Louise Christina (Chemi) Abate, a loving and devoted mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, and former wife of Samuel J. Abate, longtime Mayor of the Village of Sloatsburg, NY, passed away peacefully on January 11, 2024, in Whiting, NJ. Born in Jackson Heights, NY, on November 13, 1933, Louise was the daughter of the late Louis and Mildred Chemi, owners of Chemi Upholsterers in Suffern, NY. Louise attended Plattsburgh College (SUNY) and in 1954 married Sam Abate, who partnered with her for almost 65 years as she pursued her great joy of raising and taking care of her family. Louise was also very involved with her husband Sam's passion for politics. Louise, in her own way, and always behind the scenes, was not only Sam's right hand but also his most trusted confidant and the one with the savvy political skills. Louise was generous with her time and love, and her greatest enjoyment came from being with her family and many friends. Louise worked outside the home for most of her adult life, including in the family florist and greenhouse business (Flowers by Abates) until the family moved to the Albany, NY area for a few years where she worked in a local bank; upon the family's return to Sloatsburg, Louise continued to work in the family florist business until 2000, when the business closed, and then she worked in the Sloatsburg Library. In the early 2000s, Louise and Sam moved to Whiting, NJ where they were very active in the community and she worked for a local library, before finally retiring. In 2014, Louise and Sam moved to Mount Pleasant, SC to be close to family, where she remained until Sam passed away in 2019; Louise then moved back to Whiting, NJ where she lived until she passed away. Louise will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved her. She is pre-deceased by her parents and her two brothers, Guy and Fred. Louise is survived by her three children--Sam Jr. (Ann Marie), Joe (Pam), and Laura Welch (Ron); five grandchildren Melissa, Jason, Ashley, Samantha, and Katie; six great-grandchildren LilyBeth, Jacob, Rebecca, Liam, Sabrina, Nathan, and Ada (with a seventh, baby Rickie, on his way); her sister Cathy (Chemi) Stine and her husband Skip, and two sisters-in-law, Millie Jones and Betty Chemi.

A memorial service will be held at a date and place to be announced.