Mildred H. Datkowsky

“Mildred Helen Datkowsky, (nee Luhrs), age 97 of Bay Shore NY, passed on Easter morning, April 12th, 2020 of Coronavirus. She is survived by her children Linda Hubbard, Debra Donnelly, Andrea Datkowsky, Mark Datkowsky and her adored granddaughter Alesandra Hubbard. Survived, as well, by her sons-in-law John Hubbard and Dennis Donnelly, her sister-in-law Joan Luhrs, nieces Evelyn and Donna, and nephews Richard and Robert.

She is predeceased by and now reunited with her beloved husband, Andrew Datkowsky, brother Arthur Luhrs, brother-in-law John Dawsy (formerly Datkowsky), and sisters-in-law Anne Marchiony and Mary Scrivener.

Millie was born in Brooklyn, raised in Bellmore, NY. She went to work at 17, graduating early to support her family, after the sudden death of her father. She traveled to Manhattan each day to work for Bell Laboratories for the war effort, as well as volunteering at canteens to dance with soldiers on leave. She met Andy after the war when his extended family moved across the street. Millie and Andy raised their children in Smithtown, NY next door to her wonderful neighbors Mattie and Jane Kondenar. She moved to Bay Shore to live with her daughter, Debra and for the last year has resided at Maria Regina Residence Nursing Facility where she was well cared for, loved and was loved by the staff – sharing her smiles and slightly wicked sense of humor.

She was a lifetime avid reader and loved to travel with her husband, Andy. She was very active, when young once rode her bike with friends from Bellmore to Oyster Bay and back and walked at least an hour a day far into her eighties. She valued education (math and geography in particular), kept updated with current events, and was ecstatic that she lived long enough to watch her granddaughter graduate from SUNY Plattsburgh. She was honest and suffered fools poorly. She always loved the beach and the ocean, watched as Jones Beach was built, and spent her youth swimming there as often as she could, with her best friend Norma. She remained friends with Norma Creighton her entire life. She made sure her children had swimming lessons in Long Island Sound at Smithtown’s Long Beach, while teasing them that she would be reincarnated as a porpoise. She loved dancing with her husband, old movies (her children called her day and night for the answers to trivia questions) and would sing with Andy (and his relatives) at the mention of any old song.

She will be most remembered for the brilliant smile that always lit up her face and the lives of anyone who knew her.”