EAST BERNE — Leo O. Bartell Sr. of East Berne, who was recognized both for fostering children and serving the Hilltowns, died peacefully in his East Berne home on Tuesday, June 8, 2021. He was 78.

Mr. Bartell graduated from Guilderland High School in 1962. As a young adult, he was an ironworker, working in high-rise construction steel. He retired from Owens Corning Fiberglas in Delmar, where he worked for many years as a machinist mechanic.

As retirees, Leo and his wife, Leah Bartell, “devoted themselves to foster care and opened their home and hearts to 93 children,” his family wrote in a tribute. They were recognized by Albany County for their dedication and received the 2004 Foster Parents of the Year award.

He was a beloved husband and devoted father, his family wrote.

Mr. Bartell was also very active in the Hilltown community and in 2012 he received the Outstanding Community Service to Residents award from the Albany County Sheriff’s Office. He was a member of Rock Road Chapel Ministries and was a very active food pantry volunteer.

“You may have had the pleasure of joking with him at some of his favorite local hangouts: the Mobil gas station, Dollar General, and the hardware store,” his family wrote.

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Leo O. Bartell Sr. is survived by his wife, Leah (née Pollard); by his children, Leo Jr., Lee Ann Cullen and her husband, William, and Stacey Iveson and her husband, Timothy; by his grandchildren, Michael Archambeault, Brett Cullen, and Alexis, Courtney and Brooke Iveson; by his great-grandson, Michael Archambeault; and by his sisters, Laura Bartell and Thelma (Carole) Gunter.

His sister, Margaret Natale, died before him.

Calling hours are at Fredendall Funeral Home in Altamont from 4 to 7 p.m. on Monday, June 14; the funeral will start there at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, June 15, followed by burial at Memory Gardens Cemetery in Albany.