Felicia Emily Pawlowski Geraldi was born on Wednesday, August 24, 1932 in Manhattan under the Zodiac sign of Virgo to Margaret Renaut Pawlowski, a statistician for the Lerner Shops and Frances Ludwig Pawlowski, a foreman with Con Edison. Felicia has a younger brother, Frank.
Felicia studied interior decorating in High School, then attended the Fashion Institute of Technology where she studied textile design and earned the first of three academic degrees.
On September 27, 1952 Felicia married Charles T. Geraldi, Jr. in St. Joseph’s Church, Brooklyn. She is the proud mother of two children, Charles Francis and Susan Mary Francomano and grandmother to four: Kristen Marie, Joseph Troy, Charles Francis, Jr. and Christopher Robert. After raising the children her interest in art education was renewed and she taught at Our Lady of Sacred Heart Church School in Tappan. She earned a Baccalaureate at St. Thomas Aquinas College and a Master of Fine Art at the College of New Rochelle.
Felicia joined the facility of the Clarkstown School District where she taught for 24 years, with 12 years as Elementary Art Chairperson, until retiring in 1998 when she became a world traveler with visits to China and the many religious and art centers of Europe. In 1990 she was named the Disney Television Channel American Teacher awardee for Visual Art.
Felicia so loved teaching art at the elementary level that, after retiring, she became a substitute teacher at the South Orangetown School District. She often said that her greatest joy in teaching was to have one of her students say to her “Mrs. G, I can do it!”
A Funeral Mass will be celebrated Tuesday 10:00 AM at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart RC Church, Tappan with interment to follow at Rockland Cemetery, Sparkill. Visiting hours are Monday 2-4 and 7-9 PM at Pizzi Funeral, 120 Paris Avenue, Northvale, NJ (201-767-3050).
In lieu of flowers, donations to Children of Promise Stables, PO Box 656, Nanuet, NY 10954, www.copsbarn.org, would be greatly appreciated.