Obituary of Constance M. Riley

Loudonville–Constance "Connie" M. Haczynski Riley entered into eternal life on Monday, January 18, 2021, at Teresian House in Albany, N.Y. Connie was born October 25, 1941, in Flint, Mich. She and her parents Thomas and Eleanor Haczynski moved to Lansingburgh, N.Y. before settling in Watervliet in 1950. She graduated from St. Brigid's School in Watervliet, the Academy of the Holy Names in Albany and received her B.A. and Master's degrees in History from the College of St. Rose in Albany. Connie was an accomplished accordionist known as "Miss Flying Fingers." She was crowned New York State Champion in June 1961 by the American Accordionists' Association at the state championship in South Fallsburg. She was a regular on The Teen Age Barn television show from 1953-1963 on WRGB Channel 6. She taught accordion for Edward Gurzynski at the Schenectady Accordion Center for many years. In 1964, she traveled with the North Pole Santa's Workshop for "Santa's Operation Toylift" visiting children in hospitals and orphanages all along the Eastern Seaboard of the U.S. and Canada, flying in a plane alongside live reindeer. Connie was a Professor of History at Hudson Valley Community College from 1964 until 2000, teaching Western Civilization from Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome through early 20th Century Europe. She is survived by her husband Jack of 57 years whom she married on July 27, 1963. They have one son, James (Julia), and two grandchildren, Jacqueline and James II, all of Southbridge, Va. She is also survived by brothers-in-law Michael (Penny) Riley (Fla.) and Robert (Nicole) Riley (Canada), sister-in-law Sheila Riley (Albany) and many nieces and nephews living in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Florida and Canada. Connie enjoyed spending time with her family and friends, playing and listening to music, researching her Polish ancestry and heritage, visiting museums, baking, reading, embroidering and making Christmas stockings for her many family members. She especially enjoyed traveling with her husband to places such as Aruba, St. Thomas, Hawaii, Mexico, England, Germany, Switzerland and France as well as to Bradenton Beach, Fla. located on Anna Maria Island where they owned a beach home for over 30 years. She was a parishioner of St. Pius X Roman Catholic Church in Loudonville since 1974 where she and Jack served as greeters at the Saturday afternoon vigil Mass. Her Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday January 23, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. in St. Pius X Roman Catholic Church 23 Crumite Rd. Loudonville, with Rev. James Walsh officiating. Please only enter the church from the main doorway; masks and social distancing are required; church ambassadors will be available to help with seating and questions; and please arrive before 9:45 a.m. Relatives and friends are invited and may call at the Dufresne & Cavanaugh Funeral Home 149 Old Loudon Rd. Latham on Saturday morning from 8:30 a.m. until 9:30 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that Connie's memory be honored by donations to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital 501 St. Jude Place Memphis, TN 38105 For directions, information or to light a memory candle for the family please visit www.dufresneandcavanaugh.com.