Obituary of Mathilde Demisay Huckins

 
Mathilde “Til” Germaine Huckins (nee Demisay), passed away peacefully at home in Rappahannock Westminster-Canterbury, Irvington, Virginia on August 2, 2023 in the loving care of her devoted husband of 47 years, Charles. In addition to her husband, she is survived by her 10 nieces and nephews, 13 grandnieces and grandnephews, and 9 great grandnieces and great grand nephews. She began a long career in the medical field in 1954 as a caregiver and nursing assistant in the Creekside Rest Home in Amityville, NY. After earning her Registered Nurse license in 1962, Til become the first Director of Nursing at Clove Lakes Nursing Home in Staten Island, NY. She was also a Fundamentals of Nursing instructor at Beth Israel School of Nursing, New York, NY and worked as a Charge Nurse, Supervisor and Head Nurse in various health facilities in Missouri. In addition to her career in nursing, she earned her Masters Degree in French from Middlebury College which included study at L’Ecole Internationale in Paris. Being a lifelong Francophile, she traveled to France every five years with her husband. During her time in Phoenix, AZ she served as the First Lady of the Desert Botanical Garden before moving to Mason Neck, Virginia in 1984 and becoming the owner and operator of Rochambeau Farm where she cared for horses for many years. Til and Charlie encouraged exploration, learning and adventure and relished providing tours to all their many guests. She was a certified bareboat charter skipper and enjoyed flying planes as a private pilot with a multi-engine rating. Til also enjoyed many activities in addition to travel. She loved reading, horse care, furniture rebuilding, ballet as exercise, Chinese brush painting, piano and guitar, and fencing. She embraced beauty, the arts, animals and above all, nature. All who had the good fortune of knowing her experienced her humble and gentle spirit. At her core, she was filled with warmth and curiosity about everyone she encountered and, in that sense, never met a stranger. She will be remembered as an inspiring woman whose lens was open wide on the world.
A graveside service was conducted Saturday, August 5, 2023, at the St. Charles Cemetery in Farmingdale, New York, where she was interred in the family plot.