GALLUPVILLE — Sheila Cecelia Elizabeth Crowley Spies Powers, an ardent champion of personal and property rights, had incredible judgment about human behavior, and was a terrifically large presence in people’s lives, Chris Spies, her son, said.

Mrs. Powers died, surrounded by her family, on Dec. 8, 2006 after a brief illness. She was 75.
"Anyone who needed a champion, she was there," Mr. Spies said.

Born on Nov. 7, 1931, in Brooklyn, to William and Gertrude (Kennedy) Crowley, Mrs. Powers lived a life distinguished by selfless service to others.

For over 20 years, she was president of the Albany County Farm Bureau.
"She built and maintained a program of important benefits for Farm Bureau members, and was always ready to advocate for their needs. She greeted visitors to the Farm Bureau booth at the Altamont Fair and spoke tirelessly on behalf of agriculture and rural interests," her son wrote in a tribute.

For many years, Mrs. Powers was a director and upstate travel coordinator for the Fresh Air Fund, and hosted numerous inner-city youths in her home; she was also a Girl Scout leader.

Mrs. Powers was very active in community and civic affairs. She was a long-term member of the Schoharie County Republican Committee, and served for years as an election inspector in the Town of Wright.
"Sheila was fiercely devoted to her family. She was a proud parent to her own six children, a generous surrogate parent to other children in need, and she was a guiding light to her grandchildren," Mr. Spies said. "Hers was a life marked by passion — for her family, her causes, and for anyone who needed her support. Rarely has a life been more fully lived, nor more sorely missed."
Mrs. Powers’s daughter, Deborah Norris, said that, because her mother was involved in so much legislation, and "there were so many instances" where she helped farmers, she was at a loss when asked to recall her mother’s most monumental achievements. Mrs. Norris said that standing up for others was something Mrs. Powers "just did," and that advocating for others was "routine." Mrs. Powers’s heroic feats came to be expected.
"OK, you saved another farm today," Mrs. Norris said matter-of-factly.
"I can remember when the two-way bridge collapsed, and she was standing in front of the bulldozers," Mrs. Norris said.

Spies said his mother loved music, played the piano, and loved to sing.
Mrs. Powers also loved reading. "She never stopped reading," Mrs. Norris said. "She read more in a month than some people read in a lifetime," she said.
Mrs. Norris recalled a trip to Washington, D.C. with her mother, where Mrs. Powers met with legislators about invasive and endangered species, and "rewrote the law."
"I was amazed at the amount of respect she garnered," Mrs. Norris said.
"Her hobby was keeping the government at bay," Mrs. Norris said. Mrs. Norris added that Mrs. Powers’s children and grandchildren mattered most to her, with holding the government at bay right behind.
"She was a terrific resource for anyone who needed someone to stand up for their rights," Mr. Spies said of his mother.

When their 64-year-old Guilderland farm was threatened in 2002, after suburban newcomers complained about the smell and mess, the Vojnar family relied on help from Mrs. Powers.
"She was a great help to me," said William S. Vojnar. Mr. Vojnar said Mrs. Powers went to state lawyers about his situation, and wrote letters to Guilderland’s town attorney and supervisor.
"She was a very intelligent woman," Mr. Vojnar said.
Vojnar’s daughter, Dorie Vojnar, described Mrs. Powers as "a fighter for all farmers in Guilderland," and added that she was very instrumental in the Vojnars’ case. Because of Mrs. Powers and The Altamont Enterprise, they won, she said.

Mrs. Powers, Dorie Vojnar said, wrote letters to congressmen and organized meetings.
"She wasn’t a pushover," Mrs. Vojnar said. "She got her point across with dignity."

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Mrs. Powers is survived by her children, Maryann Van Scoy, Kathleen Hill, and her husband, John; Deborah Norris, and her husband, Michael; Christian Spies, and his wife, Janet; Sharon Spies; and Jennifer Taylor, and her husband, Jeffrey.

Mrs. Powers is also survived by 14 grandchildren: Erik Van Scoy, Samantha Beck, and her husband, Michael; Brian Van Scoy; Meghan Hill; Lindsay, Matthew, and Julie Norris; Sarah, Tom, Chris, and Hannah Spies; and Jillian, Samuel, and Erin Taylor. She is also survived by a great-grandchild, Braeden Beck.

Mrs. Powers’s parents, William and Gertrude (Kennedy) Crowley, and her brothers — Brian, Kevin, and Alan Crowley — died before her.

A joyous memorial celebration of Mrs. Powers’s life will be held at the Gallupville Gospel Church, on Route 443 in Gallupville today (Thursday) at 4 p.m. Funeral arrangements are by NewComer Cannon Funeral Home.

Memorial contributions may be made to Becky’s House, 296 Hackett Blvd., Albany, NY 12208. Expressions of sympathy may be made at www.new — comerfamily.com.