Obituary of Mathilda Vuotto Congdon

Rockland, ME – Mathilda Vuotto Congdon, life long resident of Katonah and Bedford Hills, NY, passed away peacefully on Easter morning, April 21, 2019. She was three weeks shy of her 99^th birthday. She was called Tilly  by some, Matty by most, and to her grandchildren and great grandchildren, she was known as Nana.

Matty was born on May 10, 1920 in Katonah, NY. She was the youngest of eight children born to Michael and Mathilda Salvia Vuotto. She attended St. Mary’s and graduated from Katonah High School in 1938 where she was a three letter varsity girls basketball standout. She married Katonah native Willard Congdon in 1940. Matty spent the war years as a hospital volunteer, raising two children and coaching and refereeing local girls basketball while her husband served as a sergeant with the 3^rd Army in Europe.  After the war, Matty and her husband bought a house on Park Ave. in Bedford Hills and had two more children after the loss of their first son in a tragic accident.

In 1953, Matty survived polio while pregnant with her fourth child and became an active volunteer for the Westchester March of Dimes. She became a leading fundraiser in the 1970’s, 80’s and 90’s by walking her way across Northern Westchester during the March of Dimes Walkathons.

She worked as an Allergy Technician for 35 years in Mt. Kisco and in her later years she became a beloved Nanny for several local families. She was a world traveler and remained active and healthy her entire life. She loved music and could harmonize with the best of them. She loved all people and was always quick to come to someone’s defense or take up a cause. But most of all, she loved Scrabble and Yankee baseball.

Four years ago, she gave up driving, sold her home of 66 years and moved to Oak Harbor, WA to be close to her daughter.

She is survived by her daughter, Constance Wolfe of Coupeville, WA, her son, Theodore W Congdon of Tenants Harbor, ME, her beloved three grandchildren and six great grandchildren, and busloads of friends and family who will miss her dearly.

The family will receive friends on Thursday, April 25, 2019 from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Clark Associates Funeral Home, 4 Woods Bridge Road, Katonah, NY.

Interment will follow on Friday, April 26, 2019 at 11:30 AM at St. Joseph Cemetery, Rt. 202, Somers, NY.