Judith Via of Yorktown Heights Dies at 67

Judith Via, of Yorktown Heights, died March 15, 2012 at Sky View Rehabilitation & Health Care Center, Croton-on-Hudson, where she had resided for the last 13 years. She had fought a long and courageous battle with Multiple Sclerosis and more recently with breast cancer. She was 67 years old.

Judy was born May 9, 1944 in Bexley, Ohio, a suburban community of Columbus, to Clarence Fetter and Mary Stalder. She was one of three brothers and four sisters, all of whom received a Catholic School education. Judy's lifelong spiritual commitment to her faith helped her find the courage to face the daunting challenges to come.

Judy graduated from Bishop Hartley High School in 1962 and Ohio Dominican College in 1966 with a major in Spanish and a minor in secondary education. She was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship and lived in Spain for one year studying contemporary Spanish theatre while traveling around the country, Europe and the Middle East. On return to the US, she became a teaching assistantship at Ohio State University and received a Masters of Art degree in Spanish literature. During this time she met her future husband and began teaching at Fairfield School for Boys in Lancaster, OH.

On August 7, 1970, she married Francis Via at Saint Catherine's Roman Catholic Church in Bexley, OHand moved with him to New York to start their new life together. For the next 10 years, she taught middle school Spanish at the Byram Hills School District in Armonk. The couple had two sons, Michael and David. After David's birth, and the onset of MS, she retired from teaching and dedicated herself to raising her two sons and maintaining as best as possible a happy family life. During this time and before computers, she published a Spanish puzzle booklet: Rompecabezas Para Aprender y Divertirse, which sold more than 1,000 copies. She was very proud of this achievement. 

When it became necessary for her to move to Sky View Rehabilitation & Health Care Center, for the next 13 years, family care continued with the wonderful support of an especially caring professional staff. Among all her other wonderful qualities, Judy will be remembered for her ability to face formidable challenges while maintaining a contagiously positive outlook on life.

Judy is survived by her husband, Francis Via and two sons, Dr. Michael Via, an endocrinologist living in Manhasset and his wife Caroline, and David Via, a computer scientist in Columbia, MD, and his wife Tara Chapman. Judy is also survived by two sisters Caroline Paese of Gahanna, OH and Rita Johnson of Columbus, OH, two brothers Thomas Fetter of Gahanna, OH and Alan Fetter of Scottsdale, AZ, two sisters-in-law Betty Fetter and Shirley Fetter, two brothers-in-law Joseph Paese and DennisFinneran, and many nieces and nephews.

Family members who predeceased her include two sisters Mary Kay Fetter and Martha Finneran, a brother Anthony Fetter and a sister-in-law Kay Fetter and her parents Clarence Fetter and Mary Stalder.

A wake was held March 18 at in Yorktown Heights. The Funeral mass was held at St Patrick's Church in Yorktown on March 19. Interment followed at Amawalk Hill Cemetery, Amawalk. Please, in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to: National MS Society, Southern New York, 2 Gannett Drive, Suite LC, White Plains, NY 10604.