Former Riverdale resident and popular public access television host Sheran Arabella Tavarez has died at the age of 76, according to an announcement made on social media by her family.

 

Tavarez was a longtime producer and host of BronxNet Community Television shows, “The Antique Trader,” “The New York Woman,” and the children’s show, “Penelope Peach & Friends.” Tavarez also spent several years in the promotional department at Yonkers Raceway & Casino.

 

On Thursday. June 18, her family posted to her social media pages, “It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of our beloved mother.” The post described how Tavarez died “peacefully” that morning in Texas, where she had moved to a decade or so earlier. A further extract from the post read, “Sheran was a beautiful soul whose creativity knew no bounds. A passionate artist of many forms, she brought beauty, inspiration, and heart into everything and everyone she touched.”

 

Through her community activism on many different social issues and her shows she maintained a multiyear friendship with Norwood News’ photojournalist Jules Rubenstein who often covered her events for the paper.

 

Despite moving to San Antonio, Texas, Tavarez remained in contact with the Norwood News, texting on April 6, “Doing treatment now. Praise God, I’m here. On meds for MG. Never would have thought that something like this would happen to me.” She added that at the time she was not permitted to have any visitors and was unable to speak.

 

Tavarez also sent a link about Myasthenia Gravis from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) which explained that it was an autoimmune disease. An extract read, “Is a chronic neuromuscular disease that causes weakness in the voluntary muscles. The onset of the disorder may be sudden.”

 

The website also describes how the disease is “caused by an error in how nerve signals are sent to the muscles.” Symptoms include drooping of eyelids, blurred or double vision, impaired speech and weakness in the arms, hands, legs and neck. The disease affects both men and women across all racial and ethnic groups and at any age, according to NIH.

 

After receiving the sad news of Tavarez’s death, Yonkers musician Arty Thanasoulis, a longtime neighbor of Tavarez at 6601 Broadway, said, “I’m really devastated by this.” He continued, “I just spoke to her last week very briefly and she said she was going to call me back. She said she was in rehab and she was doing good… and she would hopefully be home soon.”

 

Thanasoulis recalled his days appearing on Tavarez’s shows, telling Norwood News, “I used to be on the air with her when she did the BronxNet shows from Lehman College. I used to do the music and then I would perform along with the puppets and sometimes on “The Antique Trader.”

 

He added, “We were the band on the side, like the band on the Johnny Carson Show, and before they would break into commercials, we’d play like thirty seconds, and the camera would fade on us.”

 

On reading the family’s social media post announcing Taverez’s death, Lizzy Hall commented, “I really can’t believe this. What a beautiful person your mother always was. It was such a delight the times I got to spend with her.”

 

Meanwhile, Alan Carlton, who said he worked on the production of “The Antique Trader” and “Penelope Peach & Friends,” wrote, “I loved your spirit and will always remember working with you.”

 

Before leaving New York City, in one of her last shows posted to YouTube, on June 6, 2009, Tavarez told viewers, “I enjoy what I do very, very much because I bring to you, the viewer, all those things that you would have never expected to see. I hope you watch all the programs; it’s been a pleasure.”

 

Tavarez published “Conversing with Your Inner-Self” on August 25, 2006, an 80-page paperback published by iUniverse.

 

Norwood News has reached out to BronxNet for comment and has asked for more information on Tavarez’s shows. We will share any feedback we receive.

 

Tavarez leaves behind a daughter, Erica, and a son, Robbie. The family’s post ended by asking friends that in lieu of flowers, to consider donating to St. Pius X Catholic Church in San Antonio, Texas.