Mathilde van Perlstein
Obituary Reports the death of an individual, providing an account of the person’s life including their achievements, any controversies in which they were involved, and reminiscences by people who knew them.
Mathilde (Til) Rica van Perlstein passed away on Dec. 21. She was 97.
A Pleasantville resident for 63 years, Til was born in The Netherlands in Heemstede on Nov. 29, 1924, and raised in Bloomendaal before emigrating to the United States to escape Nazi occupation. She is predeceased by her parents, Isedore Emanuel de Kadt and Betsy Arnolda de Kadt-de Jong; her sister, Josephine Hartog-de Kadt; her brother, Pieter de Kadt; and her husband, Hugo van Perlstein.
Til received a bachelor’s degree in biology from Hobart and William Smith College in 1946. After graduation she became a medical assistant in doctor’s and dental offices.
Til met her future husband through her mother, who had met him on the ship that brought him to the United States and bonded over their shared hometown, Arnhem. They were married in 1955. They lived in Hartsdale for three years and then moved to Pleasantville, where they raised their two daughters, Monique and Michelle, on “The Hill.”
Til was an active parent in her children’s education and extracurricular activities. She also enjoyed competitive Round Robin Bridge, bowling and participating in Girl Scouts, the Contemporary Club and the Women’s Club. Later in life, she worked in the parts division of the Savin Business Machine Company. She also liked to play competitive dominoes with her friends and her three grandchildren, Philip, Benjamin and Sara Stadulis.
After her husband retired, they traveled and made many friends through her husband’s active participation in the Youth Exchange Program of Rotary International.
At age 15, Til and her family escaped Nazi occupation by traveling through France and Spain to leave on the Quanza, a ship departing from Lisbon, Portugal to the United States. In 2017, a descendant of those who escaped with the de Kadt family reached out to Til to ask about her visa to Portugal. We now know that Til and her entire family were saved by the Portuguese Diplomat Aristides de Sousa Mendes from his signature on her visa.
The family will have a graveside service at Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale in the spring when everyone can gather outside.
In lieu of flowers, kindly make donations to the Mount Pleasant Public Library, 350 Bedford Rd., Pleasantville, N.Y. 10570, the Clinton Street Center (Senior Center) at 1A Clinton St., Pleasantville, N.Y. 10570 or to the charity of your choice.
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