OBITS: Post-Star 5 Jul 2005; Glen Falls, Warren 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: Post-Star http://www.post-star.com Cannon, Thomas Thomas Cannon, a retired Richmond, Va., postal worker who lived much of his life on the edge of poverty so he could give away a portion of his modest income to those in need, died July 2 of colon cancer at Richmond Community Hospital. He was 79. The self-described poor man's philanthropist, he gave away more than $150,000 over the past 33 years, mostly in thousand-dollar checks, to people he read about in the Richmond Times-Dispatch who were experiencing hard times or who had been unusually kind or courageous. Recipients included a Richmond woman who started a youth center in her low-income apartment complex, a retired postal worker who was a faithful volunteer at his neighborhood elementary school, a man and woman who wanted to return to Vietnam to visit their home town, a Richmond crime-victim advocate, a Petersburg, Va., teenager who had been abandoned as an infant and recently had been named Boys and Girls Clubs' Youth of the Year for Virginia. He gave to people of all ages, races, nationalities and incomes, usually by mailing a check to the Times-Dispatch and asking reporters to deliver it. He was never sanctimonious about it, noted one of his occasional delivery people, Times-Dispatch writer Bill Lohmann. " 'Bodacious,' one of his favorite words, would be a better description," Lohmann wrote in a weekend column recollecting Cannon's life. Cannon traced his penchant for benevolence to his time in the Navy. While he was away at signal school, many of his shipmates were killed in a shipboard explosion at the Port of Chicago. He concluded that he had been spared to help others and be a role model, to help people see "the oneness of it all." In 1995, a group of admirers and recipients of his benevolence set up a trust fund for him and his wife, who had suffered debilitating strokes and required her husband's full-time care. (During her last years, he spent his nights in a sleeping bag on the floor next to her bed.) They also bought the Cannons a house to replace the modest dwelling, which lacked central heating and air conditioning, where they had lived for 30 years. In 1998, Oprah Winfrey gave him the computer he had long dreamed of owning and inducted him into her "Angel Network." Last year, he published "Poor Man's Philanthropist: The Thomas Cannon Story," with Sandra Waugaman. Cannon was born in Richmond, the youngest of four children. His father died when he was 3, and his mother moved the family to Chase City to live with her mother and stepfather in a three-room wooden shack with no electricity or running water. He left school after the seventh grade to help support the family. After serving in the Navy during World War II, he returned to Richmond and enrolled in the eighth grade. He got his high school equivalency degree and then received an undergraduate degree in fine arts from Hampton University in 1954. He worked briefly as a school art consultant and joined the U.S. Postal Service in 1957. He made his first donation in 1972. Cannon supported his wife and himself, their two sons and his charitable efforts on a salary that never topped $20,000 a year. When he retired from the postal service in 1983, he and his wife lived in virtual poverty on his pension. After Cannon's cancer was diagnosed, he resolved to teach the Richmond community how to face death without fear. "The world is like a revolving door," he wrote in a Times-Dispatch letter to the editor last month. "People constantly are going out at death and coming in at birth. This is a natural phenomenon. It's been going on since the dawn of creation. It's merely the shifting of being and consciousness from one dimension of existence to another.... " Cannon's wife, Princetta Cannon, died in 2000. Survivors include his sons, Thomas "T.C." Cannon Jr. of Varina, Va., and Calvin M. Cannon of Opelika, Ala., and 11 grandchildren. Cannon made it known that he was opposed to a foundation carrying on his philanthropy after his death, since a foundation would require bureaucracy and paperwork. Nor did he want his name attached to anything. What he wanted in his honor and memory, he told the Times-Dispatch, was simple: "Help somebody." Published in the Post-Star on 7/5/2005. Coon, Margaret R. HUDSON FALLS -- Margaret R. Coon, 90, formerly of Paris Avenue, went into the arms of the Lord on Friday, July 1, 2005, at the Fort Hudson Nursing Home in the town of Fort Edward. Born on March 20, 1915, in Granville, she was the daughter of the late Owen D. and Mair A. (Pritchard) Roberts. Mrs. Coon was a graduate of Granville High School. On Feb. 7, 1942, she married Warren D. Coon at the Granville Congregational Church. Mrs. Coon was employed by the former Imperial Color and Chemical Corporation in Queensbury, was a former secretary at the First Presbyterian Church of Hudson Falls for 13 years and for 11 years she worked for the former E.R. Dickinson, Inc. in Kingsbury. She was a member of the Hudson Falls branch of the Glens Falls Hospital Guild, the AARP of Hudson Falls, Glens Falls Senior Citizens, Hudson Falls Chapter of Order of the Eastern Star, Chapter 632 and the Women's Association of the First Presbyterian Church of Hudson Falls. She was also an associate member of the Hyde Collection and a member of the Hyde Volunteer Council. Besides her parents, she was predeceased by her husband, Warren D. Coon, on Aug. 22, 1975; her three sisters: Edith R. Jones in September of 1974, Mair Morris on May 15, 1991, and Jane Roberts in April of 1987. She is survived by her niece, Marilyn Thomas and her husband, Lee, of Middle Granville; her nephew, David A. Jones and his wife, Michelle, of Queensbury; her grandnieces and grandnephews, Beth Goodspeed and her husband, Kevin, of Hartford, Sheri Thomas of Granville, Kenneth Thomas of Middle Granville, and David Thomas and his wife, Heather, of Granville; and several cousins. Friends may call today from 4 to 6 at Carleton Funeral Home, Inc., 68 Main St. in Hudson Falls. Funeral services will be conducted at 9 a.m. on Wednesday at the First Presbyterian Church in Hudson Falls, with the Rev. Jason Santalucia, pastor, officiating. Burial will follow at Mettowee Cemetery in the town of Granville. The family suggests memorial donations be sent to the Fort Edward Rescue Squad, Inc., P.O. Box 226, Fort Edward, NY 12828 or the Hudson Falls First Presbyterian Church, 5 River St., Hudson Falls, NY 12839. Published in the Post-Star from 7/2/2005 - 7/5/2005. Derrenbacher, Catherine Mary Theresa CAMBRIDGE -- Catherine Mary Theresa Derrenbacher, 81, of county Route 71, died peacefully, Sunday, July 3, 2005, at the Centers for Living and Rehabilitation in Bennington, Vt. She was the wife of John P. Derrenbacher. Born May 25, 1924, in the Bronx, she was the daughter of William J. and Catherine Pedro Svitak. While attending high school, she met her future husband, but they were not married until he returned from serving with the United States Navy in World War II. They were married at Holy Family Church, in the Bronx, on Oct. 12, 1946. The family lived in the Bronx until moving to Poughkeepsie in 1957, and then to Cambridge in 1984. Cathy was a wonderful homemaker. She liked working on her house and those of her friends. She especially enjoyed wallpapering and house painting. Cathy was always active in her church and community. She was a communicant of St. Patrick's Church, Cambridge, a member of Catholic Daughters, the Cambridge Seniors and the Cambridge Area Branch of the Women's National Farm and Garden Association and a volunteer for Meals on Wheels. A brother, William Svitak, died before her. Along with her husband, she is survived by three children and their spouses, Joan and Chris Davies, of Poughkeepsie, Theresa and Charles Otis Sweezey, of Edwardsville, Ill., and Philip Derrenbacher and Jennifer Coughlin; seven grandchildren, Christopher Davies and wife, Cheri, Michael Davies and wife, Heather, Gwendolyn Lindsey and husband, Donald, Amanda, Gage and Claire Derrenbacher; two great-grandsons, Aidan Davies and Donald Lindsay Jr.; two brothers, Robert Svitak and wife, Pauline, of Bennington and John Svitak of Cambridge; a sister-in-law, Peggy Ficke of Long Beach, N.Y.; and many nieces and nephews. Friends and relatives are invited to call on Wednesday, July 6, 2005, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Ackley & Ross Funeral Home, 73 West Main St., Cambridge. Cathy's brother-in-law, Father James Derrenbacher, will conduct a prayer service at 5:30 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated by Father Derrenbacher and Father Liam Condon at St. Patrick's Church, 17 South Park St., on Thursday, July 7, 2005, at 10 a.m. Burial will follow at Gerald B. H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery, Duell Road, Schuylerville, at 12 p.m. The family suggests memorial donations be made to either St. Patrick's Church, Centers for Living and Rehabilitation, 160 Hospital Drive, Bennington, VT 05201 or Cambridge Valley Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 52, Cambridge, NY 12816. Published in the Post-Star on 7/5/2005. Faller, Dr. Henry J. BOLTON LANDING -- Dr. Henry J. Faller, 74, of Lake Shore Drive, passed away Saturday, July 2, 2005, at his home. Born Sept. 5, 1930, in Philadelphia, Pa., he was the son of the late Joseph and Emma (Friedrich) Faller. He was a U.S. Korean War Army veteran. He earned the rank of sergeant and was awarded a 1st medal sharpshooter. Dr. Faller practiced dentistry in Williamstown, N.J., for 35 years, retiring in 1992. He was a member and past president of the American Dental Fraternity, a member of the New Jersey Dental Association, A.D.A. Dental Society, past president of the Williamstown Rotary, a member of the Knights of Columbus 4th degree, Adirondack 46ers, and the New Jersey Skeeter Ski Club. Dr. Faller was an avid hiker - in the Adirondack 46ers; skier - downhill and cross country; snowshoer; runner; fisherman - salmon and lake trout and ice fishing; wood craftsman; artist; USA and European traveler; and amateur cook. He was a sincere and loving husband, father and opa. Dr. Faller was most proud of his children: Greg, Karen and Heidi, and grandsons, Henrik, Max and Benjamin. Besides his parents, he was predeceased by his first wife, Sophia Faller. Survivors include his wife, Dawn Faller of Bolton Landing; one son, Greg Faller and his wife, Rita, and their son, Henrik, all of Towson, Md.; two daughters, Karen Emerle and her husband, Len, and their son, Maximilian, all of Williamstown, N.J., and Heidi Joe Meister and her husband, Michael, and their son Benjamin, all of Bensheim, Germany; seven cousins: Kathryn Streater of Williamstown, N.J., Anna Mae Holland of Maine, Eva Frekot of Williamstown, N.J., Edward Friedrich of Blackwood, N.J., Louise Blount of Stratford, N.J., Herb Guenter of Warminster, Pa., and Dr. Norbert Fritsch of Germany. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. today, July 6, at the Church of the Blessed Sacrament, Goodman Avenue, Bolton Landing. A Rite of Committal will follow at Bolton Rural Cemetery. Calling hours will be at 9 a.m. at the church prior to the service today. Donations may be made in Dr. Faller's memory to High Peaks Hospice, 286 Glen St., Glens Falls, NY 12801 or to the Peter Young Housing, Industries Treatment, Inc. (Shelter Service), 134 Franklin St., Albany, NY 12202. Arrangements are under the direction of Stafford Funeral Home, Inc. of Lake George. Published in the Post-Star from 7/4/2005 - 7/6/2005. Holcomb, Charles E. Wells, Vt. -- Charles E. Holcomb, of Wells, died Sunday, July 3, 2005, following a lengthy illness at the Rutland Regional Medical Center. Charlie, a lifelong resident of Wells was born on Feb. 1, 1923, the son of Sanford and Grace (VanGuilder) Holcomb. Charlie served in the U.S. Army during World War II from 1942 to 1946. For years, Charlie worked in local slate quarries. In 1968, Charlie started his own construction business. In 1974, he and his son Charles, joined together in this very successful partnership. Charlie was a member of the Modern Woodman of America. Charlie was predeceased by two brothers, Richard and Harold Holcomb, and three sisters: Leona Higgins, Beatrice Martelle, and Dorothy Morse as well as two infant brothers, Harley and Sanford Holcomb. Survivors are his wife, Leona D. (Hadaway) Holcomb of Wells, Vt.; his son, Charles J. Holcomb of Wells; a daughter, Linda McGraw of Middle Granville, a daughter, Lorraine Schock of Rutland, Vt.; a sister, Esther Devitto of Rutland,Vt.; a granddaughter, Michelle Schock of Rutland, Vt.; a grandson, Ryan Schock of Concord, N.H., and several nieces and nephews. A funeral service will be held on Thursday, July 7, 2005, at 11 a.m. at Robert M. King Funeral Home, 23 Church St., Granville, with the Rev. Alexander Stringer officiating. Friends may call on Wednesday, July 6, 2005, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Granville Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 153, Granville, NY 12832. Published in the Post-Star on 7/5/2005. Jensen, Oliver O. Oliver O. Jensen, who co-founded and later was editor of American Heritage magazine and wrote many historical books and articles, died Thursday. He was 91. Jensen, who had been a longtime resident of Old Saybrook, Conn., died in an assisted living center, according to his family. Jensen was born April 16, 1914, in Ithaca, N.Y., the son of Dorothea Jensen and Gerald E. Jensen, who taught English at Connecticut College. He earned his bachelor's at Yale University in 1936 and, during World War II, served in the U.S. Naval Reserves on a destroyer in the Atlantic and a carrier in the Pacific. Before the war, he had begun his career in advertising and radio in the 1930s and, by 1940, was a staff writer at Life magazine. Material from one of his articles about slang and legends of the Navy was later included in Jensen's first book, "Carrier War" (1945), which also included first-person accounts of officers and soldiers who fought in the Pacific and the Philippines. Jensen left the Navy as a lieutenant and resumed his work at Life. In 1954, along with Joseph J. Thorndike Jr. and James Parton, he launched American Heritage with historian Bruce Catton as editor. Catton, who had written his Pulitzer Prize-winning book, "A Stillness at Appomattox," announced in the first issue: "We intend to deal with that great, unfinished and illogically inspiring story of the American people doing, being and becoming." Jensen's article, "The Old Fall River Line," was included in the initial issue. Within five years, the bimonthly magazine had grown from 10,000 subscribers to more than 300,000. Circulation now is about 340,000. Jensen was the magazine's managing editor from 1956-59 and editor from 1959-1976. He also served as editorial director of Horizon magazine during the 1960s and was editorial director of the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1969). From 1981 to 1983, he was chief of the division of prints and photographs at the Library of Congress. Among other books that Jensen wrote, co-wrote or edited are "The Revolt of American Women" (1952), "American Album" (1968) and "High Honor: Recollections by Men and Women of World War II Aviation" (1989). Jensen was married five times, including a brief marriage to novelist Jean Stafford, which ended in divorce. His fifth wife, the former Alison Pfeiffer Hargrove, whom he married in 1970, died in 2000. Survivors include stepdaughter Penelope Hargrove of Santa Cruz, Calif., and stepsons Christopher Hargrove of West Hollywood, Calif., and Stephen Hargrove of Los Angeles. Published in the Post-Star on 7/5/2005. McLellan, Edith Margaret DANBY, Vt. -- Edith Margaret McLellan, 91, a resident of Danby, Vt., died Sunday, July 3, 2005, at Haven Health Care in Rutland, Vt. She was born in Danby, Vt., on March 18, 1914, the daughter of Harley and Jessie (Fitzgerald) Harrington and attended schools in Danby. Vt. In March of 1935, she married her husband, Raymond McLellan, of Danby, Vt. For many years they sold gas and oil in Danby as they raised their family. Edith loved her home. She enjoyed baking, gardening and cherished times spent with her family and friends. She is survived by three daughters, Joan West of Danby, Vt., Audrey Patch of Mount Holly and Reba Hathaway of West Winfield, N.Y.; her daughter-in-law, Josephine McLellan of Danby, Vt.; two sons, Neil McLellan of Danby, Vt., and Richard McLellan of West Rutland, Vt. She was preceded in death by her husband, Raymond, in 1997; a son, Eugene McLellan, who died in 1973; three sisters, Laura Smith, Esther Baker, and Maud Parker; and three brothers, Sylvester Harrington, Wayne Harrington, and Paul Harrington. Graveside funeral services for Edith will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 9, 2005, in the family lot in Danby Cemetery. Pastor Ralph Stone of Mountain View Baptist Church in Danby will conduct the service. There are no visiting hours. If friends desire, memorial contributions in Edith's memory may be made to the Danby Lions Club or the Manchester Rescue Squad, c/o Brewster Funeral Service, P.O. Box 885, Manchester, Center, VT 05255. For directions or to send e-mail condolences, please visit www.sheafuneralhomes.com. Arrangements are under the Care of Brewster Funeral Service, 34 Park Place, Manchester, Center, Vt. Published in the Post-Star on 7/5/2005. Millis, Thelma B. CORINTH -- Thelma B. Millis, 81, a longtime resident of Corinth, died Thursday, June 23, 2005, at the Sunbridge Living Center in Meridian, Idaho, following a long illness. Born on Jan. 29, 1924, in South Corinth, she was the daughter of the late Edward and Catherine (DeLong) Towers. Mrs. Millis graduated from Corinth High School. She married Edwin J. Millis on Dec. 19, 1942, and the couple resided in Corinth for many years. He died Nov. 4, 1983, following 41 years of marriage. Mrs. Millis was a member of the Spirit of Life United Methodist Church of South Corinth for many years. She was a member of many volunteer associations that helped with disadvantaged children. She was known for making ragdolls, affectionately called "Thelma Dolls" by the many children who received them. Mrs. Millis enjoyed reading, storytelling, gardening, traveling and working with disadvantaged children. Besides her husband and her parents, nine brothers, Harold, Jack, Raymond, Elmer, Cecil, Ralph, Leonard, Harry, and Robert Towers; and five sisters, Ruth Towers, Marion Holland, Lucy Towers, Dorothy Clute and Irene Milligan, all died before her. Survivors include five daughters, Diane Janssen of Meridian, Idaho, Tresa A. Duda and her husband, Walt, of Oradell, N.J., Brenda Millis of El Cajon, Calif., Becky Lyons of San Diego, Calif., and Joanne Christian of Dallas, Texas; 12 grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren; two brothers, Maxwell Towers of Lake Luzerne and Leo Towers and his wife, Flora Belle of South Corinth; one sister, Clara Mae Orto and her husband, John, of Corinth; and many nieces, nephews and cousins. A memorial service will be conducted at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 13, 2005, at the Spirit of Life United Methodist Church, 10 Chatman St., South Corinth, with the Rev. Judith Humphrey-Fox, pastor, officiating. Burial will follow at Maplewood Cemetery, Route 9N, South Corinth. Following the committal, a reception will then be held at the church fellowship hall. The family suggests that memorials take the form of donations to Alzheimer's Association Adirondack Regional Branch of NENY, P.O. Box 4091, Queensbury, NY 12804. Arrangements are under the direction of Densmore Funeral Home, Inc., 7 Sherman Ave., Corinth. Published in the Post-Star on 7/5/2005.