Delia “Barney” Palombo

Delia “Barney” Palombo

KNOX — Delia “Barney” Palombo was a well-known presence at the Township Tavern in Knox, and later made her place in Knox’s town government. She was also a loving and caring person to her friends, family, community, and animals. She died on Monday, March 27, 2017. She was 94.

Mrs. Palombo was born to John Barnish and Edwina Le Febvre on June 13, 1922, in Chicopee, Massachusetts. In 1956, she moved to the town of Knox.

In Knox, she and her husband, Harry Palombo, opened and ran the Township Tavern. Speaking to The Enterprise in 2008, Mrs. Palombo described how the bar — with its sausage sandwiches, draft beer, wood stove, and dart boards — served as a haven for the town, particularly during a bad snowstorm in the 1950s, when some even sought shelter there.

“They respected Harry and I; and I think that’s why we never had any problems.” she said of her customers, “Everybody was real nice.”

After her husband died in 1981, Mrs. Palombo continued running the restaurant for about five more years. After that, it went through various owners and names, until finally the owner, Paul Centi, asked Palombo in 2007 if he could rename it the Township Tavern.

“You’ll have made my husband and me very, very happy,” she told him.

Although she no longer worked there, Mrs. Palombo would, on occasion, step behind the bar and serve drinks on special occasions, sipping from a soda and telling stories of her past.

She and her husband were also active in the local group the Plankroaders, which formed during festivities for the town’s sesquicentennial celebration. The couple donated land to the group, which held festivities in a rustic clubhouse that sometimes had as many as 40 attending.

Mrs. Palombo later was appointed registrar of vital statistics for the town of Knox, and later its tax collector. Mrs. Palombo served the town as tax collector for over 20 years, even as arthritis afflicted her and her eyesight went. She used a magnifying glass to get the job done.

 

Enterprise file photo — Tyler Schuling
Always ready to serve: Delia “Barney” Palombo stood behind the bar at the Township Tavern in 2008 to serve a drink to Renée Quay the month she turned 21; it was the fourth generation of Quays she had served; Renée’s great-grandfather, Walt Quay, was the first.

 

She also was a member of the Senior Citizens of Altamont and the Knox Women’s Fire Auxiliary.

Michael Hammond, a former Knox town supervisor, worked with Mrs. Palombo when she was the town tax collector.

“Many people when they were paying their taxes regarded it as an enjoyable experience,” said Mr. Hammond, attributing this to Mrs. Palombo. “The people loved to talk to her,” he added.

Mrs. Palombo would let people into her home to pay her taxes, and also took on the task of switching from manual to computer-based entries, said Mr. Hammond.

Her work was rewarded by a majority of people reelecting her every two years to her position for about two decades. She was 90 when she retired.

Mr. Hammond in fact got to know her before her role in town government. He said that, when he was first getting involved in politics, he met Mr. and Mrs. Palombo at the Township Tavern.

“They were very community-oriented,” he said. “It was a very popular place.”

With people coming by regularly to chat, Hammond said, “It was almost like a scene that Norman Rockwell would like to paint.”

Mrs. Palombo also used to hold celebrations with her husband: a New Year’s Eve party, and also a party on Feb. 19 commemorating both her anniversary and the birthday of her friend, Henry Quay.

“She was the epitome of a sweet lady,” said Mr. Hammond.

Mrs. Palombo was cared for in her later years by Mary and Dana Sherman, and Charlotte and Frank Fuss.

Mrs. Palombo was a “typical Hilltown person,” said Mrs. Sherman, explaining that she worked hard all her life.

Mrs. Palombo was a caring person, said Mrs. Fuss, who said she always shared what little she had. Mrs. Fuss described how she found records of her friend having given money to “every type of organization.”

Mrs. Fuss first met Mrs. Palombo when she moved to the area eight years ago, and decided to attend an Altamont Seniors meeting.

“I was nervous,” said Mrs. Fuss. Then, “A little lady came up to me and said, ‘There’s always a seat at our table.’”

Mrs. Sherman met Mrs. Palombo after moving to the area in 1969. When Mrs. Palombo decided to run for tax collector for the first time, she had to give up her job as registrar of vital statistics. Mrs. Sherman took on the job, and said that Mrs. Palombo taught her and helped as the new registrar.

“She was like a stepmother to me,”said Mrs. Fuss. Mrs. Sherman agreed.

“We called her ‘Ma,’” said Mrs. Sherman.

Mrs. Palombo missed the family and friends who left in one way or another over the years, she said. “It just kills me.”

Her dogs, cats, and pet cockatoo kept her company.

“They were her children,” said Mrs. Fuss. Mrs. Sherman noted that Mrs. Palombo always fed her animals when she first go up in the morning, before she herself had even had breakfast.

Mrs. Palombo also kept the stories of her past with her over the years.

“All my memories up here are good,” Mrs. Palombo said in 2008. “They’re all happy memories, which is nice.”

****

Mrs. Palombo is survived by her daugher in-law; many grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and her friends and caregivers, Mary and Dana Sherman and Charlotte and Frank Fuss.

Her husband, Harry Palombo, died before her, as well as her brothers Dick, and Francis Barnish, and several stepchildren and relatives.

A funeral Mass will be held on Thursday, March 30, at 10 a.m. at St. Lucy/St. Bernadette’s Catholic Church, 109 Grand Street, Altamont. Interment will take place in the spring.

Memorial contributions may be made to St. Lucy/St. Bernadette’s Catholic Church, Post Office Box 678, Altamont, NY 12009.

— H. Rose Schneider

More Obituaries

  • GUILDERLAND — Carole Richmond Hubbard, who was active in church ministries and devoted to her family, died peacefully on Saturday, March 23, 2024, surrounded by family and friends. She was 80.

    She was born in Albany on June 11, 1943 to the late William Sr. and Mary Parsons Richmond.

  • VOORHEESVILLE — Paul Richard Barrowman, a Vietnam veteran who worked as a carpenter and craftsman, was generous with his family and friends.

    He died on Saturday, March 9, 2024, at home after a short illness. He was 75.

  • EAST BERNE — Christina Anne Baker, a social worker who liked spending time with her family, died peacefully on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. She was 74.

    Born in Albany, she was the daughter of the late Margaret and Joseph Welsh Sr.

    Her husband, Michael D. Baker Sr., died before her.

The Altamont Enterprise is focused on hyper-local, high-quality journalism. We produce free election guides, curate readers' opinion pieces, and engage with important local issues. Subscriptions open full access to our work and make it possible.