Obituary of Priscilla E Cowen

Priscilla Elaine Cowen

August 23, 1940 - August 11, 2025

Priscilla Elaine Cowen, 84, of Jeffersonville, NY, and Merritt Island, FL, passed away peacefully on Monday, August 11, 2025, surrounded by love.

Born at Holy Name Hospital in Teaneck, NJ, to Edna and Richard Armstrong, Priscilla grew up in Ramsey, where she graduated from Ramsey High School in 1958. It was there she built friendships that would last a lifetime and met her first husband, Wade P. Cory.

Priscilla’s adventurous spirit took flight—literally—when she became a stewardess with Mohawk Airlines, a job she embraced wholeheartedly (and even modeled for!). Her love of the skies only grew, and later in life she earned her pilot’s license. She also earned an associate degree from Sullivan County Community College.  Her career journey eventually brought her back to her love of travel, managing Jeffersonville’s first travel agency before joining the Sullivan County Travel Bureau in Liberty, NY.

Those who knew Priscilla also knew how important her home was to her.  Her grandparents–Sadie and William Scott–purchased their East Hill farm in Youngsville, NY in the late 1930s, which was purchased by Priscilla and Wade in 1970. The farm was not just hers, it was a special gathering place for her many cousins, aunts and uncles, and was the site of many family reunions and laughs on her beloved front porch.  She was also an active member of the First Presbyterian Church of Jeffersonville, where she volunteered in the Thrift Shop, was a member of the Red Hats, and taught at the yearly vacation bible school.

Above all else, Priscilla was devoted to her family. She was a loving mother, grandmother, sister, and friend—someone whose warmth, generosity, and free spirit touched everyone she met. She is survived by her brother, Richard S. Armstrong; her children Christine Cory Odell (husband Edward), and their children Adrienne Odell Pier (husband Michael), Riley, Avery, and William; Laura Cory D’Ercole (husband Jason), and their children Kayla (husband Evan) and James; and Eric Cory (Elizabeth), and their children Grace and Meghan. She is also lovingly remembered by her stepchildren from her marriage to Marshall F. Cowen, Jr.: Marshall (Lash) Cowen, Linda Cowen Burke, and Joseph Cowen.

She was predeceased by loving husband Marshall (2014) and her firstborn son, Jon Joseph Cory (2017).

A memorial service will be held Monday, August 25, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church, 4907 NY-52, Jeffersonville, NY 12748, followed by a luncheon. A private interment will take place at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the First Presbyterian Church of Jeffersonville.