Esther (Franco) Massry

Massry, Esther (Franco), 90, of Loudonville, NY. It is with great sadness that the family of Esther Massry announces her peaceful passing from a brief illness on September 28, 2021 surrounded by her family.

Esther was born in Brooklyn, NY on December 9th, 1930 to Morris and Mollie Franco.

In 1949, Esther met and married the love of her life, Morris (Murray), after a fairy tale romance. They soon began their journey together in Saratoga Springs and opened what, at the time, was a modest retail store. This laid the groundwork for their next move to Troy where they opened the Janie Shop, a children’s clothing store.  

Morris and Esther were a team, building the retail business while raising a family of 6 kids. Esther can be remembered running the cash register, making trips to New York City with Morris to shop for the store and in many cases, loading up the station wagon with merchandise. In the mid 60’s, business transitioned from retail to Real Estate which enabled Esther to devote her full attention to raising 5 daughters and one son. Among the many memories her family has of those years are the trips to Bradley Beach (Esther’s family) and the station wagon trips to Myrtle Beach (Murray’s family). Always full of people, her home on Centerview Drive in Troy was the hub of neighborhood Canasta card games, pool gatherings, and home-cooked food.

As the family grew with spouses, grandchildren and great grandchildren, the Jewish Holidays became the center of extended family gatherings. This laid the foundation for each generation to follow and emulate with their own families.

Esther and Morris traveled the world together. Destinations such as Rome and Paris were semi-annual visits. As the family grew, Esther looked forward to cruises which were plentiful, including 20 years of the annual family cruise with more than 30 family members each time. In reflection, their travels were really an opportunity for Esther and Morris to outfit their grandkids and great grandkids with the finest clothing and gather collectible treasures for their and their family’s homes.  The memories of each trip displayed throughout their home enabled Esther to have a constant reminder of her life and travels with Morris. In addition, Esther and Morris maintained a residence in Aventura, Florida which became the Southern hub for family and friends to create more lasting memories.

Besides Esther’s devotion to her family, she had an amazing way with everyone she met. She touched each person with her beautiful smile that lit up the room. Her grace, elegance and soft spoken manner made everyone always feel loved and special. It was a quality that defined her and is now her legacy.

Esther is survived by her 6 children, Jane (the late Glenn) Horne, Marilyn Massry, Linda Reynolds, Norman (Micki) Massry, Sheila (Paul) Koppel and Lisa (Jack) Bibas; her 11 grandchildren, E. Julie (Jimmy), Jason (Paulette), Nicole (David), Murray (Mallory), Ellie (Briana), Esther, Laurie (Ken), Shoshana (Aaron), Murray, Esther and Alex; 13 great-grandchildren, Isaac, Ezra, Asher, Leah, Hailey, Norman, Doralice, Alaia, Jonah, Noah, Aaron, Jack and Alivia. Esther was loved by her in-laws, many nieces, nephews and extended family and friends.

Special thanks to the many people who cared for Esther over the years, including most recently, Tammy, Angelica, Reena and Christine.

Esther was preceded in death by her loving husband Morris, her parents Morris and Mollie Franco, brothers Louis (Sylvia) and Charles, sisters Lily (Murray) Shabot, Rae (Ike) Kassin and Claudia Betesh.

Graveside Service and Shiva are being observed privately by her loving extended family.

Contributions in memory of Esther may be made to one of the local Massry Family supported organizations or one of your choice.

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