OBITS: Post-Star 18 Feb 2005; Glen Falls, Warren co., New York text-formatted by W. David Samuelsen for USGenWeb Archives *********************************************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.org/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.org/ny/nyfiles.htm *********************************************************************** Source: Post-Star http://www.post-star.com Cote, Robert R. GLENS FALLS -- Robert R. Cote, 75, a longtime resident of Glens Falls, passed away on Thursday, Feb. 17, 2005, from natural causes while at a hospital near his home in Denver, Colo. Born on Nov. 25, 1929, in Glens Falls, he was the first of four sons born to the late Reginald and Irene (Baldwin) Cote. Bob grew up in Glens Falls and enlisted in the U.S. Army in November 1948. He served until July 1952 before returning to his hometown of Glens Falls. During the next 30 years, he helped raise a family of six children and was an active member of the community. Mr. Cote was a fireman with the Glens Falls City Fire Department, a school bus driver with the Hudson Falls School District, and a facility caretaker for Dr. Daniel O'Keefe. In 1982, he decided to move to the Denver, Colo., area and joined the PayLess-Cashways Home Centers as a home improvement specialist. He worked with their stores in Denver and in Las Vegas before retiring in 1991. Mr. Cote was an avid baseball fan and spent many afternoons at Coors Field watching the Colorado Rockies. He enjoyed NASCAR, fiddling with his extensive model railroad and countryside display he built, and collecting state quarters. He is survived by his six children: Bob Cote of Glens Falls, Kathy Brown of Aurora, Colo.; Debbie Brewer, Cindy Bapp, and John Cote, all of Glens Falls, and Barb Holmes of Greenfield Center. Mr. Cote was blessed with 13 grandchildren: Katie Russo, Rob Brown, Courtney Russo, Joseph Cote, Tara Cote, Michael Canale, Jessica Affinito, Kaleigh Cote, Emily Bapp, Donald Bapp, John Philip Cote, and Sean and Lilly Holmes; as well as two great-grandchildren, Trinity Cote and Anthony Girard. He is also survived by his three brothers: Richard Cote of South Carolina, Ronald Cote of Glens Falls, and Leo Cote of Hudson Falls. Friends may call from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2005, at M.B. Kilmer Funeral Home, 136 Main St., South Glens Falls. www.kilmers.com. Funeral services will be conducted at 6:30 p.m. following calling hours, with the Rev. Victor Owan, associate pastor of St. Mary's/St. Paul's Church, on the park, Hudson Falls, officiating. Burial will be at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to the Prospect Child and Family Center, 133 Aviation Road, Queensbury NY 12804. Published in the Post-Star from 2/18/2005 - 2/19/2005. Gonyea Jr., Leon Louis WHITEHALL -- Leon Louis Gonyea Jr., 69, of Mountain Street, passed away Thursday, Feb. 17, 2005, at his home. Born on July 27, 1935, in Fort Edward, he was the son of the late Leon Sr. and Edna (Benton) Gonyea. Leon served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War as a paratrooper with the 11th Airborne Division. He was awarded his jump status in Fort Campbell, Ky. At one time, Leon was employed at NEBCO in South Glens Falls, before becoming a maintenance supervisor for a prominent Lake George resort. He enjoyed fishing, hunting, NASCAR, woodworking, and his children and grandchildren. Besides his parents, he was predeceased by four brothers: Walter Pecue, Robert Pecue, Roy Pecue, and Norman Gonyea; one sister, Helen Ringer; and two grandchildren, Cameron and Garrett Whalen. He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Gillian (Guerin) Gonyea of Whitehall; four daughters: Kathleen Gonyea Payne and her husband, Kevin, of Salem, Carol Gonyea Gordon and her husband, Daniel Sr., of Whitehall, Patricia Gonyea Whalen and her husband, Jeffrey, of Whitehall, and Antoinette Gonyea and her fiance, Timothy Sioui, of Fort Edward; two sons, Leon Gonyea III and his wife, Susan (Brown) of Plattsburgh and Frederick Gonyea and his wife, Kimberly (Breault), of Whitehall; seven grandchildren: Kristian Payne, Lt. Daniel Gordon II and his fiancee, Joleen Montgomery, Pvt. Leon Gordon, Brittany Gordon, Emma Whalen, Courtney Gonyea and Travis Gonyea; his brothers and sisters: Lawrence Gonyea of Glens Falls, Dorothy Gonyea Brann of Hudson Falls, Louis Gonyea and Richard Gonyea, both of Tennessee; and several nieces and nephews. A funeral service will be conducted at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 19, at Jillson Funeral Home, Inc., 46 Williams St., Whitehall, with Father David LeFort, pastor of Our Lady of Hope Church, officiating. Interment with full military honors will be conducted in the spring at Our Lady of Angels Cemetery by the American Legion Post No. 83. Family and friends may call from 7 to 9 p.m, today, Feb. 18, at the funeral home. The American Legion Post No. 83 of Whitehall will conduct a wake service at 8:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may take the form of a donation in Leon's name to the National Kidney Foundation, 30 East 33rd St., New York, NY 10016. Published in the Post-Star on 2/18/2005. Grahame, Jean Cummings GLENS FALLS -- Jean Cummings Grahame, 78, of 22 Grant Ave., died of cancer at her home on Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2005. Born Oct. 21, 1926, in Boston, Mass., she was the daughter of the late John Alexander Cummings and Mata Kreyscher Cummings. She graduated from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst in 1947 with the degree of bachelor of science in chemistry. On Oct. 7, 1950, she married Frederick Walpole Grahame Jr. in Pittsfield, Mass. Later, she and Frederick moved to Fort Edward, where she worked for General Electric until the birth of her two sons. She was a resident of Glens Falls for 39 years, having lived there ever since leaving Fort Edward in 1966. Besides her parents, she was predeceased by her husband, Fredrick, who died in 1990. For many years, she worked in several of the local high schools in Warren and Washington counties as a tutor and substitute teacher of mathematics and science, retiring in 1988. Her interests in education were reflected in her continued service to the P.E.O. Sisterhood, a private philanthropic educational organization that provides grants and scholarship awards for the advancement of the education of women. Her concerns for the well-being of children were evident in her long-term service as treasurer for the Children's Committee of Warren County, for which she received special recognition in 2000. Throughout her life she was active in sports, in recent years participating in organized senior games in tennis, a sport that she continued to play into the summer of 2004. Her hobbies included competitive tournament bridge, and she belonged to a smaller local bridge club that has held together for 50 years. She enjoyed entering and winning contests of all sorts, from simple sweepstakes, to inventing original slogans, to solving complex puzzles in logic. She loved music, the arts and was a supporter of the Crandall library, the de Blasiis classical music concert series and the Hyde Museum. Survivors include two sons, Dr. David A. Grahame of Clarksburg, Md., and Christopher W. Grahame of Glens Falls; two sisters, Elizabeth C. Erlandson of Newmarket, N.H., and Barbara C. Elderkin of Claremont, Calif.; a brother, Bruce Cummings of Tolland, Conn.; four nieces, four nephews, and numerous grandnieces and grandnephews. There will be no formal calling hours. A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 24, at the Church of the Messiah Episcopal, 296 Glen St., Glens Falls, with the Rev. Scott Harding officiating. A reception will follow. In lieu of flowers, donations may be given to The Church of the Messiah Episcopal, 296 Glen St., Glens Falls, NY 12801. Arrangements are under the direction of Regan and Denny Funeral Service, 53 Quaker Road, Queensbury, NY 12804. Published in the Post-Star on 2/18/2005. Huestis, John A. "Jack" TICONDEROGA -- John a. "Jack" Huestis, 68, of Streetroad, Ticonderoga, passed away Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2005, at Moses-Ludington Hospital of Ticonderoga, with his wife of 46 years, his daughter, and his daughter-in-law at his side. Born Oct. 22, 1936, in Streetroad, Ticonderoga, he was the son of the late Altus and Amanda (Provoncha) Huestis. Mr. Huestis was a dairy farmer and sold vegetables at his stand on Streetroad until he became ill and retired. He served 27 years in the National Guard and retired as a major. Mr. Huestis was a communicant of St. Mary's Catholic Church of Ticonderoga and was a third degree member of the St. Isaac Jogues Council No. 333 Knights of Columbus of Ticonderoga. He served as Grand Knight from 1978 until 1979. Survivors include his wife, Mary (Fuller) Huestis; a loving son and daughter-in-law, John Philip and Susanne Huestis; and a loving daughter, Julie Marie LaPointe; five beloved grandchildren, whom Jack adored, Mary Evelyn LaPointe, Karl Joseph LaPointe III, Paul Edward LaPointe, Nicole Elizabeth Huestis, and Kaitlyn Suzanne Huestis, all of Ticonderoga; a brother, Philip Huestis of Ticonderoga; a sister, Nancy Delage of Red Hook; and several nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, Jack was predeceased by a son-in-law, Karl Joseph LaPointe II, and a brother-in-law, Roger Delage. A special thank you to Gerald "Spank" Huestis, for being there for Jack in his time of need, remembering all the good times they had (Alan, Jack and Spank). Relatives and friends may call Sunday from 5 to 8 p.m. at Wilcox & Regan Funeral Home, 11 Algonkin St., Ticonderoga. The Knights of columbus will gather for evening prayers at 7 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Monday, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Mary's Catholic Church of Ticonderoga. The Rev. William G. Muench, pastor, will officiate. The Rite of Committal will take place in the spring at the family plot of the Valley View Cemetery of Ticonderoga. A reception will be held, following the Mass on Monday, at the Knights of Columbus Hall, Montcalm Street, Ticonderoga. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations may be made to St. Mary's School, 301 Amherst Ave., Ticonderoga, NY 12883. Published in the Post-Star on 2/18/2005. Lilley, Maureen R. QUEENSBURY -- Maureen R. Lilley, 57, passed away Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2005, at her home, surrounded by her family, after a very courageous battle with cancer. Born Nov. 6, 1947, in Pittsburgh, Pa., she was the daughter of the late Daniel G. Riley and Eileen (Malone) Riley of Pleasantville, N.J. She was a graduate of St. Mary's Cathedral High School in Trenton, N.J., and a 1969 graduate of St. Francis College in Loretta, Pa. Maureen married Donald F. Lilley on April 24, 1971. She taught in Jackson, N.J., and Saratoga Springs School District for 11 years. Her father, Daniel G. Riley, predeceased her. Maureen's eldest sister, Eileen Riley Dilley, also died before her. Survivors include her husband of 33 years, Donald F. Lilley of Queensbury; two daughters, Janeen, 20 and Kathleen, 19 of Queensbury; her mother, Eileen Riley of Pleasantville, N.J.; three sisters, Catherine Lonergan and her husband, Ed, of Sewell, N.J., Nancy Sutor and her husband, Robert, of Atlantic City, N.J., and Colleen Riley of Ventor, N.J.; one sister-in-law, Sharon Washko and her husband, Jack, of Venice, Fla.; three brothers-in-law, Edward F. Lilley and his wife, Linda, of Washington, N.J., Brian A. Lilley and his wife, Mary, of Bricktown, N.J., and W. Stanley Dilley of Bethesda, Md.; and many nieces and nephews. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 22, at St. Mary's Church, Glens Falls. Friends may call from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 21, at Sullivan-Minahan & Potter Funeral Home, 407 Bay Road, Queensbury. In lieu of flowers, contributions in memory of Maureen may be made to High Peaks Hospice, 286 Glen St., Glens Falls, NY 12801. Published in the Post-Star from 2/17/2005 - 2/18/2005.