Obituary of Lydia R. Garrity

Garrity, Lydia R. Irondequoit: Funeral services and Mass of Catholic Burial for Lydia Rister Garrity, 77, will be held at 10:00 am Saturday, January 2nd, 2016 at St. Kateri at St.Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, (4536 St. Paul Blvd.) Interment Holy Sepluchre Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 3:00 - 6:00 pm on Friday, January 1, 2016 at the funeral home, (570 Kings Hwy So.). Lydia passed into eternity on Tuesday, December 29th 2015 at the Leo Center for Caring Hospice. Lydia was born April 14, 1938 in Rochester, NY the daughter of Adolf and Rose (Glatz) Rister. She was united in marriage to James W. Garrity on April 27, 1968 at her childhood parish of St. Michael's, Rochester's historic gothic church. Lydia was a proud 1956 graduate of Nazareth Academy High School and treasured the memories and friendships resulting from that experience and all the years since. She was a 1992 Honors Graduate of MCC and member of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society at 54 years old. Lydia had an unwavering faith in God, and she was an active member of St. Thomas the Apostle Church. Lydia and Jim together successfully passed the Catholic faith onto their children along with a healthy sense of community and patriotism. Lydia discovered a passion for writing later in life and had been active with her beloved writing group for the past 23 years. As a result, she was in the process of publishing a book about her family's emigration from Germany to Rochester that celebrated similar journeys of aspiring Americans during the early 20th century. This book, along with 72 essays (soon also to be published) written by Lydia, documented precious family/European-immigrant history through the eyes of family members who lived it. Lydia also enjoyed crocheting, knitting, baking, and cooking hearty time-honored family recipes….all traditions she successfully passed on to her grand-children and daughters-in-law. She is survived by her devoted husband, James W. Garrity, her son Andrew Garrity, his wife Tina of Philadelphia, PA, son Matthew Garrity, his wife Kara of Rochester, her five grandchildren, Danny, Christina, Olivia, Ava, and Sean Garrity, her sister Rosemarie McDonald and brother-in-law Larry McDonald and nieces Lauren Schlueter and Lisa McDonald along with several relatives in Germany. She was predeceased by her brother, Carl F. Rister, who passed in 1982. The family gives everyone who loved and prayed for Lydia their greatest gratitude, especially the skilled and caring staff of the St. Ann's Leo Center of Caring. Flowers are welcomed as Lydia had an appreciation for them.