Joni Handley, a longtime Dutchess County resident, passed away unexpectedly on Jan. 10 at the age of 72. She was born in Brooklyn on Oct. 23, 1946, and was the daughter of Sam Kessler and Anna Levy Kessler. Her Yiddish name was Yuspa.

A graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School at age sixteen, Joni earned an associate's degree in secretarial sciences from N.Y.C. Community College. After working several secretarial and retail jobs, she attained a bachelor's degree as an adult in 1992 from SUNY New Paltz, majoring in sociology and minoring in social work. Joni then worked with the Dutchess County Community Action Agency and the YWCA's Teen Parent Program, before spending the bulk of her career at Dutchess County Youth Services, where she counseled area youths and their families.

Joni devoted a lot of her time to helping others. A passionate advocate of assisting the homeless and the needy, she worked at a food pantry; provided case management, which she found extremely rewarding; and ran an after-school program for troubled children and their families. Joni often produced handmade garments, blankets, and toys for those she loved. During her retirement, she crocheted blankets to be distributed to those living on the streets of New York City. Joni was kind and generous and would help anyone she knew, and even those she didn't. For years, in fact, she donated food every week without telling anyone she was doing so. Her long-time pacifistic and vegetarian philosophies stemmed from her desire never to harm other living beings.

In 1966, Joni married Vincent Handley, and the two lived in Beacon and Poughkeepsie, N.Y., as well as in Raleigh, N.C. They raised two children, Richard (Rich) and Jody, and eventually divorced, though they managed to work beyond their differences. By the time Vinnie passed away in 2008, they had become good friends. She grew close with Vinnie's second wife and stepchildren, whom she considered her own family. This was a great source of joy for Joni, who valued family very much and looked forward to any chances to gather everyone together on holidays and other occasions. She considered her children's step-siblings to be her immediate family, and all of their children her grandchildren. As a matter of fact, she was known to many family friends as Grandma.

Joni is survived by her children Rich and Jill Handley and their children, Emily and Joshua; and Jody Campbell and Eddie Gboney and their children, Danny Campbell and Meredith Gboney. Her loving extended family members include Carol and George Colwell; Susan and Mark Christopher and their children, Quinn and Ashley, Elizabeth, and Noah; Julie Gasparri and her children, Kate and Olivia; Scott Tyner; Barbara Mika and Mary Campbell; Jackie and Joe Kile and their children, Liam, Vincent, Logan, and Christopher; Jay Mika, Lida Li, and their children, Jordan and Shea; Rosemarie and Dan Cooper and their children, McKenzie and Andrew; Michael and Maryanne Tyner; Richard Tyner; and Ed Christopher. She was predeceased by her brother, Robert Kessler; her sisters-in-law, Judith Handley and Diane McDowell; and her children's stepbrother, Eric Tyner. Joni is also survived by her sisters Sheila (and husband Teddy) and Myra (and husband Harvey); Robert's wife Marcia and their children, Marty, David, and Robyn; and many beloved cousins and dear friends, including "special" cousins Caren, Steven, and Lisa Kessler.

An informal memorial will be held on Saturday, Jan. 26, 2019, at 1 P.M., at the home of Jackie and Joe Kile, located at 19 Patrick Drive, Union Vale, N.Y. 12540. Family and friends are invited to gather and celebrate Joni's life. At a later date, in keeping with Joni's spiritual beliefs, her family will have her ashes planted with two infant trees. In lieu of flowers, contributions in memory of Joni may be made to Dutchess Outreach organization (dutchessoutreach.org). Arrangements are under the direction of the McHoul Funeral Home, located in Hopewell Junction, N.Y. To send the family an online condolence, please visit mchoulfuneralhome.com.