Obituary of Mildred Ruth Cordtz

Milly Cordtz, a 51-year Rye resident and dedicated member of Rye Presbyterian Church, died peacefully at home on March 6, 2020. She was 92. Born in Cleveland, Ohio on April 5, 1927, she was a graduate of Cleveland Heights High School. After attending Wheaton College, she married Dan Cordtz and raised four children. Before moving to Rye in 1969, they lived in Hanford and Concord, California; Avon Lake, Ohio; Westbury, New York; Detroit, Michigan; Paris, France; and Bethesda, Maryland. For 15 years, Mrs. Cordtz was the office manager of Rye Presbyterian Church. Her distinctive red convertible could often be seen parked outside, when not being used to transport grandchildren on rides through town, or in Garnet football Homecoming parades. An active parishioner at Rye Presbyterian Church, she was among the first group, in 1995, to travel monthly to Sing-Sing prison to meet with men in the New York Theological Seminary’s Master’s in Professional Studies program and with graduates of that program who remained in prison. She faithfully continued going into the prison with the group until well past her 80th birthday. On that occasion, the men in the class made a small “throne” for her, on which she sat while they fitted her with a crown and named her “Queen for the Day”. She was also active in the church’s prison ministry to Fishkill prison in Beacon, N.Y., until health considerations forced her to retire. In 2010, Milly Cordtz was honored with the Richard E. Murdoch Award from the Mission and Outreach Committee. The award recognizes the importance of Christian concern and outreach to the congregation and community. Among the pastimes she enjoyed were knitting, working in her garden, and reading, and every summer, the beach at Manursing and the fireworks from Playland. She is survived by her children, Wendy (New York City), Kay (Albuquerque, N.M.), and Jeff (Duluth, Ga.); eight grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her son Richard. A memorial service will be held in late spring at Rye Presbyterian Church, where donations may be made in Milly Cordtz’s name.