Obituary of Chiara Kimmel-Preuss

Beloved wife, mother, sister, grandmother and friend, Chiara Kimmel-Preuss (Sestito), passed away peacefully on August 3rd in Peekskill, NY at the age of 66. Chiara is survived by her loving husband of 23 years, Peter (Preuss), her two sons Michael (wife Jayne and daughter Kaitlyn) and Marland (wife Julia and daughter Claire), her three brothers, Sal (Maria), Pete (Linda) and Vito, her sister Rosie (Joey) and many nieces and nephews. Chiara was born on November 18th in Calabria, Italy to Frank and Antoinette Sestito. Upon immigrating to the United States, Chiara and her family lived on Battle Hill in White Plains. Chiara graduated from White Plains High School in 1969. Chiara worked at Westchester Medical College for over 20 years as a program coordinator in the Department of Pharmacology. Married in 1994, Chiara and Peter share a full life together in Lake Peekskill, NY, where they loved each other unconditionally. Chiara was an avid gardener and could often be found tending to the garden at their home. She was also a devoted animal lover, and her late Chihuahuas, Chester and Elvis, were like children to her. Chiara cared deeply for her family and her greatest priority in her life was their happiness. Chiara often said the birth of her grandchildren, Kaitlyn (10 years old) and Claire (5 months) made her life complete. While ill, Chiara was lovingly cared for by her husband, Peter, and his sister Frieda Crawford-Preuss, making it possible for her to remain in her beloved home up until her passing. Memorial visitation will be held on August 10th at the Joseph F. Nardone Funeral Home located at 414 Washington St, Peekskill, NY 10566 (4:30pm – 6pm), with a reception to follow at Cortlandt Colonial Restaurant located at 714 Old Albany Post Rd, Cortlandt, NY 10567 (6:30pm – 8pm). All are welcome to attend and celebrate Chiara’s beautiful life. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Putnam County SPCA (http://spcaputnam.org/ or 68 Old Rte 6, Carmel Hamlet, NY 10512).