Linda Zitofsky

Linda Susan Spain was born on January 6, 1950. Historians agree this was the best possible way to kick off the 50's, and the only good thing to happen on January 6th ever. Linda would spend the next 75 years living a remarkable life and accumulating as many surnames as possible.

Linda was born in the Bronx, NY to her mother Anne and her father Morty, and raised in both the Bronx and Haverstraw, NY by Anne and her stepfather, Leonard Peretz (surname #2). As a teenager in the 1960's, she would sneak into the city with her best friend (also named Linda) to hang out in Greenwich Village, frequent venues like Cafe Wha?, and get in an appropriate amount of trouble. She loved doo wop, rock music, and dancing- and it was always only just a matter of time before she told you that she grew up next door to Bowser from Sha Na Na.

On May 19, 1973 Linda married her college sweetheart, Steven Castrone (surname #3). Settling down in Pearl River, NY, they welcomed two children into the world, Bob and Lori. Following their split in 1986, Linda raised her kids as a single mother and never looked back. She dedicated her life to her children. She was a Class Mom, a Little League Mom, a Soccer Mom, a Dance Mom, a Hockey Mom, a Theater Mom, and a Cheerleader Mom.  She picked up odd jobs working at plaster craft stores and mall kiosks to pay for family vacations to Wildwood, NJ every summer. She pushed her kids to be A-students and attend college while also, occasionally, faking sick days to take them to the Turtle Back Zoo or a Broadway show. She was selfless. She was incredible.

Linda completed her quest to accumulate all the names on July 13, 1997 when she said "I Do" to Howard Zitofsky. Linda Susan Spain Peretz Castrone Zitofksky and Howard settled down in Nanuet and built a successful jewelry business together, becoming fixtures at craft shows and fairs throughout the Tri-State Area. Somehow they were both able to balance this time-consuming and physically demanding undertaking with their full-time jobs in education; Howard, a gym teacher in New York City, and Linda, a special needs teaching assistant in South Orangetown.

In 2019 Linda and Howard made history, becoming the first New Yorkers to retire and move to Florida. Landing in Boynton Beach, they did retirement right and traveled the world together. From vacations in Mexico, to tours in Italy, to cruises in the Caribbean, they were always on the go. They attended countless concerts and shows, and over the years, built a community of so many beloved friends it would be impossible to list them all (even if roughly 70% are also named Linda.)

Linda will be remembered for her crazy laugh- one that would start low and build to a guttural 'chkkkkkkkkk' where you couldn't tell if she was hysterically laughing or crying. She will be remembered for her wackiness, and for her sense of humor that was so offbeat her son had no choice but to become a comedy writer. She will be remembered for her fiery red hair, her fiery blue Facebook posts, her light-up Christmas sweaters, her neverending hugs, her generosity, her immense love of family, and her ability to always light up a room. All of this to say; she will be REMEMBERED.

She is survived by her husband, Howard, her children, Bob and Lori, her step-children, Carl and Danny, her grandchildren, Dean and Nicolas, her step-grandchildren, Ashley, Johnny, Alexis, Louis, Jessica, and Frankie, her daughter-in-laws Heather, Dawn, and Maggie, and her brother and sister-in-law, Mitch and Linda. She was one of a kind and will be missed forever.

Visitation: 5/4/25 1:00-4:30 pm
Service: 5/4/25 4:30-5:00 pm
Wyman Fisher Funeral Home
100 Franklin Avenue
Pearl River, NY 10954

Visitation :
5/5/25 9:00-10:30 am
Wyman Fisher Funeral Home
100 Franklin Avenue
Pearl River, NY 10954

Burial
5/5/25 1:00 pm
New Montefiore Cemetery
1180 Wellwood Avenue
West Babylon, NY 11704

Celebration of Life
5/17/25 1:00-6:00 pm
Winston Trails Clubhouse
5980 Winston Trails Blvd
Lake Worth, FL 33463

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