Obituary of Monica Riordan Kulis

We are heartbroken to share that Monica Riordan Kulis of Locust Valley, NY passed away on May 2, 2024 at the age of 64. She was the beloved wife of Charles, loving mother of Christopher and Hannah, cherished daughter of Elfrieda and the late Jerome Riordan, and dear sister of Barbara Beale, Patricia Eggers (Dave), and Joannne Riordan. She is also survived by many loving nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.

The name Monica has multiple meanings, including in "couselor" in latin Latin, and "unique" in Greek.

Counsel she did. Monica spent her life working as a social worker, helping people cope with problems in their everyday lives. She began her career at Elmhurst Hospital where she worked in the Adult men';s psychiatric division, before moving to the New York City Department of Education. There, she worked with children of all ages who had either developmental disabilities or severe behavioral issues.

Monica's desire to help others extended beyond just her career. Throughout her life, she was an active and passionate member of the Oyster Bay community. Monica served as the troop leader for Girl Scout Troop 206 for 12 years, guiding young women to develop confidence in themselves while improving the world around them. In her free time, she volunteered at Oyste rBay's beloved Waterfront Center and served on the board of the Oyster Bay Library. She even founded and served as president of an investment club for women in the community.

Like her name suggests, Monica was also unique with a wide array of passions and hobbies. She could climb rocks in Yosemite National Park and sail boats in the Caribbean. But she could also make beautiful pieces of pottery or her own delicious, experimental flavors of ice cream. She was extremely adventurous, traveling to places like Croatia, Fiji, Iceland, and more. When home, she was an avid tennis player who was always up for a game, set, or match.

Like everything she faced in life, Monica met her breast cancer diagnosis with unwavering resilience. For three and a half years, Monica endured innumerable treatments with horrific side effects, four grueling surgeries — including three in her brain — and the emotional weight of confronting her mortality. Yet, Monica shared with very few people all she'd experienced. Through it all, she stressed how important it was for her to be treated normally. She didn't want to be treated like a patient or burden others with her pain.

Monica was dutifully loving, fiercely independent, determined, generous, intelligent, funny, creative, and so much more words fail to describe. A devoted and thoughtful wife. A protective and loving mother. A furiously loyal friend. Monica Riordan Kulis will be deeply missed, forever remembered, and always loved. Wake: Sunday, May 5, 2-6pm at Oyster Bay Funeral Home, 261 South St., Oyster Bay, NY, 11771. Funeral Mass: Monday, May 6 at 10:30 am at St. Dominic RC Chapel, Oyster Bay, NY, 11771. Interment Locust Valley Cemetery.

MEMORIAL SLIDESHOW: In Loving Memory of Monica Riordan Kulis