Cara S. Trager, of Queens, journalist who wrote for Newsday and other publications, dies at 71

Driven by an endless curiosity, keen instincts and a gift for putting people at ease, Cara S. Trager spent decades chronicling the lives of Long Islanders as a freelance journalist.

In hundreds of stories for Newsday and other publications, she wrote about small businesses, family life, senior citizens and the many connections that bind Long Islanders.

Family and friends remembered Trager, of Hollis Hills, Queens, as a passionate storyteller and devoted mother and wife who possessed a great sense of humor. She died Friday evening from injuries sustained when she and her husband were struck by a car in Queens earlier in the week, her family said. She was 71.

"She just loved people and loved telling their stories," said her son, Eric Trager, 43, of Washington, D.C.

Her daughter, Rachel Sales, 39, of Tel Aviv, said she could hardly believe how willingly people opened up to her mother, whether she was on the job or not.

"She was a journalist in every situation," she said.

Trager was born May 4, 1955, in the Bronx and developed a love of writing at a young age, even acting in plays she wrote herself, her husband, Michael Trager, 70, said. She graduated from James Monroe High School and then Queens College, where she wrote for the school newspaper The Phoenix, her family said.

Her headshot in the 1976 college yearbook ran on the same page as one of the college's most notable alumni: comedian Jerry Seinfeld. Their paths never crossed in college, her family said, though she became a big fan of his NBC sitcom. Her son recalled watching reruns of "Seinfeld" as a kid with his mom to "end the day with a good laugh."

Michael Trager said it was "love at first sight" when he first met his future wife at a party in Little Neck.

In one of her earlier Newsday stories, published in 1988, Trager described the familial connection she felt whenever visiting Little Neck, where her in-laws lived. It was in Little Neck, she wrote, where she met her husband and where they later married in 1978 at Temple Torah.

"In a sense, Little Neck is the center — headquarters, if you will — of Trager life," she wrote. "It's where we all gather for holidays, reunions and celebrations. To us, the very name Little Neck is synonymous with our family."

She also wrote for publications like Crain's New York Business and Money Magazine. She decided to remain a freelance writer after having children, her family said, so she could also prioritize family events.

"She really was as dedicated as any mother could be while still building a career," her son said.

Sales said her mother was "extremely inspiring" to both her and her brother. She encouraged her children to find and pursue their passions and taught them the need to be "values-driven."

"In a lot of ways, I'm a copy-paste of my mom, because of how much she inspired me," she said.

Outside of work, Trager loved to travel, was dedicated to supporting Jewish causes and was active at her children's school, Solomon Schechter School of Queens, her family said.

On Saturday, the family drove past the school one more time to remember "better times," Michael Trager said.

Bali Lerner, executive director of the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County, said in a statement Trager was a "dedicated supporter" of the center and "her warmth and kindness will always be remembered."

Her husband is treasurer of the board of directors.

Journalist Adina Genn connected with Trager through a Facebook group of Long Island writers, many of them freelancers.

She remembered Trager as "super upbeat, very vibrant" and a journalist who "had a great sense of a story."

Margaret Corvini, a Newsday business editor who retired in 2024, said Trager would find unique angles for stories by watching trends in small businesses and could connect those trends to people's lives. And she was "relentless with sources."

In the business world, that could mean extracting financial details from guarded business owners, she said.

"She would let them know very politely and with humor that not giving her what she needed was not an option," Corvini said.

She published a wide range of stories, from tips on decluttering to a feature on multigenerational households navigating close quarters. She wrote many stories for Newsday during the pandemic that chronicled the unique ways people had adapted.

A funeral service is scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday at Schwartz Brothers-Jeffer Memorial Chapels in Forest Hills.

In addition to her husband, son and daughter, she is also survived by her daughter-in-law, Alyssa Saunders, and her son-in-law, Benjamin Sales, as well as grandchildren Max Trager, Teddy Trager, Dov Sales and Yael Sales.

By Joe Werkmeister

joe.werkmeister@newsday.com

Joe Werkmeister joined Newsday in 2022 and covers Suffolk County government and politics. He is a graduate of St. Bonaventure University and previously worked as the editor of two North Fork community newspapers.

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