January 02, 2017
Kevin J. Trotta of Cornwall passed away on December 30, 2016 after a four-year battle with ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease). Kevin was born on February 7, 1951, to Patrick and Agnes Trotta. He grew up in Northvale, New Jersey, and attended Northern Valley High School in Old Tappan. He went on to earn a Master’s degree with honors in Environmental Studies from the City College of New York.
Kevin and his beloved wife, Terry were married on June 26, 1982. Kevin and Terry lived in Rockland County, New York, for many years before moving to Cornwall in 2004. They enjoyed countless "adventures" together, big and small, throughout their magical marriage. Kevin loved vacationing with Terry in New England, Charleston, South Carolina, Colonial Williamsburg, and all across the beautiful state of New York.
As a singer, actor, and musician, Kevin performed off-Broadway, in community theaters, and in music venues across the New York metro area, as well as from Ontario to New Orleans in touring companies.
Kevin loved his work and his colleagues; he felt so lucky to work with each of them. As a turf grass expert, he taught classes at the New York Botanical Garden, the Institute of Ecosystem Studies, and Rockland Community College. He also led the North Rockland School District Grounds Department for many years, and he presented at conferences both nationally and internationally, from Providence to Tokyo. He acted as a board member of the Rockland County Cornell Cooperative Extension, the Cornwall Conservation Advisory Council, and the NYS Community IPM Council, in addition to being the New York state team captain of the Global Sports Alliance and chairman of the Sports Turf Managers’ Association's first Environmental Committee. Kevin was the proud recipient of numerous awards for his environmental advocacy efforts.
Kevin was interested in almost everything: science, music, books, theater, frog calls, Johann Sebastian Bach, astronomy, bird songs, early American history, ecology, the Beatles, geology . . . he was truly a modern-day renaissance man. For him, the perfect rainy day was one spent visiting the American Museum of Natural History with his family. He enjoyed biking Seven Lakes Drive and the back roads of rural New York. He maintained a life-long connection to the natural world and never tired of hiking the Hudson Highlands and the trails of Harriman State Park.
His greatest joys came from "his girls": his wife, the love of his life, Terry; his cherished daughter, Kelly; his irresistible granddaughter, Abigail. Kevin is survived by Terry and his daughter, Kelly and son-in-law, Jason Schellhase, his granddaughter, Abigail, his father Patrick, his brother James, and his sisters, Linda Woods and Ann Roys. He was predeceased by his mother, Agnes and his brothers, Joseph and Patrick.
As a boy, he explored the historic Tappan Cemetery and the 18th century headstones of the region's founders; he will now be buried there among them. Although he was grateful for a life well-lived, he would have liked to have lived for another three hundred years. There was so much more to do.
Visitation will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, January 3rd at Quigley Bros. Funeral Home, 337 Hudson St. Cornwall-On-Hudson, NY. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, January 4th at St. Boniface Church, 5 Willow Tree Road, Monsey, NY. Cremation will follow at Cedar Hill Crematory, Middle Hope, NY.
In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory can be made to the Hudson Highlands Museum or Black Rock Forest in Cornwall; contact information located below.
Hudson Highlands Nature Museum 120 Muser Drive Cornwall, NY 12518 845-534-5506
www.hhnaturemuseum.org
Black Rock Forest Consortium 65 Reservoir Road Cornwall, NY 12518 845-534-4517
www.blackrockforest.org
Arrangements are entrusted to Quigley Bros. Funeral Home; to send condolences or to get directions to the funeral home, please go to www.Quigleybros.com
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