Carol M. Rio aka “Flower Girl” of Poughkeepsie, NY passed from this life on April 17, 2025, after a courageous battle with cancer. She was born in 1954 to Raymond S. Rio and Marie C. Rio of Bronx, NY.
Carol attended St. Pius X School in Scarsdale, NY and graduated from Mt. St. Mary Academy in Newburgh, NY. At the time of her illness, Carol served as the vice-president of the Mt. St. Mary Alumni Association.
Carol excelled at languages which led her to take classes in Russian at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie following high school. Discovering quickly that her true passion lay in floral design, she moved to Massachusetts to attend Rittners School of Floral Design. After working for a few years in a shop in South Boston, Carol bought Pillsbury Florist in West Bridgewater, MA in 1984. She worked there tirelessly until her retirement in 2021.
Carol was a woman of faith and her spirituality was at the core of how she lived her life. As a florist, she touched many lives, welcoming all who entered the shop with a warm smile and great kindness. They entered as customers and left as friends. Through her love of flowers and her sense of beauty she created the perfect arrangement for any occasion. She was known for her generosity and was a valued member of the community, donating unique arrangements to numerous non-profit causes and schools throughout her almost 40-year career.
Carol had two favorite hobbies. She was an avid metal detectorist – a member of two clubs - the Silver City Treasure Seekers and Awesome Relics, New England. Her fun-loving attitude and her passion for history drew people to her and led to many “treasured” friendships. Metal detecting was also how she connected with her beloved partner, Ken. Her other hobby, fishing began during Idyllic summers spent in East Patchogue, Long Island as a young girl while fishing from the pier with her father and many cousins.
Carol battled her cancer with the same gusto and grace with which she faced life winning the respect and hearts of her entire medical team at Westchester Medical Center. She is survived by her partner Ken Hurst, her sister Barbara Rio-Glick and her partner Shelley, Tony Belmonte and their partner Melanie and her niblings Sonya and AJ Rio-Glick.
Services will be held:
Saturday, May 17th at Conley Funeral Home, 138 Belmont St. in Brocton, MA from 12:00-4:00 pm.
Saturday, May 31st at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 67 South Randolph Ave. Poughkeepsie, NY at 1:00 pm.
In Carol’s memory donations can be made to My Brothers Keepers in Easton, MA https://www.mybrotherskeeper.org