Gloria P. Plasker

Mrs. Gloria Pearl (Davidowitz) Plasker, 81, passed peacefully at her home in Hurley on August 9, 2016. Gloria was born in New York, NY to the late Morris & Helen Gelb Davidowitz. After meeting as camp counselors at Camp Moodna in the Catskills, she married Stanley Plasker on December 19, 1954. Upon moving to Hurley, the couple welcomed their children, Matthew and Rebecca into their home. Soon after moving to Ulster County, Gloria and her husband formed a bridge club with dear friends that met for over 50 years. She earned her BA degree from Brooklyn College and continued her education with a Master's Degree in Teaching from SUNY at Albany. Gloria had a long teaching career. Most of her years teaching were as a reading specialist at the elementary school level in the Onteora Central School District. Teaching children how to read was a joy and a passion. Gloria was a compassionate and caring person who dedicated her time to many organizations including the League of Women Voters (past president, and honored with a lifetime achievement award), a longtime member of Congregation Ahavath Israel in Kingston, one of the founding members and initial volunteers of Hospice of Kingston and she was instrumental in helping to start the former Children's Explorium in Kingston. She was a longtime member of Temple Emanuel's book club and a former board member of B'nai B'rith. Gloria loved having the house full of family and friends for special occasions and holiday celebrations filling the lives of family and friends with warmth, love and her fantastic cooking. She was an accomplished sewer and incorporated embroidery into her knitting and crocheting. She was also an avid gardener who enjoyed teaching others about her plants. Mrs. Plasker is survived by her loving husband, Stanley Plasker of Hurley, her caring son and his wife, Matthew and Nancy Ann Plasker of Natick MA., devoted daughter Rebecca Plasker of Hurley and her dear grandchildren, Hannah Lea Plasker of Natick MA, Samantha Brett Plasker of Natick MA and Max Daniel Plasker of Natick MA. She is the daughter of the late Helen (Gelb) Davidowitz and the late Morris Davidowitz of New York City. She is predeceased by her brothers Joseph Davis of Floral Park, NY and Arthur Davis of Hallandale, FL. A Funeral Service will be conducted on Friday, August 12, 2016 at 11:00 AM at the Simpson-Gaus Funeral Home, 411 Albany Avenue, with Cantor Devorah Gartner of Congregation Ahavath Israel, officiating. The family will sit shiva from Sunday to Wednesday, 2-4 PM and 6-8 PM with a minyan at 6:15 PM, at the family's home. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Gloria's memory to: PJ Library, Attn. JFDC, 17 Collegeview Avenue, Poughkeepsie, NY 12603 or to: Food Bank of the Hudson Valley, 195 Hudson Street, Cornwall-on-Hudson, NY 12520.