A Notorious Brush with RBG

(PHOTO: Flowers, notes, photos and artwork celebrating the life of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Rye village green Sunday.)

There is a lot of love for Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg as witnessed by the notorious celebration of her life on the Rye village green Sunday afternoon.

But Hix Park resident Rita Stewart had her own notorious encounter. “Both RBG and I are opera fanatics and I met her at a Glimmerglass Opera Festival several years ago, which she used to attend and give talks on opera,” said Stewart, a senior citizen and an active member of SPRYE. “We sat near each other at a luncheon there, but she was very shy and private and didn’t speak to anyone but her immediate people.”

“When I went to the restroom, I was alone except for one other person…RBG…we washed our hands together at the sink. She again was private and did not speak…BUT when I asked about opera, she lit up and talked about the opera scene in Washington…it was a cherished moment for me.”

Stewart is a 60+ year resident of Rye, and when we spoke with her Sunday she was busy handwriting and mailing postcards in support of Democratic races in North Carolina.

More photos from the village green celebration Sunday: