for her last year where "she made many friends, welcomed newcomers and helped to ease people in." She told friends that "she was living it up at the Osborne."

Abigail, who is now an editor, said her mother "Worshipped the library and books and read to us and did all the voices." She remembered hours passed at the Larchmont Library and said that her mother always had a bag of books and "nothing was off limits." Though her mother did not take to technology, the one exception was her Kindle which she took everywhere and stuffed with reviews and note cards. On her last trip to California, McAden asked Abigail to bring a copy of "The Wizard of Oz" which she wanted to start to read to her grandchildren.

Abigail ended by asking everyone to leave a note card with the name of a book that McAden had introduced to them. A list will be compiled and shared.

The memorial was an inspiration and a reminder to read, share stories, laugh and, according to Mary McAden's mother, "Evaluate your choices and take that shot that looks most promising to you."

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Written by: Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 22 July 2015

Created: 22 July 2015

Last Updated: 24 July 2015

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Two former members of the Scarsdale community recently passed away: anthropologist Nancy Sullivan and musician Carmino Ravosa.

Sullivan, a member of the SHS Class of '75 was a prominent anthropologist who spent 24 years living and working in Papau, New Guinea, following in the footsteps of Margaret Mead. She married a man from New Guinea and had children and grandchildren there. She died at the age of 57 in a one-car accident on the Taconic Parkway in LaGrange New York where she had come to visit family.

Sullivan was an accomplished academic who held an undergraduate degree from Princeton, a PhD from New York University and won awards including a Fulbright, a Guggenheim and a Rockefeller. A prolific author, in 2012 she published a memoir called, "Don't Make Me Over: Coming of age as an anthropologist in New Guinea." The essays in her memoir cover neuro-philosophy, gender studies, pop psychology, behaviorism and a raft of other pop science fields.

In an interview she gave following the publication of the book she was asked if where she grew up influenced her writing. She replied, "I grew up in the suburbs of New York. But I'd say it was more of a launch pad than an inspiration."

Discussing her book and her life she said, "This is a memoir about an unusual life, a life spent in another culture. Not just the conventional 'middle class girl marries a cannibal' story, though, because it has very reflective passages about social change, parenting, anthropology (as I am an anthropologist) and the whole idea of cultural collision in today's world (hint: nothing really collides). I had been writing small stories of my life in PNG, my different jobs, adventures, near-escapes, and all the episodes that challenge my graduate training in anthropology. Then I decided it was time for a memoir."

At the time of her death, Sullivan ran an anthropological consulting firm that did research, conducted surveys, wrote reports and did training for private and public entities. She also published a blog called "Nineteen Years and Counting in Papua New Guinea" where she chronicled the stories and photos of the people she met and worked with in New Guinea. It is a rich record of her academic perspective, her research, and the customs and mores of the native people. Those who read Lily King's fictionalized account of Margaret Mead's life in New Guinea, "Euphoria" will draw similarities between Sullivan's blog entries and the novel. In one post she compares her own childhood to that of the children in New Guinea and says,

"But I don't know: this kind of childhood is so far from my own, set against a volcanic island and beautiful people. Because it's school holidays, our days are more langorous than usual, but still the self-assurance and complex society of these kids makes me wonder what I did with friends at this age. I have Our Gang memories of long afternoons, but these Baluan youngsters are a much more resourceful community than I ever knew. What I had growing up was feigned Independence---all walkie-talkies, Schwinn bikes and Good Humor trucks nothwithstanding. These kids eat anywhere, sleep anywhere, and only get a scolding if they deign to interrupt intense adult concentration. Even then, no one sulks, and nothing is taken personally."

Speaking about the accident that killed Sullivan, a colleague from the Oceanic Discover said, "In a cruel irony, Nancy endured many hardships in PNG (Papua New Guinea) that would have broken most people. Serious illness, physical assaults and the often frustrating bureaucracy of life in remote PNG would have been too much for most fly-in-fly-out first world anthropological 'experts'. To have her life taken so abruptly in, what appears to be, an uncomplicated, single-vehicle road accident while on vacation in her home state of New York, just beggars belief. This same accident also seriously injured two of her much-loved adopted PNG children, one of whom remains in a critical condition."

Carmino Ravosa Passes Away in Pleasantville

Musician Carmino Ravosa also died this week at the age of 85 in Pleasantville. He was a songwriter and composer who taught at Fox Meadow Elementary School and then went on to be a faculty fellow and composer-in-residence at Dalton and Edison. Ravosa wrote many historical musicals that are still performed by children today. He was beloved among both students and parents who continue to sing his songs long after the end of elementary school. During President Jimmy Carter's term in 1978, Ravosa was invited to the White House to perform his musical "Ghosts in the White House" for Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter and 600 guests at the White House Halloween Party.

Remembering Ravosa, a former Fox Meadow student said, "I was deeply sadden when I learned that my elementary school music teacher, Carmino Ravosa, had passed away. I remember the class plays that he wrote and directed and, as a student, I was happy to have a part in. I still recall songs from Seneca Falls which taught us about the History of Women's rights through music and Johnny Appleseed. Carmino was a gifted teacher who I will never forget."

Former Fox Meadow student Gaia Tommasi said, "Carmino stayed true to his passion for music and history throughout the years, spreading his love and joy for life! He'll have paradise singing in no time! His encouragement as my music teacher at Fox Meadow, starting from 3rd grade, inspired me to continue singing to a professional level! Thank you Carmino! Love and prayers to your family.

Trudy Moses, a music teacher in Scarsdale said Ravosa was very talented, full of life and energized by working with kids. He wrote historical mini-musicals and discussed their historical importance with the kids. She remembered that Mr.Grossman's fifth grade class at Greenacres performed Ravosa's play "Ellis Island."

Ravosa was a composer and editor for Silver Burdett & Ginn's popular music textbook series, "The Music Connection" and wrote music for popular children's television shows such as Captain Kangaroo and Romper Room. A memorial service will be held August 8th at 11am at Emanuel Lutheran Church in Pleasantville, NY.

Listen to Ravosa's song Mission Control here: 

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Written by: Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 14 July 2015

Created: 14 July 2015

Last Updated: 14 July 2015

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Three Scarsdale sisters and their extended families visited the White House and the Pentagon in early June to attend ceremonies for their grandfather who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest award for military service. The medal was a long time coming: Sargent William Shemin performed his acts of valor almost 100 years ago in 1918 in France where he is credited with repeatedly leaving his trench to run into open fire to recover wounded comrades. Shemin, who was only 19 years old at the time, was a rifleman in World War I and stationed in France where he fought in a battle on the Vesle River near Bazouches. Army notes say that after his superiors were wounded Shemin assumed command of the platoon. During his forays into the machine gun fire shrapnel hit him and a bullet pierced his helmet and lodged behind his left ear. He was hospitalized for three months and left partially deaf. Shemin is the 17th Jew in history to receive the Medal of Honor.

When Shemin returned home, he attended Syracuse University where he earned a degree in Forestry from the NYS College of Forestry and opened a greenhouse and landscaping business, Ivy, in the Bronx, which his son, Emanuel Shemin, eventually renamed Shemin Nurseries and moved to Greenwich, CT.

His military career would have been forgotten if not for the efforts of his daughter Elsie Shemin Roth (now in her 80's) who advocated for him to be awarded the Medal of Honor which may have been denied to him because he was Jewish. She learned that cases involving Jews who were denied medals in World War II were under review and pressed for the same treatment for veterans of World War I. She worked with her Congressman in Missouri who eventually sponsored the "William Shemin Jewish World War I Veterans Act" to allow the review of cases from World War I.

Seventy of Shemin's descendants were invited to Washington when he was honored in June, among them Scarsdale residents Grace Shemin Goldstein , Sara Cass, Leslie Shemin Lester – (who recently moved to Armonk from Scarsdale) and Grace's identical twin sister, Suzanne Shemin Katz of Greenwich. Three of the sisters are realtors; Grace is with Houlihan Lawrence in Scarsdale, Leslie at Sotheby's in Scarsdale, Suzanne at Sotheby's in Greenwich and Sara works for the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

We spoke to the Shemin sisters and asked them to share their family story and here is what we learned:

Where did you grow up and did your know your grandfather?
The Shemin Family grew up in Rye Brook, New York in the 1960's and then moved to Greenwich, Connecticut in the early 1970's - present where our mother, Rhoda Shemin, and Grace's identical twin sister, Suzanne Shemin Katz, still live. Our father, Emanuel Shemin, built a home for his parents, William and Bertha, adjacent to our family business, Shemin Nurseries, on King Street in Greenwich. The original Shemin Nurseries (formerly called Ivy...) moved from the Bronx, New York to Greenwich, Connecticut in the late 1960's. The proximity of the home to the greenhouse of Shemin Nurseries allowed our grandfather to walk to the business every day and help out with the business. William and Bertha Shemin lived in Greenwich, Connecticut until William died in 1973. Bertha predeceased William Shemin.

What are some of your memories of him?
Our grandfather was interested in history, politics (he was a staunch Republican), athletics, and was a proud Jew. We spent summers in upstate, Chazy, New York (next to Plattsburgh) at their modest summer home that William had built on Lake Champlain. We were told our grandfather swam across the lake to Vermont and back. He was a powerful and talented athlete. He played varsity football and lacrosse at Syracuse University in the 1920's. He was also a semi-pro baseball player. He believed in discipline and hard work. We raised the American flag in the morning and lowered it in the evening. We were instructed on how to properly fold the flag and salute a member of the military. We were required to make our beds every morning with hospital corners, and then waited for inspection. For fun, we swam in the lake with our sneakers, as the lake floor was lined with sharp stones. We also enjoyed horseback riding lessons. In the fall, we attended West Point football games with our grandfather. The only indulgence was being able to purchase army clothing at the West Point canteen. We remember my grandfather wearing army pants in the 1960's and driving a Jeep when it was very cool to do so. Waste was not permitted. Bags and newspapers were saved and food was not allowed to be thrown out. Our grandfather liked purchasing day old food at reduced prices. We particularly remember apple turnovers as a treat but of course, we avoided looking at the date. He was an avid gardener so we ate fresh grown corn, rhubarb, tomatoes and other summer vegetables. Because our grandfather was crippled by the war and then later had arthritis, he walked with a cane. We were afraid of our grandfather because he was so stern. He used his cane to point and instruct. He had 14 grandchildren, so there were many of us for him to corral. He had beautiful penmanship and used to write beautiful letters to the grandchildren during the summertime. There was one bedroom for all 14 grandchildren at the summer house. When the door was closed at night, we giggled with our cousins. But rarely were all 14 grandchildren there at the same time. Eventually the Shemin sisters spent summers at sleep away camp and our trips to Lake Champlain diminished.

Did he speak about the war? What do you remember him telling you?
We remember Grandpa Shemin showing us news articles related to his activities with war veterans, including Jewish war veterans and letters from surviving war buddies. He kept up with his local Army chapter and tried to help veterans adjusting to being back home after their military experience. Today, we know of his condition as Post Traumatic Stress. Looking back at the nature and personality of our grandfather, we surmise that he suffered from this condition.

Did he discuss anti-Semitism or feel that he had not been treated justly?
We never heard him speak of anti-Semitism. He was a proud veteran, a proud Jew and only spoke positively about his memories. He was not interested in personal glory. He believed in service to one's country. He was extremely patriotic.

Were you surprised when your aunt's efforts to grant him a medal of honor came to fruition?
Yes, we were absolutely shocked! Every few months our Aunt Elsie would spread the word of her progress and say that she was close to accomplishing the goal. This took place over the past 12 years! When it finally happened, we weren't sure everyone would believe it. We were thrilled that Obama allowed such a large number of family to attend, especially our spouses and children! We were beyond thrilled that we could share this with our immediate families.

Does your extended family of 70 people stay in touch? Had you met all of them before the trip to the White House? William Shemin's children: Emanuel, Ina and Elsie—were and are still close as well as all their children—the cousins. However, there were other relatives from California, Arkansas and Pennsylvania-that most of us never met. It was wonderful to meet and know that our family is so large!

What were your impressions of the ceremony at the White House and the Pentagon?
The Army held a cocktail reception/light dinner the night we arrived in Crystal City, Virginia, next to the Pentagon. We had the opportunity to meet many decorated members of the Army including 3 and 4 star Generals. An Army choral group sang traditional songs. We were treated like dignitaries.

The next morning, before leaving our hotel for the White House, we went through several levels of security. We had already received clearance weeks earlier so they were being extremely careful about our visit. We were picked up in buses and lead by a military police escort from our Crystal City, VA hotel to the White House and returned on buses. The 9 am traffic was required to part, allowing us swift passage through the rush hour traffic. This experience was very poignant as we thought of our deceased father (Emanuel Shemin, son of William) and our grandfather, William himself, wishing they could have witnessed this honor. The ceremony was full of White House tradition and color. Obama spoke wonderfully and was able to communicate as if he knew our family and the heroic story of our grandfather. He was warm, personal and courteous to our two aunts who were the only members of our family to meet with the President personally. Before the ceremony, our aunts, Ina Bass and Elsie Shemin Roth, had a private meeting in the Oval Office with the President. It was there that he signed the Medal of Honor certificate. Two grandchildren shook Obama's hand when he was leaving the ceremony: Sam Cass and Abigail Goldstein.

After the White House Ceremony in the East Room, we were treated to an elegant lunch served buffet style in the White House Dining Room. We were able to walk into the Red, Yellow, and Blue Rooms of the East Room. A military pianist played music for us in the large East Wing foyer filled with Early American antiques, including the grand piano with legs beautifully carved of gold eagles. Portraits of former presidents and first ladies paneled walls. It was thrilling to be a guest in the White House! Some of the grandchildren proudly saved their paper cocktail napkins and the powder room hand towels containing the White House seal as souvenirs. The formal gardens outside the White House were stunning. We even saw one of the President's Portuguese Water dog, Bo.

The Pentagon experience was full of awe. The purpose of the ceremony was to include our grandfather's name into the Hall of Hero's Memorial. A pictorial and written display was designed explaining our grandfather's story. Our Aunt Elsie contributed many of the photographs, some of which we had never seen before. Afterwards, a few of the Shemin family members were invited to a private tour of the Pentagon and lunch with the Assistant to the Secretary of State and other Defense Department officers. Unfortunately, the Secretary of State was in India on an important state matter.

Have any of your grandfather's descendants served in the armed forces?
My father, Emanuel Shemin, now deceased, joined the National Guard at age 16 years. After college he was commissioned, serving in the United States Air Force during the Korean War, attaining the rank of Major. My cousin, William Roth, served four years in the United States Marine Corps. William's younger brother and my other cousin, Joseph Roth, a Commander in the United States Navy, recently retired after 20 years, including service in Afghanistan.
Also, my father, Emanuel Shemin, helped to spearhead and fund Syracuse University's Institute for Veterans and Military Families--The IVMF- which is the first and only national institute in higher education that focuses on the social, economic and education policy issues that impact today's veterans and their families. This is one of the most important initiatives at Syracuse University.

The IVMF started with the EBV (Entrepreneurship Boot camp for Veterans with Disabilities) 8 years ago. The EBV is a program that supports disabled veterans who want to start their own business. It does this through classroom training and funding. My father, Emanuel, was one of the first supporters of the EBV and there is still an endowment in his name that provides micro-grants to disabled veterans who need money for attending seminars, advertising, marketing, legal fees, laptops, etc. It has been such a successful program that 60 Minutes featured it two years ago.

By the way, my grandfather, William Shemin is the first and only Syracuse alum to receive the Medal of Honor so the University is taking this very seriously with much planned publicity.

How is it that you all ended up in Scarsdale? What's the story behind your move here?
In 1991 Leslie Shemin Lester moved from New York City to Edgemont and then in 1996 she moved to Fox Meadow and lived there for over 18 years. She recently moved to Armonk. Soon to follow, in 1997, Sara Shemin Cass, the eldest sister, moved from the city to Greenacres where she still lives. In 2002, another sister, Grace Shemin Goldstein, moved from Manhattan to Scarsdale too. She ended up living 9 houses away from her younger sister, Leslie, in Fox Meadow. All three sisters in Scarsdale wanted to have an easy commute to the city and loved the idea of being close to each other. They see their fourth sister (Grace's identical twin), Suzanne Shemin Katz, who moved to Greenwich in 1992 where their mother, Rhoda Shemin, lives, often so she never feels left out from the close proximity of the others.

Between the three sisters that live in Scarsdale, they have had 5 children who have graduated from Scarsdale High School. William Cass graduated in 2004, Rebecca Lester and Sam Cass in 2009, Aaron Lester in 2012, and Jonathan Goldstein in 2013. Abigail Goldstein will be a senior at Scarsdale High School this next school year. Hannah Lester, Leslie's youngest, just graduated from The Solomon Schechter School of Westchester this past June.

Do you have a Scarsdale family story to share? Send it to [email protected].