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Gertrude Riska, 96, Of Greenwich

GREENWICH, Conn. – Gertrude Riska, of Cos Cob, died at her home on Monday, March 14. She was 96.

Gertrude Riska

Gertrude Riska

Photo Credit: Contributed

Riska was a church musician and piano teacher until recently, having played the piano for local churches for 80 years, starting at the age of 12.

She worked at Diamond Hill Methodist Church, the First Methodist Church in Greenwich, the Round Hill Community Church, the Lutheran Church, the Greenwich Baptist Church, and St. Clement's R.C. Church in Old Greenwich, helping to build choirs at many local churches.

Riska also wrote two oral histories for the Greenwich Library. "Chief of the Cos Cob Power Plant" is about her father Lewis Grant O'Donnell, the first chief engineer of the Cos Cob electric generating plant for the New Haven Railroad.

"A Walk Through Cos Cob" is about the buildings along Post Road in Cos Cob.

She is survived by her daughter Bonnie Havery and son-in-law Robert of Woodbury and Nantucket.

A graveside service will be at Long Ridge Cemetery in Stamford on Saturday, March 19, at 11 a.m.

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