Mary Elizabeth "Liz" Rich

Mary Elizabeth "Liz" Rich passed away peacefully on April 26, 2026 after a long illness. She had just celebrated her 84th birthday with family and new friends at St. John’s Nursing Home. She liked to say that she was born on the first April 15th Income Tax Day in history. We could never forget her birthday, just like in the future we will never forget our wonderful memories together. The family thanks Strong Memorial Hospital Neuro/Palliative Care Units for their compassionate care in her final hours.

Liz was born on April 15, 1942 in Clifton Springs, New York, to James Rich and Mary Crough. She is survived by her sister, Kathy O'Neill; her sister-in-law, Janet M. Rich; nephews and nieces Ellen Rich (Eric Snitzer), Sara Lincoln (Erik), Jerome J. O'Neill, Jason Rich (Amy), and Emily O'Neill (Brian Hansen); great-nephews and nieces Rachel, Elliot, and Zoe Snitzer; Mikayla and Brooke Lincoln; Jason, Lauren, and Emerson Rich; and Matthew and Sam Hansen. Predeceased by her parents, her brother Peter "Pete" Rich, brother-in-law Jerome P. O’Neill, and great-nephew Jonathan Snitzer. She was also close with neighbors and friends who all provided a strong support system to her as her health declined: Carolyn Dick, Mary Jane Cummings, Carolyn Meisenzahl, Annie Ford, Joe Egnaczak and Soon and Dan Pollet.

Liz was a devoted daughter, sister, aunt, caregiver to her pets, and nurse. She was a proud graduate of St. Agnes High School and Nazareth College (’64), where like her sister and mother, she was the recipient of a N.Y. State Regents Scholarship. She was an adventurous person and wanted to travel the world. One of her greatest adventures was spending two years on the SS Hope Hospital Ship operated by Project HOPE, serving as a nurse with the Merchant Marines and providing care and medical training in Colombia, South America. A career nurse, she specialized in pediatrics and later in geriatric care. Some of her employers included Oak Orchard, Jordan Health Center, and the NY State Health Department.

While deathly afraid of flying, in later years she traveled to places she loved including Ireland, the Arctic Circle, Minnesota, and Canada. She enjoyed going to plays at Niagara-on-the-Lake and taking family members on trips to New England, camping in the Adirondacks, touring the Finger Lakes region, and birdwatching at local bird sanctuaries and parks. We can picture her whale watching or seeing puffins with us in Maine and holding a gin and tonic on the train headed to Toronto, happy memories.

Liz was often called spunky, some would say strong willed. She was highly independent, resilient, and believed in social justice and many political and charitable causes that were dear to her heart. She had short, signature red hair for many years until she branched out to show some purple with her white hair! She always wanted to help make the world a better place. She was once arrested for protesting someone’s pending home foreclosure because she just did not think it was right. Over the years, she befriended many families through volunteer ESL tutoring. She really enjoyed meeting new people and helping people in the community, especially working with kids. Liz was also a breast cancer survivor and developed deep friendships with others facing breast cancer as she went through that time in her life.

An avid lover of animals including cats, dogs, horses, and birds, she once had “ocho” rescued cats. Her pets remained very important to her right up until the end. Liz also loved great literature, the poetry of Mary Oliver, British mysteries and t.v. programs, classical music and opera. She had a lovely voice and enjoyed taking lessons at Hochstein years ago. Liz had a green thumb and enjoyed plants, flowers, and time in her yard gardening.

While she never married or had children (despite many suitors over the years!), she was close with her family in Rochester. Our family had a lot of fun celebrating holidays with her, playing backgammon and euchre, and going to The Nutcracker at the Eastman Theater where she sometimes volunteered as a nurse. She also loved the countryside in Western NY, going to festivals and fruit stands, and small-town fairs and parades. In later years, she reconnected with some cousins and started exploring the family tree, genealogy, and our Irish and Scottish ancestry more.

It was Liz’s independent spirit, ability to hope the best for our world, and caring for others that will be missed most by those who knew her. In her final hours, she took great comfort in being visited by the chaplain, holding her rosary, and being at peace that she had lived a good life.

A celebration of life event will be held in early August for close family, friends, and colleagues followed by the scattering of her ashes at Mt. Hope Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Pet Pride of NY https://www.petprideny.org/(Pet Pride of New York, Cat Sanctuary and Adoption Center), 19th Ward Community Cats https://19wca.org/19th-ward-community-cats/(19th Ward Community Cats) or a charitable organization of your choice.