John de Jesus Cifuentes
Visitation/Velación:
Tuesday
November 15, 2022
4 PM - 8 PM
Location:
John Krtil Funeral Home
1297 1st Ave
New York, NY 10021
Funeral Mass/Misa Funeral:
Wednesday
November 16, 2022
10 AM
Location:
St. Vincent Ferrer Church
869 Lexington Ave
New York, NY 10065
Private Cremation/Cremación privada
John de Jesús Cifuentes Montoya died peacefully at home on November 11, 2022 with his beloved wife Pamela A. Danesi by his side. To all who knew him, he was a wonderfully kindhearted and generous man with a passion for social justice, empathy for those in need, and a lifelong love of teaching and learning. John was a great conversationalist, and would love to regale family and friends with long stories rich in detail from his past. He was a man of faith whose life was shaped by love of family.
John was born on December 15, 1935 in the remote rural village of Abriaquí, Antioquia, Colombia high in the Andes mountains. He grew up in the neighboring town of Caicedo where his parents, Jesús M.Cifuentes and Mercedes Montoya , owned a coffee plantation. From a young age, he was seized by a curiosity about the world which inspired his desire to learn. He earned a scholarship to pursue higher education and graduated in 1961 from the Normal Nacional Superior de Varones in Manizales with a degree of Maestro Superior (Superior Teacher), and a Bachiller from Casa Cultural Moreno y Escandon Instituto de Bachillarato in Bogotá in 1961. He subsequently attended Universidad Nacional de Colombia in Bogotá to study sociology as a way of assisting his community with conflict resolution. He learned the great need for this process much earlier, when he convinced his father to go into hiding during the turbulent La Violencia period in Colombia and thus saved his father from certain murder by the paramilitaries.
After the death of his father in 1963, John returned to Caicedo to help manage the family farm. Knowing first hand the limited educational opportunities available to children, he began enlisting the help of local teachers and government leaders to expand the grade levels and resources available. This determined effort to aid the poor through education led to his founding of the secondary school Instituto de Educatión Media San Juan Bosco in Caicedo. On the occasion of the school’s 50th anniversary in 2016, John was invited to return for the celebration and honored publicly for his service to the children and the community.
Growing up on a farm, John had a soft spot in his heart for animals. He gained the trust of horses that he trained for riding with kindness and patience, and he loved to relate funny stories of stubborn wayward cows and comical antics of a mother hen berating her chicks. In later years, everyone knew how attached he was to his pet cat, Peep, whom he would take on road trips, with Peep calmly sitting in the front seat by his side.
Seeking wider experience and fuller opportunities, John emigrated to the United States in 1970 and continued teaching. When he decided to pursue a second career in real estate, he attended New York University and earned a Certificate in Real Estate Management. He managed buildings in mid-town Manhattan before purchasing his own multi-family apartment building in Brooklyn. John benefited from a knack for fixing almost anything. As a building manager, he easily mastered the workings of plumbing, heating, and electricity and could make all the repairs himself if necessary. This talent endeared him to tenants of all the buildings he managed. And, perhaps more important than the physical repairs, he always treated people with respect and fairness, and would often generously help tenants with good deeds, both large and small -- he once searched the neighborhood to find a priest to give Last Rites to a dying man, and another time, offered to find help for an alcoholic tenant who had been violently attacked and robbed.
After moving to his home on Shore Road in Brooklyn, John was dismayed by the poor condition of the nearby park which was falling into neglect and being used as a dumping ground. He started by cleaning up a small area and planting flowers himself, but as interest from his neighbors grew, he petitioned local city government officials as well as the Brooklyn Botanic Garden to recognize this part of the park as a separate area. Narrows Botanical Garden was officially founded in 1995 as a result of his commitment.
John´s interest in the wider world continued throughout his life. He enjoyed travelling to many countries, from Mexico, South America, and Europe. He followed news from around the world -- most mornings he could be found reading Colombian periodicals as well as the New York Times and The Economist. He loved to attend the Metropolitan Opera and the New York Philharmonic.
John is survived by his loving wife Pamela, his devoted daughter Patricia Amparo Cifuentes and son-in-law Carlos Enrique Munoz, his granddaughter Maria Alejandra Munoz, and his sister Blanca Rose Cifuentes. He was preceded in death by his brother Jose Eucaris Cifuentes.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the St. Vincent de Paul Society or World Central Kitchen.
Ilumíname, Señor.
Impregna de tu luz mi espíritu para que yo, embebido en tu contemplación, pueda conocerte y expandir tu nombre. Deja Señor, que tan siquiera, una sola gota de tu sangre ruede por mi alma y la fecundice, para que inflamado mi espíritu con el fuego de la fé, reviente el fervor de aquellos que aún te desconocen. Y, has, Señor, que yo esté en Tí, para que, cumplida vuestra Divina Voluntad, pueda un día volar a la mansión eterna. ¡ Y, llévame, Señor, hasta donde quieras que yo vaya!
Escrita por John de Jesús Cifuentes
Agosto 13 de 1959
Enlighten me, Lord.
May your light suffuse my spirit
so that, lost in your contemplation,
I can know you and amplify your name.
Lord, let even
a single drop of your blood
roll by my soul and fortify it,
so that, my spirit, inflamed by the fire of faith,
burst the fervor of those that still do not know you.
And make, Lord, me into You,
so that, completing your divine will,
I will one day be able to fly
to the eternal home.
And take me, Lord, to where
you want me to go.
John de J. Cifuentes
1959
New Title
Linda Jo Calloway, one of the first women to earn a doctorate in information technology, died in February at Morningside at Mount Sainai hospital from medical complications of a broken femur and hip in a fall at her Carnegie Hill residence in Manhattan. She had retired in 2021 after nearly 30 years on the faculty of Pace University’s Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems. She is survived by her brother, Larry Calloway, and her niece, Maia Calloway. Dr. Calloway began her productive career at the birth of the U.S. manned space program. Her first jobs after graduation from Colorado University Boulder were with NASA subcontractors at Cape Canaveral including ITT’s Apolo launch data system. She pursued her graduate degrees later at New York University while working with all-male faculties at Hofstra and Fordham Universities. Her patience paid off eventually. She was awarded the NYU Stern School of Information Systems PhD in 1989 and received tenure at Pace University nine years later. During her Pace career she was influential in the field of information systems theory. She published articles in leading international journals including the Oxford University Journal of Information Technology, Information Systems Journal, Blackwell Scientific Publications, and Journal of College Teaching and Learning. One of her most topical studies of interest to business investigated crisis management. It opened with the statement, “When crisis strikes, fast response management depends upon quickly configuring and employing information and communications.” Her papers, some with Pace students, were early investigations if issues that became relevant years later with the popular press – such as China’s ability to continue growing its economy if it cannot continue to attract multinational IT corporations. Another described the surprise result of a controlled survey of student groups that revealed a general use of “emotional language” in their relationship to software engineering tools – an issue predominant now in AI discussions. Perhaps because of the early novelty of a women working in information technology – not unusual now – Dr. Calloway was academically welcomed in other countries when she was young. She was a research fellow at Erasmus University in Rotterdam, a visiting scholar at Fudan University in Shanghai and a teacher at the Irish Management Institute in Dublin. Her non-academic interests were as diverse as her many friends. One of her most intensive preoccupations was nature photography, which she practiced on her frequent walks in Central Park. She loved the wild creatures– birds, squirrels, racoons – and she knew where some always nested, and she gave them names. She also had a creative interest in the city’s puddles. They are many, and they can be dirty. But her focus was what they framed – pure reflections of life. She published photos and poetic attachments in her little book called “As Clear As If I Saw It.” She loved music, voice in particular. For many summers she sang in the chorus the Verdi productions in the park by New York Grand Opera. She joined the American Federation of broadcast performers, which would have delighted her maternal grandmother, who had been a labor organizer for auto workers in Detroit. And friends and colleagues were surprised to see her in a bit part in at least one “Law and Order” show on television. In the Sixties she met Ray Rauth in the Cape Canaveral community theater. They were married and eventually moved to New York City, perhaps with acting in mind. They lived together for ten years until different interests led to their divorce. Just before their breakup they had found a spacious ground-level apartment on the Upper Eastside. She lived in it fifty years, until the morning last June when she tripped and fell while going to the lobby of her building to look for mail.
Connor–Anne B Stellwagen. On March 29th 2026. Mrs. Connor was born on September 27, 1930 to Esther M. and Herbert P. Stellwagen of Bryn Mawr, PA. After graduating from The Baldwin School, she received her BA from Pembroke College at Brown University, where she produced and ran several radio shows at WBRU. Upon moving to NYC, Mrs. Connor produced live television shows for Blair Entertainment and met and married her husband, Timothy J Connor, in 1957. They welcomed an only daughter in 1967. Mrs. Connor reentered the workforce in 1980 as a seminar planner, organizing trade shows across the country. Though she achieved much in her business life, Mrs. Connor’s true passion lay in service to others. She joined Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church in 1958, joining the choir, serving as Deacon and Elder, and was instrumental in the founding of the St. Andrew Music Society in 1965. Mrs. Connor began work as a lay Chaplain for the Hospital Chaplaincy, where she visited patients at Lenox Hill Hospital on a bi-weekly basis for over 40 years. She served on the the Board of the James Lenox House Association from 1971 until her death. During that time, as a member of the Board of Health Advocates for Older People, she chaired the committee which designed services for Carnegie East House–the first non profit enriched housing residence in Manhattan for older adults. Mrs. Connor also served on the Board of Trustees for the Hewitt School and as President of the Board of Directors of 103 East 75th Street. She is survived by her daughter, Margaret Foley Connor and two grandsons, Timothy and Owen Johnson, one niece, one nephew and a great nephew. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Madison Avenue Presbyterian or James Lenox House Association, Inc.
Viewing Monday April 6, 2026 1:00 P.M.-3:00 P.M. John Krtil Funeral Home 1297 1st Ave New York, NY 10021 Private Cremation
Rosalie Lipton Scal passed away peacefully on the evening of January 27, 2026, just a few days before her 96th birthday. Rosalie was born February 9, 1930 and was a lifelong resident of New York City, growing up in Queens. She was the beloved daughter of Victor Lipton and Pauline Pasternak Lipton, and taught high school mathematics in the New York City Public School System. Rosalie was the loving wife of David Scal, M.D. a proud member of the staff of Beth Israel, who died in 2017. Rosalie and David made their home on the Upper East Side of Manhattan for many years. A memorial service for Rosalie will be held on Sunday, March 29, 2026, at 10:30 am at John Krtil Funeral Home, 1297 First Avenue, New York, New York 10021. Interment to follow Mt. Carmel Cemetery, Glendale, NY. Donations may be made in Rosalie’s name to Williams College, Williamstown, MA. click here.
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Loeva Bernard passed away peacefully on February 21, 2026, at the age of 96. She was born in Cottonwood Falls Kansas on September 12, 1929. She was preceded in death by her husband Arther Bernard and her brother, Charles F. Klamm and his wife Carol J. Klamm and a nephew Daniel E. Klamm. She is survived by her nephews David L. (Regina) Klamm and Kenneth G. (Trish) Klamm and her niece Kaylene S. (Charles) Campbell, plus many great nieces and nephews. She was a dearly loved friend of Lee Wolpert. She will be deeply missed and remembered fondly by all those who knew her.
Barbara Lane 1939 – 2026 Barbara Lane passed away peacefully on the morning of February 11th 2026 at the age of 86. Born on September 30th, 1939, at the Polyclinc Hospital, Barbara was a lifelong resident of New York City’s Upper East Side. She was raised alongside her sister Joanne under the loving guidance of her mother Dorothy and her father Edward. She learned her love of culture, refinement and the art of presence from her father Eddie and she gained her strength and grace from her mother and best friend Dorothy. Barbara also cherished her beloved sister, Joanne Elizabeth Kauper, whose strong bond and lifelong friendship was a central part her life. After attending Lady Cliff College Barbara worked for Columbia Presbyterian Hospital before beginning a long and distinguished career at the Waldorf Astoria Towers. She was often referred to as “the face of the towers” and served as a gracious host and confidant to celebrities, world leaders and stewards of industry. What defined Barbara was her ability to make every guest feel valued and genuinely important regardless of prominence or position. Barbara cherished her lifelong friendships with her colleagues that were not only based in camaraderie but represented their loyalty and genuine affection for each other. Barbara was well known for her calligraphy. The Waldorf often commissioned her for this exceptional talent. This skill reflected her precision, artistry, and impeccable standards. Her professional life later continued in the world of fine art and hospitality at Christies Auction House where her appreciation for beauty and detail remained a constant and she developed important lasting friendships with her colleagues. Barbara was a devoted daughter, sister, aunt, loyal friend and a woman of deep Catholic faith. Barbara is survived by her sister‘s husband G Gerard Kauper, her nieces and nephews Lane Elizabeth Kauper Peterson, Gabrielle, Khristina, Gerard, Nicholas, George, Edward, Joseph and Christian Kauper, Chelsea Wolf, Whitney Peterson, Yanory Valerio, her great-niece's Genevieve Peterson, Cassandra Robinson and great-nephew’s George Peterson, Justin, George, Gavin, Nicholas and Anthony Kauper.
Linda Baylis-Mallia, of Manhattan, New York, passed away peacefully on February 17, 2026, at the age of 79. Born on September 9, 1946, in New York City, she was a proud New Yorker through and through. Linda earned her undergraduate degree from City College of New York and her master’s degree from Columbia University, before going on to build the Baylis-Mallia Group. Linda approached life with curiosity and style. She loved traveling the world, exploring New York City’s newest galleries and restaurants, and, of course, shopping at Bloomingdale’s. She is survived by her devoted husband, Anthony. Linda will be remembered as a true New Yorker and will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her.
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