OBITS: Times Herald-Record 25 Sep 2005; Middletown, Orange co., New York text-formatted by W. David Samuelsen for The USGenWeb Archives Project *********************************************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.org/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.org/ny/nyfiles.htm *********************************************************************** Source: Times Herald-Record http://www.recordonline.com Bombonato, Marie R. Formerly of Montgomery, N.Y. Marie R. Bombonato, age 90, of West Palm Beach, Fla., died Friday, September 23, 2005 at Manor Care Health Services. Born in Manhattan, N.Y., she moved to Florida 30 years ago from Montgomery, N.Y. She was a secretary for G. Bombonato & Son Contractors, and was Roman Catholic. She was predeceased by her husband, Frank; two sons, Eugene and Frank; and three daughters: Joyce, Joanne and Janet. She is survived by one daughter, Judith Bombonato of West Palm Beach, Fla.; one granddaughter, Angelica Rios and her husband, Alan; and four great-grandchildren: Alexander, Addison, Azucena and Alyana, all of Newburgh, N.Y. Arrangements are by the Faupel Funeral Home, 7524 Ridge Rd., Port Richey, Fla. 727-849-9964. Published in the Times Herald-Record on 9/25/2005. Cornell, Lawrence W. Lawrence W. Cornell, a longtime area resident and retired machinist for American Felt and Filter Company after 40 years, died Saturday, September 24, 2005 at St. Luke's Cornwall Hospital, Newburgh Campus. He was 91. Son of the late William and Jesse Burtonshaw Cornell, he was born November 3, 1913 in Groton, N.Y. An avid softball player and bowler, he was a member of the Industrial Club of Newburgh. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Beatrice Moores Cornell, at home; son, Leslie Cornell of the Town of Newburgh; two daughters, Linda Cornell of Stow, Mass., and Lauraine Marcus of Williamsville, N.Y.; two grandchildren, Laura Ann Marcus and Stewart Marcus; and several nieces, nephews, family and in-laws. A family statement reads: "Dad passed away early Saturday morning after a brief illness with his loving family by his side. He was a devoted husband, father and grandfather who is deeply loved by all who knew him." Friends and family may visit from 11 a.m. to 12 noon on Monday, September 26, 2005 at the White & Venuto Funeral Home, 188 North Plank Rd. (Route 32), Town of Newburgh, N.Y. Entombment will be private and at the convenience of the family in Cedar Hill Mausoleum. Published in the Times Herald-Record on 9/25/2005. Gray Sr., Jacob T. Jacob T. Gray, Sr., a lifelong resident of Accord, N.Y., died Saturday, September 24, 2005. He was 76. Jacob was born on January 23, 1929 in Accord, the son of Russel and Catherine (Terwilliger) Gray. He had married MaryLou Donaldson, who predeceased him on November 25, 1996. Mr. Gray worked with the Laborers Local 17 Union in Newburgh, N.Y. He is survived by his eight children: James Gray, Mary Shultis, Linda Gray, Jacob Gray Jr., Peter Gray, Paul Gray, Michael Gray, and Raymond Gray. He is also survived by his sister, Ellen Quick; his brothers, Russel Gray Jr. and Vernon Gray; 16 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. Jacob was predeceased by his brother, Chester Gray, and his sister Irene Banks. Visiting will be held on Monday, September 26 from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. at the H.B. Humiston Funeral Home, 30 Forty Second Street, Kerhonkson. The funeral service will begin Tuesday, September 27 at 11 a.m. in the funeral home. Interment will follow at Pine Bush Cemetery, Kerhonkson. Published in the Times Herald-Record on 9/25/2005. Lysack, Richard Richard Lysack of Florida, N.Y., a self-employed Onion Farmer and formerly a caretaker for the Black Meadow Hunting Club, entered into rest on Friday, September 23, 2005 at home. He was 70. The son of the late Joseph and Mary Grzywaczewski Lysack, Sr., he was born October 30, 1934 in Florida, N.Y. Richard was a member of St. Joseph's Church; St. Joseph's Church Holy Name Society, Florida; a 44-year member of the Florida Fire Department, where he was an apparatus driver for 29 years, ambulance driver for 20 years, and treasurer for 19 years. He was also the 1981 Fireman of the Year and the 1992 Outstanding Fireman of the Year; Past Fire Commissioner of the Florida Fire District; member of the Florida Fire Department Benevolent Association; S.S. Seward Alumni Association; Orange County Vegetable Improvement Cooperative Association; and a member of the Sumerville Hunting Club, Chester, N.Y. A family statement reads: "Rich was always there for his family and friends. He enjoyed working with his family on the black dirt and sharing celebrations. Glenmere Lake won't be the same this winter without him." Survivors include his brother, Joseph Lysack, Jr. and wife, Marlene, of Warwick; sister-in-law, Theresa Lysack of Montgomery; nieces and nephews: Thomas Lysack and wife, Michele, of Campbell Hall, David Lysack and wife, Lisa, of Liverpool, N.Y., Michele Kozireski and husband, Wayne, of Montgomery, Keith Lysack of Warwick, and Beth Purta and husband, Tim, of Florida, N.Y.; great-nieces and nephews: Jason and Jordan Lysack, Elizabeth and Jacob Lysack, and Benjamin and Matthew Kozireski. He is also survived by several Godchildren; and his favorite Ice Fishing Labrador and snack-sharing buddy, Toby. He was predeceased by a brother, Eugene Lysack. Friends may call from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. on Sunday, September 25, 2005 at the T.S. Purta Funeral Home, 22 Glenmere Ave., Florida, NY 10921. Firematic services will be held Sunday evening at 7 p.m., with Holy Name services at 8 p.m. A Funeral Mass will be held at 10 a.m. on Monday, September 26 at St. Joseph's Church, 20 Glenmere Ave., Florida, NY 10921. Burial will be in St. Joseph's Cemetery, Florida, N.Y. Memorial contributions may be made to Florida Fire & Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 600, Florida, NY 10921; or the St. Joseph's Church Restoration Fund, 14 Glenmere Ave., Florida, NY 10921. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the T.S. Purta Funeral Home. To send a condolence online, or for directions, please visit www.purtafuneralhome.com. Published in the Times Herald-Record on 9/25/2005. Strzalkowski, Walter Walter Strzalkowski of New Windsor, a retired cable spinner for Lucent Technology, and longtime resident of the area, died September 22, 2005, in Cornwall. He was 87. The son of the late John Strzalkowski and Viola Szarwinska Strzalkowski, he was born November 15, 1917 in Jersey City, N.J. He served in the Army during World War II, and was a member of the V.F.W. He was the widower of Ethel "Bunny" Radulski Strzalkowski. Survivors include his son, Joseph of Middletown; daughter, Colleen of Central Valley; brother, Edward Strzalkowski and his wife, Dorothy, of Jersey City, N.J.; sister, Stella Stanley and her husband, Robert, of Clintondale; sister, Helen Vandermark and her husband, Dale, of Lake Elizabeta, Calif.; and close friend and caretaker, Bob Radulski and his wife, Mary, of Montgomery. Visitation will be Tuesday, September 27, 2005 from 12 to 1:30 p.m. at Overhiser Funeral Home, 78 Union St., Montgomery, N.Y. Services will be held Tuesday, September 27 at 1:30 p.m. at the funeral home, with Father John Vondras of St. Francis Church officiating. Cremation will be in Cedar Hill Crematory, Newburgh, N.Y. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Francis Church, Newburgh, NY 12550. Arrangements were made by Millspaugh Funeral Directors. Published in the Times Herald-Record on 9/25/2005. Wright, Thomas William "Bill" Thomas William "Bill" Wright: advertising writer, devoted father, husband, veteran of the Korean Conflict, and above all, a strong wit. Bill was born on September 29, 1928 at the Peak Hospital in Hong Kong, British Crown Colony. He was the son of Verne Leary Wright of Panhandle, Texas, and William Wright of Govan, County of Lanark, Scotland. His parents met in the 1920s in Shanghai, married there and moved to Hong Kong, where his father, a graduate of the London School of Economics, worked for Dodwell's, a British shipping company. They came to the United States after evacuation from Hong Kong following the Japanese invasion. Eventually, they made their way to England, to the town of Devon, where a gas lamp fell on his head causing him to bleed profusely - at the age of 10, he was declared the first brave casualty of war in the village - a tale he would proudly tell throughout his life. The family made their way to the U.S. and headed for Texas for a few years, eventually ending up in Scarsdale, N.Y., where he attended Mamaroneck H.S. At age 16, he was admitted to, and attended, Princeton University, eventually finishing his studies at the University of Texas, Austin. Although British, Bill volunteered for two years of active duty in the U.S. Army in Korea. Following his service, he worked in advertising at Ogilvy & Mather in New York and San Francisco, as account executive and copywriter, receiving awards for his Diamond Crystal Salt radio ads, for print ads for Rolls Royce Aero, and travel posters for P&O Cruise Lines "Run Away to Sea" campaign. His Pepperidge Farms TV spots were the first to feature Titus Moody, the crusty, Maine-accented spokesman for the company for decades to follow. Bill went to work for Botsford Ketchum, the Bechtel Corporation, AHM, and in the last years of his life, the Lafayette Library, where he was happy to volunteer and eventually join the staff. During his time at Ogilvy & Mather, he met his wife, Diane Pattou, whom he married in New York City on November 5, 1960. They went on to have three children: first Bill, born in San Francisco, then Tom, also born in The City. The family had a particularly happy time living in Japan while Bill was working on a three-year assignment with Botsford Ketchum. He and Diane had their youngest, Jamie, in Yokohama. The family traveled extensively together, and often by sea, including cruises up and down the California coast, to Alaska, and Mexico. Bill was extremely proud of his British heritage and for his 70th birthday, he was able to return to London and travel to Edinburgh with his wife and two of his sons. In his last days, Bill was surrounded by his family, finally passing away on the 13th of January, 2005. Burial with Military Honors will be Friday, September 30, 2005 at 11 a.m. at the Jacob Elting Burial Grounds in New Paltz, N.Y. Local arrangements were made by the Copeland Funeral Home, Inc., 162 South Putt Corners Rd., New Paltz, N.Y. Published in the Times Herald-Record on 9/25/2005. Zakotiria, George George Zakotiria, formerly of Middletown, entered into rest on Monday, September 19, 2005, after a long battle with cancer. He was 34. Son of Sylvia Amir and the late Victor Zakotiria, he was born September 12, 1971 in Brooklyn, N.Y. George was an avid collector of vintage Sci-Fi memorabilia, comic books, and was a truly devoted Yankees fan. He is survived by his mother, Sylvia Amir of Hawley, Pa.; two sisters, Christina Veronica Zakotiria of Hawley, Pa. and Laura Smith of Wawarsing, N.Y.; maternal grandmother, Margrete Loboda of Kerhonkson; aunt, Stella Rudzinski of Middletown; uncle, Rudolph Rebrick of Arizona; two nieces, Jennifer and Brandy Babcock, both of Wawarsing; cousins: Boris Rudzinski, Natalja Rudzinski, and Alexander Rudzinski; other cousins, aunts, and uncles in New York State; and two dear friends, Richie Marizzio and Pete Flemming. He was predeceased by his brother and best friend, Victor Zakotiria, Jr. The family wishes to thank everyone who helped us in this difficult time, especially the nurses at Wayne Memorial Hospital. Funeral services will be private and at the convenience of the family. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society, Wayne County Chapter, 100 4th Street, Honesdale, PA 18431. Arrangements are by the Arthur A. Bryant Funeral Home, 1228 Main St., Honesdale, Pa. God Bless. Published in the Times Herald-Record on 9/25/2005.