Obituary of Mildred Billig

Mildred Billig, loving wife, mother, and grandmother passed peacefully on Saturday, surrounded by her loving family. She was 84 years old. “Minnie”, as she was affectionately called, was born the youngest daughter of Pincus and Pauline Cohen in Monticello during the Great Depression. She grew up on a small farm in Hurleyville, with her oldest brother Harold who is deceased, Rita and Charles. She learned many of life’s lessons on the farm, including being a hard worker, never one to procrastinate. Most importantly she learned what would be her most important attribute; selflessness and compassion. Minnie attended a one room school house at the top of the Columbia Hill. Growing up on the farm required much hard work and ingenuity, but there was also time for fun, and one of her favorite pastimes in winter was sleigh riding down the Columbia Hill and she loved to ice skate. She walked to school and loved the beautiful environment that was her beloved Catskills. She graduated from Monticello High School in 1948. Upon graduating Minnie worked in an office in New York City at the Flatiron building. Eventually she moved back to Sullivan County to work in the family business which had become the famous Catskill Hotel – Butler Lodge. The hotel flourished during the golden age of the Borscht Belt. Its most famous tumler was Mel Brooks. Minnie did everything at the hotel from working at the front desk for guests checking in, office work, to assisting with cooking in the kitchen. She even would follow up with the guests in the winter. She would also assist running the family’s other hotel in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Every fall, after the Jewish Holidays, Minnie would pack up her mother and father in the family Pontiac station wagon and drive them to Arkansas. She was the one who really ran both hotels, with the employees looking to her for guidance on what needed to be done. On a faithful day in the summer of 1956, she happened to travel on errands, and met Norman Billig at his store in South Fallsburg. A few days later their first date was at an ice cream shop in Ellenville, and they fell in love and were married on September 29, 1956. They had three children, Jacob, Martin and Robin. Minnie eventually landed a job as the financial account manager at Fallsburg Central High School. She worked there assisting the business administrator in all financial matters and also working with many teachers in making investment decisions for their retirement. During the course of her career, she assisted hundreds of teachers plan their retirement. She stressed the importance of investing in tax shelters, and many teachers upon their retirement thanked her. She ran the business office successfully for many years and retired in 1991. Minnie was one of the original multi taskers. She was the family leader taking care of her father, mother, and step mother, father in law and mother in law. All this while raising a family and also running the household while her husband Norman, worked his day job at the Concord Hotel Men’s shop and at night worked a second job at Monticello Raceway. Minnie was also an active member of the Fallsburg Lions. She was a pollster for Democratic Party at elections. She was an avid collector of antiques and other memorabilia. She loved to drive around with Norman to various auctions and garage sales looking through people’s memorabilia to collect. She would often say, one day it will be worth something. Minnie loved to collect Royal Daulton. She was also enjoyed collecting coins. She was an avid gardener. One could find her always taking care of her property, her fathers, and her in-laws down the street. Minnie was a woman of great faith. She was active in the Congregation B’nai Israel, attending services for the various holidays with her family. Minnie was also active in many community groups, but most of all the Congregation B’nai Israel Sisterhood. This organization was critical to the successful running of the Congregation. She loved working on various projects including the Sisterhood Journal and bingo, which help raise hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years. She was also life member of Jewish Women International. Minnie’s selflessness was seen on almost a daily basis. She was always the first to help those in need. Her father would buy Shabbos dinner for someone in need and she would be the one to deliver it. She loved the morning, the quiet peacefulness of the beginning of the day, but truly appreciated each day and each person she came into contact with. Every person who came into contact with her was touched by her, and her kindness. Not a bad word was ever said by her or about her. “It’s a beautiful world” was one of her favorite sayings. She is survived by her husband Norman of 60 beautiful faithful years of marriage who lives in Woodbourne, her son Martin and his children Leah and Joshua of White Plains, her daughter Robin Baer and her husband Michael and their children Julia and Jessica of Fair Lawn, New Jersey and her son Jacob and Karen Billig and their children Emily and Austin, of Glen Wild, New York, her sister Rita Mandel of Patchogue, New York and her brother Charles and his loving wife Cecil of Woodbourne and other loving nieces and nephews. She will truly be missed and always remembered. Funeral services for Mildred will be held Monday January 18, 2016 at 11:00AM at the Joseph N. Garlick Funeral Home Inc, 388 Broadway Monticello, NY 12701. Burial will immediately follow in the Congregation B’nai Israel Cemetery Marsh Rd, Glen Wild, NY. Funeral arrangements under the direction of the Joseph N. Garlick Funeral Home Inc. Monticello. To leave a condolence for the family please visit www.josephngarlickfuneralhome.com.