RIP Aurora “Rory” Nazareno Ocampo October 23, 1941 - December 18, 2025

Dear SIM Members,

It is with a heavy heart that I write to tell you of Rory Ocampo's passing.

She was a beloved SIM member since January 1, 2007.  Rory was devoted to our mission and we will miss her very much.

May she Rest in Peace.

Aurora “Rory” Nazareno Ocampo
October 23, 1941 - December 18, 2025

Aurora Nazareno Ocampo peacefully entered eternal life on December 18, 2025. She was born in Indang, Cavite, Philippines on October 23, 1941 to Tomas and Rosela Nazareno. Rory had three sisters, Celia, Fe and Luz and three brothers, Marino, Nardo and Ruben and she was godmother to 16 nieces and nephews.

She was a Major in the U.S. Army Reserve and the widow of Manuel Set Ocampo, United States Navy. Rory was a gratified sister of a U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force veterans and proud aunt of U.S. Air Force and U.S. Marine veterans.

Rory was a multi-award Pediatric Nurse Practitioner at the Department of Health, City of New York. Later on, she was a supervisor in the Nursing and Quality/Utilization Management at the Veterans Administration Medical Center, Brooklyn Campus.

A consistent honor student in high school, she was Miss Centro Escolar University and was honored to walk with Miss Philippines and Miss United Nations to lead the parade of nations at the school’s United Nations Day celebration in October 1956. She was president of the Senior Class, the Folk Dance Group and the Student Council in 1957-1958 and was the graduation Speaker of Centro Escolar University on March 25, 1988.

A graduate of the University the Philippines School of Nursing, Rory obtained her Master’s Degree in New York University and her Ph.D. at the Southeast Asia Interdisciplinary Developmental Institute.

She was membership chair for the Staten Island North Star for the last ten years and a 2006 Staten Island Advance Woman of Achievement. For 26 years she served as a Eucharistic Minister at St. Mary of the Assumption Church and  volunteered at the Richmond County Fair for 30 years. Rory was given the Raymond Fingado award for Administration by the Staten Island Richmond Town Historical Society.

A Membership Advocate for the American Public Health Association, she was listed in the Biographical Roll of Honor, Historical Preservation of America, 1985 and in the World’s Who’s Who of Women, 1985.

Rory was president of non-profit organizations namely the Philippine-American Civic and Cultural Community of Staten Island, Inc. 1985-1987 and 2017-2019; University of the Philippines Alumni Association New York Chapter 2009-2011; University of the Philippines Nursing Alumni Association of New York/New Jersey 2001-2003; first woman president of the United Asian Lions Club 1992-1993; 1998-1999. She was District Governor of Lions Club International District 20R2, 2007-2008.

Her legacy is entertaining residents of nursing homes through music and dance which she originated in 1988 and continues to the present.

Aurora “Rory” Nazareno Ocampo is survived by her brother Nardo and three sisters: Celia Ledesma, Fe Martinez and Luz Bolden. She is predeceased by her brothers Marino and Rueben.

In Loving memory of a soul so kind. 

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Holiday Luncheon with SI New York City December 7, 2025

On Sunday, December 7, Soroptimist International of Manhattan held its annual Holiday Luncheon in a jointly sponsored event with Soroptimist International of New York City.  The two clubs came together for the first time at a Holiday Luncheon, giving members and guests of both clubs an opportunity to celebrate with old friends and meet new members from each club.

The venue for this event was the historic Fraunces Tavern in Manhattan, where George Washington famously bade farewell to this troops at the end of the Revolutionary War.

More than 30 Soroptimist members and their guests enjoyed the festive atmosphere and a Revolutionary War period inspired menu including New England clam chowder and slow roasted chicken pot pie. They heard guest speakers from the two clubs’ community service initiatives, and raised money for both clubs with raffle fundraisers and door prizes.

Community Service Initiatives and Speakers

Members of SI Manhattan and other attendees donated baby clothes and “Handbags of Hope” for women served by Hour Children, a leading provider of services to incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women and their families in New York State, headquartered in Astoria, Queens.  Members of SI New York City and other attendees contributed women’s winter items, such as new winter hats, scarves, gloves, and socks for Susan’s Place, a shelter for medically fragile homeless women in the Bronx operated by Care for the Homeless, which provides health care, shelter and policy advocacy to end homelessness in New York City.  

Cynthia Brackett, Chief Impact and Program Officer for Hour Children and Olivia Crocetto, Service Coordinator, For Women, By Women, Period, gave brief remarks discussing the work of their organizations.  For Women, By Women, Period is an organization founded in 2021 by students at St. John’s University in Queens who realized that many were unable to afford period supplies.  Their mission is to provide access to these products to those affected by period poverty, and pursue advocacy and education among diverse cultures to end the barriers, misconceptions, and stigma about menstruation. 

Some images from this successful event—

Soroptimists and guests settle in and prepare for the SIM/SINYC Holiday Luncheon 2025.

 

Baby clothes and “Handbags of Hope” filled with basic items such as hand lotion, sanitizer, tissues, and lip balm, collected for Hour Children. 

 

Special guest, Soroptimist North Atlantic Region Governor Elizabeth Peterson (center left), with SI Manhattan President, Charlynn Willis (center right), addresses the group.

 

Olivia Crocetto, Service Coordinator at For Women, By Women, Period, describes the work of her organization.

 

SI of Manhattan & SI 0f New York City's December 7th Holiday Luncheon and Fundraiser

Year-End Community Service Awards and Induction of New SIM Member(s) Luncheon

 

SIM's Newsletter - 2023 Year In Review

Want to read the newsletter offline? Click here to download the PDF file.

Memorial Service for our beloved Fran Gilstein and Dee Carroll

Fran Gilstein                            Dee Carroll

Please join us on Saturday, September 16, 2023 at noon at the 9/11 Postcards Memorial on Staten Island at 1-99 Bank Street (Staten Island, NY 10301, Ph: 347-480-9217. 

The memorial is in walking distance of the ferry. For those traveling via the ferry, we will take the 11:30 am ferry from Manhattan to Staten Island.

Please bring one or two yellow roses to be thrown into the harbor in their memory.

Afterwards, we will have lunch at the Blue Restaurant located at 1115 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island, NY 10310. Please that everyone will pay for their own meal/drinks.

Questions? Contact, President Eileen Jackson via e-mail or call/text 917-536-1722.

We hope to see on September 16th. 

SIM's dear Dee Carroll (RIP) passed away on July 20, 2023

 Dee at SIM's 2022 Holiday Luncheon

It is with a heavy heart that I write that our dear Dee Carroll passed away suddenly on July 20, 2023. We are grateful to have seen her at our 25th anniversary celebration just 12 days before her death.

Funeral arrangements are as follows:

Harmon Funeral Home

571 Forest Avenue

West Brighton, Staten Island, New York

Date:  Wednesday, July 26, 2023

Time:  Family Time - 1PM-2PM

           Public Viewing - 2PM-5PM

           Religious Service - 5PM-6PM

Condolence cards may be sent to Dee's son:

Mr. Robert Carroll

800 Victory Blvd., Apt. 1R

Staten Island, NY 10301

Please note that the apartment number is very important since there is another "Carroll" in their building.

Eileen Jackson

SI of Manhattan 2022-2024 President

NAR ~ District 1 ~ Live Your Dream Vice Chair

917-536-1722 (text messages welcome)

efjackson26@gmail.com

siofmanhattan.org

SIM's 25th Anniversary Club Photo - Fraunces Tavern - July 8, 2023

Seated in Foreground ~ L-R: Toni, Dee, Lucille, Rory & Sandy

Seated on Bench ~ L-R: Joan, Linda, Yvonne, Lenore, Lenora,
Charlynn, Mariam, Eileen & Roberta

SI of Manhattan’s 2022 Heart-to-Heart Campaign

Click here to download and print only the tear off section.

"WE'LL TAKE MANHATTAN" RAFFLE on October 2, 2018

SOROPTIMIST INTERNATIONAL OF MANHATTAN
"WE'LL TAKE MANHATTAN" RAFFLE

Please support the community service projects of Soroptimists International of Manhattan (SIM). SIM is part of an international volunteer service organization for women whose mission is to improve the lives of women and girls in local communities and throughout the world.

Your support of SIM's 20^th Annual "We'll Take Manhattan" Raffle will benefit our ongoing commitment to our community service projects, which include: The Dwelling Place, a shelter for homeless women; Hour Children, a resource center providing clothing and supplies for outfitting homes of formerly imprisoned women and their families; Gilda's Club NYC, where no one has to face cancer alone; Allen's Women's Resource Center; providing a safe haven for victims of domestic violence and Basics International an organization whose mission is to end child labor, trafficking, hunger and illiteracy for children living in poverty in Ghana, West Africa and other project and organizations meeting the mission of Soroptimist International.

Please print, fill-out & mail the raffle form to the address indicated on the form. All mailed entries must be postmarked by Monday, September 21, 2018. Raffles will be sold the night of the drawing. Winners need not be present.

The Raffles will be drawn on Tuesday, October 2, 2018 during our Wine & Cheese Social. Join us between 6:00 and 8:00 PM at DC 37 located at 125 Barclay Street on the corner of 12^th Avenue, NYC 10007.

Take the IRT #1, 2 or to the  Chambers Street station or the IRT #2 or 3 to the Park Place station.

SIM's New Initiative

SI of Wickenberg, AZ

Eileen Jackson visited the thrift store of SI of Wickenberg, AZ.  She was traveling with a childhood friend celebrating their 60th birthdays.  While walking through the thrift shop Eileen found only two numbers hanging on a wall - a 6 and a 0.  We carried the numbers with us for the remainder of our trip and took photos with them along the way.

Soroptimist in the House!

 

On a free day during a recent visit to Venice on business, I wandered into the Chiesa di San Moise and sat down in the second pew to soak in admire the intricately carved altarpiece.


















As I pulled out my camera, I noticed a gold toned plaque on the pew in front of me 

and so I leaned forward to take a closer look, to my surprise

 
Soroptimist was in the House right in the first row! 
 

 

 

If I would have had more time, I would have sought out our Soroptimist sisters of Venice. A shout to them with warm thanks for restoring that pew and making me feel at home. 

Congratulations on your upcoming 60th anniversary!

Julia Sosa
SIM Webmaster

March 31, 2016 SIM's Annual Awards Ceremony

2015 "Live Your Dream" participant

87th NAR Spring Conference - April 17th-19th, 2015

Click on image for details & registration information.

Soroptimist visitors from 50-year old Italian club

Published in the January / February 2015 issue of SINYC Lamplighter.

SIM - 15 Years of Service