Rye Lifers is a MyRye.com series that introduces you to people that have spent their lives in Rye – people who have grown up in Rye, worked in Rye, come back to raise their family in Rye. Do you know someone we should profile for Rye Lifers? Tell us.
Today meet Marion Anderson.
Anderson is the executive director at Heartsong, Inc., a nonprofit that provides creative arts therapies for individuals with disabilities and serves on the Rye City Council.
Rye Lifer: Marion Anderson
MyRye.com: Why are you a Rye “Lifer”?
Anderson: My parents moved to Rye just after the end of World War II. My father, Sam, was a Seabee and stationed in the Philippines. My mother worked in the kitchen of the naval base in CA. My parents bought property on Florence Avenue at auction for $500. Not many homes had been built yet in the Glen Oaks area. My father and uncles built the house we grew up in.
My father was a construction worker on the Osborn School building. I was born at United Hospital in Port Chester, NY. I attended Osborn, Rye Middle and High Schools. I had two older sisters and two brothers. We all attended the Rye City Schools.
![(PHOTO: 4th Grade Osborn School in Rye, NY,1964. Row 1: Adrianne Thomas, Greg Choron, Marc [?], Barbara Luna, Cory Kaiser, Andy Schuster ; Row 2: Marion Anderson, John Fanning, Philip LeBrun, Todd Newcomb, Angel Bardani, Vicki Mira (headband), Alex [?], Barbara Blumenschine, Laura Gordich, Joe Picone; Row 3: Joe Seftner; Row 4: Judy Santucci, Jim Fuller, Mike Tedesco, Sue Mantz Henry Knoop (left of teacher), Barabar Johnson (next to teacher by window). Contributed.)](https://myrye.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/IMG_2536.jpeg)
Henry Knoop (left of teacher), Barabar Johnson (next to teacher by window). Contributed.)
Tell us about the street in Rye you grew-up on.
Anderson: We grew up on Florence Avenue in the Glen Oaks section of Rye. It was such a different time, where all the neighborhood children played openly outdoors, riding bikes and climbing the many trees on the Osborn Retirement Home property unencumbered until the dinner bell rang. All the neighborhood children walked to and from Osborn School without adult supervision. Riding bikes was allowed only after testing and issuance of a license by the Rye PD. We brought our pets (dogs, frogs, cats, etc.) to school and participated in pet shows, where everyone received a ribbon. Children did their trick-or-treating throughout the neighborhood, also without adult supervision. Everyone carried their orange Unicef boxes and collected coins to donate. We had one family that created a yearly haunted house that spooked us all.
Where in Rye do you live now?
Anderson: I own a condo (24 years) on the Boston Post Road – I love the condo life, no yard, no shoveling and an easy walk to the train & town. I sorely miss the A&P for convenient food shopping.
Who was your favorite teacher at Rye High School and what year did you graduate?
Anderson: I graduated from Rye High School in 1973. I am still in close contact with my 7th grade social studies teacher, Maurio Sax, who is 95 years old. He was / is a well-loved teacher by many students. He instilled a love of history, but many of us have stories of his classroom antics.
What in your view are the two or three greatest Rye traditions—current or past?
Anderson:
- Rye-Harrison football game
- Memorial Day parade
- Halloween window painting
What about the great Rye institutions—community organizations, shops, restaurants. Which ones are or have been part of the Rye fabric?
Anderson:
- Rye Smoke Shop – had something for everyone of all ages. It had that great musty smell to it.
- Woolworth’s – loved the squeaky wooden floors and food counter. Had everything one would need.
- Playland – many of the old rides, Fun House, Old Mill, Dragon Coaster, fireworks!
- Jerry’s Post Road Market (prior to the new building)
Thanks Marion.
Memorial Day in Port Chester, NY. Circa mid 1960s. Contributed.)
