Phelps Honorees

In recognition of his 26 years of public service, former Sleepy Hollow Mayor Philip E. Zegarelli will be honored at the Phelps Memorial Hospital Center’s Champagne Ball to be held at Trump National Golf Club in Briarcliff Manor on Saturday, October 17. The hospital will also honor the memory of Irvington resident Mary Louise Bunaes, who served as a longtime volunteer and generous donor to Phelps.

"Both these individuals have been wonderfully enthusiastic supporters of Phelps, at the same time giving back to their communities in so many ways," said Phelps CEO Keith Safian in announcing the honorees. "We are very pleased to honor Mayor Zegarelli for his unflagging efforts on behalf of the hospital, the Village of Sleepy Hollow and all the river towns. We wish Mrs. Bunaes were still with us to receive our thanks for her contributions to the hospital and her community, but it is important to all of us who knew her to honor her memory."

Zegarelli, who now serves as Village Manager in Briarcliff Manor, was first elected to the Sleepy Hollow Village Board in 1974.

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Top: Philip Zegarelli
Bottom: Mary Louise Bunaes

He served as mayor for a total of 18 years, and was a member of the Pocantico Hills Board of Education for three years.

Beyond Sleepy Hollow’s borders, Zegarelli served as president of the New York State Conference of Mayors and as president of the Westchester County Municipal Officials Association. Since 2003, he has chaired and expanded Historic Hudson River Towns, a consortium of river front municipalities.

During a long career in banking, Zegarelli found time to serve for a decade on the executive board of the Westchester-Putnam Council of the Boy Scouts of America. He is a member of the Lions Club and the Rotary Club International of the Tarrytowns, as well as a member of Italia 2000/Greater Westchester. A Knight of Malta, he is active in numerous religious and charitable activities.

Mary Louise Bunaes not only worked as a volunteer at Phelps, she was a driving force in the success of the hospital’s Annual Champagne Ball. She served on the Ball Committee for seven years, and she and her husband, Bard, were Ball Committee Co-Chairs in 2004, 2005, and 2006. She was instrumental in moving the Ball to its new venue at Trump National Golf Club, where fundraising has reached new levels.

The community benefited from her desire to help in many ways. Mary Louise served as President of both The Thursday Club, which supports area charities, and the Garden Club of Irvington. She was a board member of the National Trust for Historic Preservation at Lyndhurst, in Tarrytown, and a supporter of the Church of St. Sacrament in Lake George, NY. She sang with the Soundettes, an all-female a cappella group, and the choir at the Church of St. Barnabas in Irvington.

Area residents and businesses wishing to join in recognition of former Mayor Zegarelli and the memory of Mary Louise Bunaes can do so by purchasing tickets to the Phelps Champagne Ball or by placing an ad in the event journal. For more information, contact Director of Development, Steve Cunningham, at 914-366-3104.

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About the Author: Nancy Gold