Obituary of Cecilia Resti

Cecilia (Kelly) Resti passed away on Saturday, July 27, 2019, at home surrounded by her beloved family after a long, courageous battle with cancer.  Cis was born to Patricia and Joseph Kelly, and grew up in Elmont, NY, with four siblings, Patricia Nolan, Joseph Kelly Jr., Noreen Riker and Kevin Kelly. Cis graduated from Elmont Memorial High School in 1969, and subsequently worked for the National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults. Cis also was employed by the City of New York as a Travel Trainer, teaching people with disabilities to travel on the NYC subways.  In 1972 she met her life partner, James. They were married in 1973, and after the birth of their three sons in Queens, NY, decided to make Syracuse their home in 1987.

Always devoted to her family, Cis spent twenty-five years as a stay at home mother raising her sons and providing a nurturing and caring environment for many of their friends, as well as Fresh Air Fund children who visited each summer. Her love of children was also expressed in her advocacy for public education, as a founder of Parents for Public Schools in Syracuse and as an active member of the PTO’s of Ed Smith Elementary, Levy Middle and Nottingham High Schools. Cis was also committed to social justice and served as the Chair of Peace Action of CNY.  She also served as a Senior Neighborhood Advisor at Westcott Community Center and coordinated the 21^st Century after-school program at Levy.

Cecilia is survived by James, her husband of 46 years and three sons: Justin (Israelle) of Bethesda, MD, Joseph (Hillary Damon) of Manlius, NY and Christopher (Sara) of Hilton, NY along with seven beloved grandchildren: Micah, Joshua, Andrew, Dominic, Eloise, Carter, and Caroline.

A memorial service celebrating Cecilia’s life will be held on Saturday August 17, 2019 at 1:30 PM at St. Lucy’s Church, 432 Gifford Street, Syracuse, NY.  In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Upstate Cancer Center, Upstate Foundation, 750 Adams St., Syracuse, NY 13210.