OBITS: Post-Star 26 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 Black, Patricia A. "Gram" GLENS FALLS -- Patricia "Gram" A. Black, 66, of Warren Street, got her wish of passing away suddenly in her sleep, Saturday, July 23, 2005, at her home. Born July 8, 1939, in Glens Falls, she was the daughter of the late Thearon and Mary (Higgins) Drake. Being raised in the Warrensburg area, Patricia attended Warrensburg Central School systems. She worked as a dedicated employee for Chase Bag Co. of Hudson Falls, performing various duties for many faithful years until her arthritis got so bad, forcing her to retire. "Gram," fondly known by everyone, enjoyed playing cards, bingo, and reading The Post-Star. In fact, her children dubbed her, "The Walking Post Star," for she knew everything that was happening in and around the area. "Just ask Gram, she would know," was a classic family expression. Another one was, "Gram, I need help." She was always there for you. As tight as her income was, she always had a dollar to lend, or a birthday card to buy. She never missed a single birthday. It was just so important to her. She truly lived for her family and friends. The large void she has left will be filled with many heartfelt remembrances of one of the greatest Grams ever lived! We love you Gram. Besides her parents, two sisters, Phyllis Middleton and her twin sister, Priscilla Drake, one brother, Thearon Drake, missing in action in the Korean War; and three granddaughters, Megan Cassell, and infants Angel and Violet Urbonowicz, all predeceased her. Survivors include five daughters: Constance Havens and her companion, Michael Helmig, of Greenwich, Jackie Urbonowicz and her husband, Michael, of Gansevoort, Donna Barnes and her husband, Don, of Ballston Spa, Patricia M. Winnie and her companion, Larry Lloyd, of Greenfield Center, and JoAnn Black and her companion, Adam Beck, of Hudson, Fla.; two sons, Jack J. Straight of Glens Falls, and Donald Black Jr. and his companion, Janice Knobel, of Fort Edward; three sisters: Bertha Morgan and her husband, Howard, of Fort Edward, Katherine Swinton of Queensbury, and Joyce Forbes of Pottersville; one brother, Milton "Bud" Drake and his wife, Allison, of Warrensburg; 19 grandchildren, Jamie Smith and her husband, Bill, of Queensbury, Joshua Havens and his companion, Theresa Gitto, of Argyle, Joshua Urbonowicz and his wife, Sarah, of Clifton Park, Jason Urbonowicz and his companion, Nicole, also of Clifton Park, Matt Bennett and his wife, Katie, of Glens Falls, Jack Straight of Saratoga Springs, Nicole Black of Jacksonville, Fla., Donald C. Black of Daytona, Fla., Erica LaMere and her husband, Clete, of South Glens Falls, Danielle Knobel and her fianc‚, Josh Craft, also of South Glens Falls, Chad and Billy Cassell, both of Ballston Spa, Christina Winnie and her companion, Bob Anderson, of Glens Falls, Sarah Breault of Glens Falls, Scott Winnie of Queensbury, Pauline Mabb, Jolene Armstrong, and Travis Armstrong, all of Hudson, Fla., and Thomas "TJ" Clarke of North Carolina; 29 great-grandchildren; many brothers and sisters-in-law, several aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, and many close friends. Calling hours will be held Wednesday, July 27, from 1 to 3 and 5 to 7 p.m. at Maynard D. Baker Funeral Home, 11 Lafayette St., Queensbury. A memorial service will be held at 7 p.m. following the calling hours, with the Rev. Thomas Babiuch, associate pastor of St. Mary's Church, Glens Falls, officiating. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent, in loving memory of Patricia, to Albany Medical Center, Anatomical Gift Program, 43 New Scotland Ave., Albany, NY 12208. In respect of the anatomical program, graveside services will take place at Maplewood Cemetery, Wilton, at a future date to be announced. The family would like to extend a sincere thank you to everyone who took part in the care and comfort provided to "Gram" over the years. Published in the Post-Star from 7/25/2005 - 7/26/2005. Cafaro, Theodore J. "Ted" Queensbury -- Theodore J. "Ted" Cafaro, 87, passed away at Glens Falls Hospital on July 23, 2005, following a short illness. Ted was born on July 21, 1918, in Naples, Italy, the son of the late Angelo and Jane (Bruno) Cafaro. He was a veteran of the United States Army. Ted retired from Scott Paper Co. as department supervisor for many years. Besides his parents, he was predeceased by his first wife, Margaret Jones, and his second wife of 56 years, Dorothy (Etu) Cafaro, who passed away Nov. 13, 2003. Survivors include his daughters, Judith M. Cafaro of Queensbury, Barbara Steves and her husband, Roy, of Fort Ann, and Nancy Yannotti and her husband, Arthur, of Queensbury; six grandchildren, Jennifer Yannotti, Andrea Lucynski and her husband, Dan, Joseph Yannotti, Melissa Turner and her husband, Brian, Angela and Michael Steves; two great- grandchildren, Jacob and Brianna Lucynski; his sister, Rose Cafaro of Glens Falls; sisters-in-law, Gertrude Cafaro, Dorothy Cafaro, Helen Whittemore, Ann Bennett and Betty Jones; and several nieces and nephews. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. today, July 26, at St. Mary's Church, Warren Street, Glens Falls. Burial will follow at St. Mary's Cemetery, South Glens Falls. Calling hours were held from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at Singleton-Healy Funeral Home, 407 Bay Road, Queensbury. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Ted's name to the Alzheimer's Association, Northeastern New York Chapter, Adirondack Region Branch, 71 Glenwood Ave., Queensbury, NY 12804. Published in the Post-Star from 7/25/2005 - 7/26/2005. Desidoro Jr., Andrew Joseph FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Andrew Joseph Desidoro Jr., 59, died unexpectedly on Thursday, July 21, 2005, at his home in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Born March 21, 1946, in Saratoga Springs, he was the son of Andrew J. Desidoro Sr. and the late Lucy Canning Desidoro. Andrew was a 1964 graduate of Saratoga Springs High School and received a bachelor's degree from SUNY-New Paltz. He had long been employed in the advertising field in New York City and until his death was employed as the manager of the Starbucks Coffee Shop in Plantation, Fla. Andrew also taught classes at Johnson and Wales College in Florida. Andrew was well respected and loved by his Starbucks co-workers and customers. He loved family and was a devoted son, brother and uncle. He enjoyed cooking, being with people and working hard at what he loved. He will be remembered for his boundless energy, hard work, love of life, compassionate nature, and tremendous sense of humor. He was a friend to all and very well respected by all who knew him. His family will remember him for his fun-loving nature and zest for life. Survivors include his father, Andrew J. Desidoro Sr. and his wife, Alice, of Saratoga Springs; four sisters: Jean D. Humiston and her husband, Gerard, of Lake George, Lucy Sapp and her husband, John, of Fairport, N.Y., Amelia Ives of Gansevoort and Angela Ovitt and her husband, Oscar, of Saratoga Springs; two aunts, Angela Tarantino of Saratoga Springs and Claire Bowie of New York City; one uncle, John Desidoro of Saratoga Springs; as well as several nieces, nephews and cousins. A memorial service in his honor was held in Florida on Saturday, July 23. Funeral arrangements are being made through Simone Funeral Home of Saratoga, with burial taking place at St. Peter's Cemetery, Saratoga Springs. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to the memorial scholarship fund in Andrew's name to Saratoga High School, c/o Jean Humiston, 102 McCormack Drive, Lake George, NY 12845. Published in the Post-Star on 7/26/2005. Gero, Barbara Lois MALTA and SCHROON LAKE -- Barbara Lois Gero, 69, of 2560 Route 9, Malta, passed away early Saturday morning, July 23, 2005, at Saratoga Hospital surrounded by her loving family after fighting a brief battle with lung cancer. Born April 29, 1936, in Wadhams, N.Y., she was the daughter of the late Ralph and Beatrice Stevenson Decker. Barbara was predeceased by her husband, Bernard Gero, on April 22, 1987, and her sister, Ann Vanderhoff. She was a resident of Schroon Lake for many years. She moved to Malta two years ago. Barbara was employed by Stewart's Corporation for 25 dedicated years in Schroon Lake and most recently in Malta, where she retired. She enjoyed sewing, crossword puzzles, going to Curves and the casino with her friends, and especially spending time with her family. Barb is survived by her son, Galen Pereau and his wife, Nancy, of Ballston Lake; her daughters: Valerie McKinney and her husband, Brian, of Queensbury, and Patti Ann Edwards and her husband, Tom, of Port Henry; her grandchildren: Galen Parker Pereau Jr., Bernard Jebediah, Alexis Marie McKinney, Thomas Bernard Edwards and George Wallace Edwards; her sister and brother-in-law, Maurice and Kathleen Jenks of Englewood, Fla.; her nieces, Valerie Jenks and Cheryl Mauran; and her great-niece, Elizabeth Decker. Funeral services will be conducted at 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 27, at Edward L. Kelly Funeral Home, Schroon Lake, with the Rev. Kathy Maker officiating. Interment will follow at Schroon River Cemetery. Friends may call from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home. The family suggests memorials take the form of donations to the American Cancer Society, 959 State Route 9, Mount Royal Plaza, Queensbury, NY 12804, or to the Schroon Lake Emergency Squad, Schroon Lake, NY 12870. Published in the Post-Star from 7/25/2005 - 7/26/2005. Glasier, David Allan CHESHIRE, Mass. -- David Allan Glasier, 63, of Outlook Avenue, died Saturday evening, July 16, 2005, at home after a long illness. Born Nov. 5, 1941, in Granville, he was the son of Mark and Hazel DeKalb Glasier. He was a 1959 graduate of Granville High School and earned a degree in electrical engineering from the University of Massachusetts in 1967. He also graduated from the General Electric apprentice program. An electrical engineer, Mr. Glasier was employed by General Electric Co. for 39 years, retiring in 1998. For five years, he was vice president of the former Controls Inc. in Pittsfield, Mass. He was a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers and enjoyed working with computers and playing golf. David and his wife, the former Bonnie A. Mott, were married Nov. 5, 1966, in Northampton, Mass. A brother, Walter Glasier, died before him. Besides his wife, he leaves three sons: Gary A. Glasier of Cheshire, Mass., Eric R. Glasier of Enfield, Conn. and Allan D. Glasier of Atlanta, Ga.; a daughter, Leslie A. Lindabury of Atlanta, Ga.; a brother, Wendell Glasier of Bowie, Md.; and three sisters: Gertrude Glasier of Ticonderoga, Evelyn Ginter of Woodbury, N.J. and Marion Barnes of West Hebron. He will also be missed by his six grandchildren: Shelby, Gabrielle, Danielle and Emily Glasier, and Harrison and Evan Lindabury. Funeral services were conducted at 11 a.m. Thursday, July 21, at Dery-Cheshire Funeral Home, with the Rev. Charles F. Young, chaplain of HospiceCare in the Berkshires, officiating. Burial was in Cheshire Cemetery. There were no calling hours. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to HospiceCare in the Berkshires or the American Cancer Society, c/o of Dery-Cheshire Funeral Home, P.O. Box 445, Cheshire, MA 01225. Published in the Post-Star on 7/26/2005. Gomez, Luella Mae ARGYLE -- Luella Mae Gomez, 71, of West Valley Road, died Monday, July 25, 2005, at Glens Falls Hospital. Born on March 20, 1934, in Wolcott, Vt., she was the daughter of the late Burton and Dorothy (Grant) Phelps. Luella was employed for 20 years at the Highland Acres Convalescent Home, as a certified nurse assistant, where she was a loving caregiver. Luella, "Mimi," raised nine children, and loved spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren. She enjoyed gardening, decorating for the holidays, and was a great cook. Besides her parents, Luella was predeceased by her brother, Olan Phelps, of Vermont. Survivors include her husband of 52 years, David Gomez Sr.; her sons: Andy of Norfolk, Conn., Timmy of Winsted, Conn., David Jr. of Norfolk, Conn., Dennis of Colebrook, Conn., Dwain of Argyle, Aaron of Winsted, Conn., and Greg Gomez of Hebron; her daughters, Monica Cole of Phoenix, Ariz., and Tammy Gomez, of Canaan, Conn.; her sisters, Lillian Byrnes, Dotty Graves, Clover Towne, and Carm Belisle, all of Vermont; her brothers, Eddy, Loyd, Dale, and Roland Phelps, all of Vermont; 13 grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. Friends may call from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, July 29, at Holcomb des Groseilliers, Funeral Home, 17 Church St., Hardwick, Vt. Graveside services will commence from the funeral home, Friday, July 29, to the Taylor Cemetery in Vermont. In addition, there will be a time of reflections of the life of Luella at the Church of Christ Chapel, Norfolk, Conn., Route 272, from 5 to 8 p.m. Monday, August 1. Donations may be made in Luella's memory to the American Lung Association, 3 Winners Circle, Suite 300, Albany, NY 12205. Arrangements are under the direction of M.B. Kilmer Funeral Home, 123 Main St., Argyle, NY. Published in the Post-Star from 7/26/2005 - 7/28/2005. Rumsey, Donald A. GREERS FERRY, Ark. -- Donald A. Rumsey, 78, passed away suddenly at his home in Greers Ferry, Ark., on Saturday morning, July 23, 2005. He was born and raised in Albany. Mr. Rumsey served in the United States Army on a PT Boat in the Atlantic during World War II. His bachelor's degree in metallurgy was from Missouri School of Mines, and his master's in education from SUNY Albany. He taught physics at Adirondack Community College for 28 years. He and his wife Wilma moved to Greers Ferry, Ark., in late summer of 2003. In continuation and spirit of his lifelong commitment to and passion for education, he has donated his remains to the University of Arkansas to be used for teaching and research. Mr. Rumsey was predeceased by his wife, Wilma J. Rumsey, in May, 2005. He is survived by his son, David Rumsey and his wife, Jerry, of Greers Ferry, Ark.; a daughter, Joanne Hopper and her husband, Kevin, and their three children of Saratoga Springs; and his two sisters, Marjorie and Jamie, who live in Florida and Washington state respectively. He will be missed more than words can possibly say. A memorial service will be scheduled at St. James Episcopal Church in Lake George. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to St. James Episcopal Church, Lake George, NY 12845. Logo Published in the Post-Star on 7/26/2005. Smith, Shirley L. QUEENSBURY -- Shirley L. Smith, 74, of Jenkinsville Road, passed away on Wednesday evening, July 20, 2005, at Glens Falls Hospital, after a short illness. Shirley was born on July 14, 1931, and grew up in Fort Ann. She was the daughter of the late Leon and Gertrude (Yarter) Walker of Fort Ann. She graduated from the Fort Ann High School in the Class of 1949. Shirley was also a graduate of Albany Business College. Her employment included the Prudential Insurance Company and Glens Falls Hospital. She left the hospital so that she could be a dedicated wife and mother. Her passions included horses, gardening, traveling, skiing and tennis. Shirley enjoyed her daily walks around the block and talking to her neighbors. She also enjoyed her weekly line-dancing class at the Moreau Community Center. She also had a special love of the great outdoors. Survivors include her husband of 48 years, Clyde E. Smith of Queensbury; her children, Gregory Smith and his wife, Michele, of Placerville, Calif., Cindy Smith of Brookfield, Conn., and Alicia Butler and her husband, David, of South Glens Falls; her four grandchildren, Jessica and Trevor Smith of Placerville, Calif., and Davin and Dylan Butler of South Glens Falls; her brothers, Leon Walker and his wife, Sally, and Raymond Walker, all of Fort Ann; her sister-in-law, Joyce Smith and her husband, Dave, of Hudson Falls; her nieces and nephews; and her close family friend, Leslie Costa of Brookfield, Conn. A memorial service, with reception to follow, will take place at 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 30, 2005, at the family home, located at 42 Jenkinsville Road in the town of Queensbury. Interment will be at the Gerald B. H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery, Duell Road, Schuylerville. In lieu of flowers, her family suggests memorials in the form of contributions to the American Lung Association, 3 Winners Circle, Suite 300, Albany, NY 12205-1187 and the Moreau Community Center, 144 Main St., South Glens Falls, NY 12803. Arrangements are under the direction of Carleton Funeral Home, Inc., 68 Main St., Hudson Falls. Published in the Post-Star from 7/22/2005 - 7/27/2005. Steves, Donald Lee RUSKIN, Fla. -- Donald Lee Steves, 71, of Ruskin, Fla., formerly of Whitehall, died Tuesday, July 19, 2005. He worked as a prison guard at Great Meadows Comstock Prison for many years. He is survived by his wife of 25 years, Arlita Steves; 15 children; 16 grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. Burial was private. Published in the Post-Star on 7/26/2005.