Florence Tzivanis

Florence Hills Tzivanis (93) was a lifelong resident of Endicott, New York. She passed away after a long illness surrounded by her family.
She was predeceased by her husband of 63 years Thomas L. Tzivanis and her parents George and Gladys (Card) Hills; her sisters May Green and Doris Andrews; as well as her brothers Donald, Richard, John and Roger.
She is survived by her son Thomas S. Tzivanis (Vana), daughter Barbara Tzivanis Benham (Wayne); grandsons Tommy D. Tzivanis (Amanda) and Lucas Tzivanis (Harry); and 2 great grandchildren. She is also survived by her sisters Janet James and Betsy Smith as well as many nieces and nephews.
Florence grew up in an old farmhouse on Hogsback Road, now known as Glendale Drive in Endicott. Florence loved the old farmhouse with all its quirks and imperfections. She cherished many memories of growing up on the farm with her 8 siblings.
Married in 1956 and becoming a mother in 1958, she balanced children and her career beginning in the 1960’s, long before it became common. She began her career in the sales offices of Endicott-Johnson, then was a salesperson at Philadelphia Sales. She worked years at the Keypunch Center on Washington Avenue and finished her career as a supervisor at Wilson Hospital. Florence volunteered as a Girl Scout leader of her daughter’s troop as well as volunteered in New York City’s Fresh Air Program, a non-profit group that sponsored 2-week vacations and experiences in upstate New York for children living in poor urban communities. Her daughter Barbara remembers Florence explaining why she signed up to host a child saying, “some of these children have never seen a blade of grass. We’re going to change that.” Florence enjoyed long walks and sitting on the front porch with her husband; she was an avid reader, Scrabble player and cat lover. She especially cherished any time spent with her grandsons doing crafts and hosting overnights.
Florence was diagnosed with dementia in 2017; she was served for years by excellent care givers, enabling her to age in her beloved home on Endicott’s north side. Despite the progression of the disease, Florence retained her love of family and her caregivers. She looked forward to Saturday night dinners and playing pitch with her sisters (all of them in their 80’s). Florence ‘s children remember her as a quiet and gentle woman, who had a wonderful sense of humor, giving her beloved family and later her caregivers many memories of laughter and connection. She is an inspiration to our family on how to live a generous, joyful, and blessed life.
The family would like to express gratitude to all her in-home caregivers especially her sister Doris who predeceased Florence by a few months, and Kathy Lupold of Binghamton NY. We are also grateful to mom’s attentive and loving caregivers at The Cottages at Garden Grove in Cicero NY.
Funeral Services will be held 11 am, Wednesday, May 6, at the Allen Memorial Home, 511-513 East Main Street, Endicott. Burial will be in Riverhurst Cemetery, Endicott. The family will receive friends at the Allen Memorial Home, Wednesday, May 6, from 10 am, until service time at 11 am.
In lieu of flowers, please donate in Florence’s memory to the Alzheimer’s Association (Central NY Chapter), 5015 Campus Drive Suite 102, East Syracuse NY 13057 in the hopes that future generations will be spared from this widespread and tragic disease.