Livingston, Fox & Full Line-Up for Rye Memorial Day Parade & Ceremony

The City of Rye will carry on its tradition of honoring military personnel who died while in service to their country on Memorial Day, Monday, May 26, 2025, at Rye City Hall immediately following the Memorial Day parade. The Rye American Legion Post Auxiliary is organizing the parade down Purchase Street which will feature Legionnaires, marching bands, cyclists, classic cars, Rye’s Boys and Girls Scouts, Rye school groups and local government officials.

The parade begins at 9:30 am at the train station and ends at City Hall. The ceremony will take place on the village green. American Legion Post 128 Commander Fred de Barros will lead the ceremony. Mayor Josh Cohn, US Congressman George Latimer, NYS Senator Shelley Mayer and NYS Assemblyman Steve Otis are expected to offer welcoming remarks and greetings.

Principal Speaker

This year’s principal speaker is Valerie Livingston, a resident of Rye since 1992. She became Rye City’s first female judge in 2020 and became the full-time judge in 2023. She is married to Edward (Ted) Livingston. The couple raised their three children, Chris, Catherine and Andrew here in Rye and who were all educated in Rye’s public schools.

Judge Livingston received her BA in French at Dickinson College and her JD at Pace University School of Law. Before taking the bench in 2020, she spent her 30-year career as an Assistant District Attorney here in Westchester County. During her career as an ADA, she spent 20 years in the Appeals Bureau arguing cases in the Appellate Division and the New York Court of Appeals as well as federal courts, including the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. During her last ten years in the DA’s Office, she ran the Rye Branch supervising other attorneys who handled the criminal precautions in the City of Rye as well as the Towns and Village of Harrison, Larchmont, Port Chester and Scarsdale. In that post she also had the opportunity to guide and advise the police departments in those towns and villages.

Judge Livingston is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Rye Golf Club, and Rye Boxing Club. Two of her brothers served in the Marine Corps. One brother, Andrew Ludlum, served as an infantry officer and was part of the lead ground invasion during Operation Desert Storm. Before leaving the Marines for a career in the FBI, he rose to the rank of Captain. He advises his sister that “like all Marines present and past, he stood on the shoulders of the Marines, living and dead, who came before [him].”

Americanism Award

The American Legion Americanism Award will be presented to Rye resident Bob Fox.  Bob grew up in Port Chester and Greenwich and graduated from St. Michael’s College where he played baseball. Bob later became an accomplished rugby player for the New York Athletic Club. Bob is a longtime member of Rye Resurrection Church where he has served as an usher for over a decade. Bob has been a volunteer coach of various sports in Rye for almost 30 years. He coached in the Rye Little League for many years and served on the Little League Board and as the umpire supervisor. Bob also coached youth football in local leagues as well as CYO basketball at Rye Resurrection. One of his and Ted Livingston’s CYO teams won the New York state championship. Bob has also coached in the Rye Boxing Club for over 15 years and continues to do so now long after his own kids have graduated from the program. The RBC kids love Coach Fox and he loves them back. Bob was also stalwart member of the “old man hoops game” at the Rye YMCA for many years. Bob is married to his wife Marguerite and they have two sons, Sean and Brendan. Brendan is currently serving as a Sergeant in a U.S. Army infantry unit at Fort Cavazos in Killeen, Texas.

Legionnaire Terry McCartney will read the Roll of Honor. Legionnaire Tim Moynihan will read the “Oldham Letter”.  Rev. Deacon Katie Lawrence of Christ’s Church, Rye will lead the Invocation.

The John M. Kingery Memorial Day Essay Contest Award will be presented to the Rye High School student who submitted the winning essay on “What Memorial Day Means to Me.” The ceremony will include the traditional recitation of the Gettysburg Address by a student from Resurrection School.

The program will also include recognition of a Rye Eagle Scout, Tadgh O’Brien of Rye Boy Scout Troop 2 who will receive the American Legion Good Citizen Citation. Robin Latimer, president of the Rye American Legion Auxiliary will sing patriotic songs. Michael Talbott of Rye High School will play Taps.