Loretta “Zulli” Barnaskey was a true American patriot and many of the details of her life are iconic. She was born in Eastchester in June of 1923 and graduated from Eastchester High School in 1941. During WWII, Loretta’s then0fiancé, John M. Barnaskey fought for the US Army in the 104th Field Artillery Battalion, fighting in the South Pacific. While her future husband was overseas, Loretta worked at the General Motor plant in Tarrytown for three years, working to assemble the cockpit of the Navy’s Avenger fighter plane. It was this experience where she received the title of Rosie the Riveter. She prided herself on this achievement and is recognized as an official Rosie the Riveter.
In 1953, Loretta joined the American Legion Auxiliary and remained a member until the day she died. She was a member for over 60 years and held posts as President, County President, and many other positions. She was also a member of St Luke’s Episcopal Church for over 50 years, where she was a member of the choir and also started a children’s Nursery school, along with helping to run the church and countless church bazaars. She was also the founding president of the North End Hook and Ladder Company #2 Auxiliary for several years in the mid-1950s. She worked as a parking enforcement officer for the town of Eastchester for approximately 20 years, referring to herself proudly as Eastchester’s “First Nasty Ol’ Meter-Maid.” She absolutely loved working for the police force.
In retirement, Loretta helped to found a veterans clothing store at the FDR VA Hospital in Montrose, NY which opened in 1994. A computer printout from the store’s inception in 1994 to 2013 states that the total hours she worked in that 19-yr period was 14,751 hours.