Williston Park Residents Honored as 2013 Seniors of the Year

Nassau County recently honored several residents of Williston Park at at a special event on May 29 at the Coral House in Baldwin.

Joseph Botkin was named the Nassau County’s Senior Man of the Year for 2013 and Betty Ann Pristupa was honored as Nassau County’s 2013 Senior Woman of the Year.

Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano and Nassau Comptroller George Maragos also presented a posthumous award to the family of Lenny Mitchko for his selfless devotion to community involvement that brought comfort to so many children and families at the Cohen’s Children’s Medical Center.

Over 300 senior citizens attend the event, which celebrates May as Older Americans Month.

Botkin was born in New York City in 1929 before moving to Massapequa in 1955 and later to Williston Park, where he resides with his wife, Rozlyn. He is a retired New York City Public School Principal and have three children and four grandchildren.

Botkin initially volunteered for Habitat for Humanity and 21 years ago he was the cofounder of Rebuilding Together, Long Island, Inc. He is the Vice President and Head Volunteer Coordinator and designs and leads a building team of volunteers that builds wheelchair access ramps for low-income elderly disabled homeowners. The organization is non-partisan, non-sectarian and non-profit. He recently finished his 200th wheelchair ramp and installed grab bars and railings for a WWII veteran who is a double amputee. More recently, Botkin has been helping to raise funds for Hurricane Sandy victims.

“Life has been good to me and now I am paying back,” Botkin said in a release. “I get more rewards than what I am giving. I am busier now than when I was employed.”

Pristupa was born in Richmond, Queens in 1936. She moved to Williston Park in 1953. Her late husband worked at Grumman for over 30 years as an engineer and they raised two children together. She also has two granddaughters.

She has worked 31 years at Winthrop University Hospital in pediatrics. In 1982, she started volunteering two nights a week in the emergency room at Winthrop.  She has also been a part of the Nassau County Auxiliary Police since 1996 and is often seen working at Nassau County events. She is very active in her senior citizen’s club, is a member of St. Aidans, and volunteers at the Senior Respite Program. With all her activities, she is rarely home.  She has a sense of pride not only in herself and for the good she does, but for the safety of the community.

The family of Lenny Mitchko was honored for his selfless devotion to community involvement that brought comfort to so many children and families at the Cohen’s Children’s Medical Center. 

Mitchko was a resident of Williston Park who volunteered at Cohen’s Children Hospital at North Shore-LIJ Health Systems. Disabled by painful injuries and wheelchair bound, he decided to help younger children manage their fears about being in a hospital. Sitting in his motorized scooter, he became a beloved fixture in the hospital, while he distributed paperback books and small toys to children as they entered the building. He was referred to as “Dr. Buddy Bear.” He was constantly “on call” to provide bear hugs to children, their parents and even some doctors who enjoyed his company.

When asked about his mission, he told Cohen’s Children Hospital “Being with the children has given me new life. My pain is nothing compared to theirs.  When I see these kids smiling, I’m a happy man.” 

Mitchko passed away February 9, 2013. Present at this event were Lenny’s wife, Virginia Mitchko, daughter, Alison Mitchko, and Denise Romero, Director of Volunteer Services for LIJ Medical Center.

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