Rosie May Villa

Rosie May "Toni" Villa, 91, died on Wednesday, October 3, 2012 in Kingston, N.Y. of natural causes. Toni was born in Ohio on August 23, 1921 and grew up on an Indian reservation where she resided until her late teens. Venturing out across the country, she was a performer in the Clive Beatty circus shows, an expert tailor and seamstress, and eventually became an owner of a bridal shop. She met her husband, U.S. Navy officer Richard (Poncho) Villa, and they resided in Norfolk, Virginia until 1967 when they decided to move to Kingston, N.Y. where they bought their first home. Toni was an avid dog lover, and her house was always bustling with Chihuahuas. She was an especially gifted crossword puzzle solver, and loved to write and recite her own poetry. She loved to bake and shared her goodies with her neighbors and friends. Her fondness of her community and neighbors was also demonstrated through her crafts and quilt-making, supplying quilts for children in the neighborhood some of whom have handed theirs down to their own children. Her presence in the community and in the lives of her closest friends, Don and Diane Glass, Ann Ward, Sylvia VanDusen, and her nephew, Clem Villa and niece, Jo-Ann Villa will be greatly missed. Toni is predeceased by her husband, Richard "Poncho" Villa, and is survived by several nephews, nieces, and many dear friends and neighbors. Services and interment will be private