Antoinette "Toni" Handrik (nee Delcore) of 460 Cornwall Hill Road, Patterson, NY died on the evening of February 5th, 2016 surrounded by her family. She was 70 years old.

Toni is survived by her son, John Peter Handrik and her daughter-in-law Jessica Handrik, of New York City, her sister Victoria Delcore Blake of Fort Myers, FL and her brother Daniel Delcore, of Cincinnati, OH. She is preceded in her death by her husband, Zoltan Benedict Handrik and her son, Zoltan. She was a beloved aunt to Daniel's children and cherished stories and photographs of her great nephews. Toni was beloved also by her dear friends Carol Rapalje and Nancy Banffy and their families. The length and depth of Toni's many close friendships with people from all phases and aspects of her life is a testament to her loving, loyal, and kind nature, and to her sense of playfulness and joy.

Toni was born in Saranac Lake, NY on October 9, 1945, to parents Katherine Williams and Victor Delcore. A Registered Nurse, she graduated from St. Pius High School and from Harlem Valley - Wingdale Hospital School of Nursing. Toni met her husband Zoltan, originally from Zalaegerszeg, Hungary, while training at the hospital; they married in 1966 and moved to Patterson in 1967.

The very definition of a nurse, Toni spent her career in service to others, in their homes and, for nearly thirty years, at Putnam County Family and Community Services, formerly Elliot House, in Carmel, NY. Owing to the professionalism and compassion that made such a difference to her clients' lives, and the many ways in which she exemplified the vocations of nursing and of teaching, Toni was highly respected and deeply beloved by all of her colleagues.

Toni took enormous joy in her family and friends, and in hosting meals and holidays for them, cooking with love and skill and thinking of every detail to make friends and first time visitors alike feel welcome and comfortable in her home. Having grown up on a farm in upstate New York, she held a deep appreciation for nature, and generously passed her knowledge of flowers, birds, plants, animals, and trees and how to care for them, to her son, her daughter in law's family, her godchildren, and many more. These are the memories we will cherish most: days spent at her home enjoying a fire in the fireplace in the winter, flowers in the garden in the summer, and in all seasons her humorous, well-told stories, including classic gems from her childhood on the farm, her courtship with Zoltan, and her nursing school days.

She will be greatly missed and will be remembered with deep appreciation and boundless love every time we see a nurse serving with compassion, a hummingbird hovering, leaves turning bright orange in the fall, and tulips bursting in the spring. And, we will remember her fondly whenever we learn of a lucky dog or cat finding a home through the Putnam County Humane Society, where donations may be sent in lieu of flowers.

A funeral service will be held on Wednesday, February 10, 2016 10:00am at Dwyer Funeral Home, 23 South Street, Patterson, NY. A private cremation will follow. Friends may call at the funeral home on Tuesday from 4 to 8pm.
www.dwyerfuneralhome.com

As mentioned earlier, in lieu of flowers, contributions in Toni’s memory may be made to the Putnam County Humane Society, PO Box 297, Carmel, NY 10512.

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