Obituary of Grace H. Pike

Grace H. Pike, a 64-year resident of Rye, passed away on Sunday June 25, 2023 at the age of 94. Anna Grace Heintz was born in New York City on November 2, 1928. The daughter of Anna and Herbert Heintz, she was raised in Manhattan and the Bronx. She attended Hunter College where she graduated in three years. 

During one summer in Milford, Connecticut, she met the “love of her life”, Donald Pike. They were married in 1949 and lived in New York City until relocating to Rye in 1959 where she raised three sons – Kevin (Shelby), Tod (Dawn) and Dana (Ann). 

Grace led an active life in Rye. She volunteered at United Hospital including a stint as a member of the Board of Trustees. She also took an active role in the Junior Women’s Club, the Tulip Twig and chaired the first Mayfair Market. 

Shortly after her youngest headed off to Rye Middle School, a good friend asked Grace “What are you going to do with the rest of your life? You aren’t going to sit around and play bridge all day.” Grace’s passion to be active soon turned towards local real estate where she started a very successful career spanning four decades. A long-time broker at Merritt Associates, Grace was a top producer in Westchester County. She loved the profession where she met so many people who she considered friends. She hosted many cocktail parties and loved connecting the new Rye residents with her established clients and watching those friendships flourish. 

Over the past 40 years, Grace split her time between Rye and Naples, Florida where she spent countless hours reading books, chatting with friends by the pool and working on her perpetual tan. She was a former member of the Pelican Bay Club in Naples and The Apawamis Club in Rye. 

Grace and Don celebrated their 66th anniversary before his passing in 2015. She was also predeceased by her sister, Doris MacMurphy. In addition to her three sons and their wives (who she considered daughters), she is survived by six grandchildren – Meghan (Etienne), Jeffrey (Taryn), Lizzie (Michael), Lauren (Woody), Connor (Betsy) and Matthew (Elizabeth); and four great-grandchildren – James, Colin, Liam and Caleb. 

A private family memorial was held on July 24, 2023 in Rye, NY.