Obituraries, April 16, 2009

Charles William Brown Jr.

Charles William Brown Jr., an engineer who lived in Guilderland for 40 years, died in Columbia City, Ind. where he had lived, on Thursday, April 9, 2009.

Born on Sept. 24, 1919 in Escambia County, Pensacola, Fla. he was the son of Dr. Charles W. and A. Geraldine Treworgy) Brown.

In his early years, Mr. Brown had lived on farms in Iowa and Texas. He received his high school education at Bryan and Beaumont, Texas, graduating with the Class of 1935. He received a bachelor of science degree in electrical and mechanical engineering from Texas A & M, in College Station, Texas.

He was called to active duty in 1941, serving with the United States Army as a captain in the Alaskan Defense Command. Also, during his military service, he spent time in New Jersey, California, and Alaska.

He moved to Fort Wayne, Ind. and lived there from 1946 to 1955 while working with General Electric Company as an engineer. He then transferred in 1955 to Schenectady, where he continued to work until moving to Columbia City in 1995, when he married Frances Gordon Stuckey on Jan. 14, 1995 at the Columbia City United Methodist Church.

He was a member of St. Madeleine Sophie Church in Guilderland and of the Lynnwood Improvement Association and Helderberg Ski Club, GE Bowling League, and Boy Scouts of America.

As a member of the Whitley County Literacy Council, he tutored for 10 years. He served as treasurer of the Whitley County Historical Society.

He was also a member of Habitat for Humanity, Passages, Interfaith Mission (The Lighthouse), and the Peabody Public Library Landscape Committee where he watered trees.

He is survived by his wife, Frances E. Brown, of Columbia City, Ind.; two sons, L. Thomas Brown and his wife, Jillanne, of Tuscon, Ariz. and Mark E. Brown and his wife, Megan, of Guilderland, N.Y,; two daughters, Nancy L. Brown of Belmont, Mass. and Marcia A. Scheu at Portland, Conn.; three stepchildren, Cleis Anne Pipino of West Hartford, Conn., Gordon Edward Stuckey and Mark Kenton Stuckey of Fort Wayne, Ind.; seven grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, six step grandchildren, and one sister, Beverly J. Knox of Fort Worth, Texas.

His father, Charles W. Brown, mother, A Geraldine Brown, died before him. His first wife, Margaret L. Brown died in 1994.

A prayer service was held April 11 at the DeMoney-Grimes Countryside Park Funeral Home in Columbia City, Ind.

Calling hours were held on Wednesday, April 15, at Fredendall Funeral Home in Altamont, with burial afterwards at Prospect Hill Cemetery on Route 20 in Guilderland.

Memorial contributions may be made to Columbia City United Methodist Church, Whitley County Literacy Council, or the Peabody Public Library.

Please visit www.demoneygrimes.com to send family condolences or sign the guest register book.

Agnes E. Feeley Burns

VOORHEESVILLE — Agnes Feeley Burns, who centered on her family, died on April 7, 2009. She was 88.

The third of three children, Mrs. Burns was close to her sister and two brothers growing up, said her daughter, Nancy Burns. Their father was an engineer on the railroad and their mother a homemaker.

Mrs. Burns, too, stayed home to raise her children as a young woman, said her daughter, adding, “She was wonderful. Very helpful.” She was the kind of mother who had her children do for themselves, but always stood by, Ms. Burns said. “She was always right there if you needed something,” she said.

When her youngest son went to school, Mrs. Burns went to work as a key puncher, recording information for the state’s Department of Transportation. “She liked it,” Ms. Burns said. “She liked the people she worked with.”

Living in Voorheesville for the last 25 years, her family wrote in a tribute, Mrs. Burns was a communicant of St. Matthews Church.

Mrs. Burns took joy in providing for others. “You’d mention you were looking for something and out she’d go,” Ms. Burns said of her mother, who gave her countless gifts over the years.

For herself, Mrs. Burns liked going to the Saratoga racetrack and south, to the Florida Keys where she liked meeting people from all different places, her daughter said.

“She was an exceptional listener and was always supportive of all family members,” the tribute says.

Mrs. Burns is survived by her children: Suzanne Burns of Albany; Nancy Burns of Voorheesville; Bernard T. Burns and his wife, Diana, of Rotterdam; Geraldine Saccone and her husband, Anthony, of Ballston Lake; Joan Merwin and her husband, Will, of Cape Canaveral, Fla.; and Thomas J. Burns and his wife, Kristine, of Albany.

She is also survived by her grandchildren: Colleen Burns of North Creek; Cheryl Busick and her husband, Robert, of New Hmpshire.; Kimberly Burns of Queensbury; Courtney Griffen and her husband, Peter, of Pottersville; Matthew J. Burns of Albany; John K. Burns and his wife, Joanne, of Queensbury; Maribeth Saccone of California and New York; Andrew G. Merwin of New York City; Sean T. Burns of Quincy, Mass.; Daniel J. Merwin of Pennsylvania; and Marie Burns of New York City.

She is also survived by her great-grandchildren, T.J. Nadeau, Cody, Ian, Colt, Chloe, Demeter, and Samuel, and by her nieces and nephews, Kathleen Bouloukos and her husband, Peter, and Paul and his wife, Marilyn; Joseph, Mark, and Christopher Burns.

Her husband of 62 years, John “Duke” Burns, died before her, as did her siblings, James, Elizabeth, and William Feeley, as well as her in-laws, Paul and Mary Burns.

A funeral was held at St. Matthews Church in Voorheesville and burial will be in St. Agnes Cemetery in Menands. Arrangements were by Reilly & Son Funeral Home.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Voorheesville Area Ambulance, Post Office Box 238, Voorheesville, NY 12186.

ALTAMONT — Lois E. Gray, who lived her whole life in Guilderland and was active in community affairs, died peacefully on April 15, 2009 at the Guilderland Center Nursing Home. She was 86.

She was born in Guilderland, the daughter of the late Herman and Emma (Miller) Gray. She lived many years in her beloved village of Altamont, before becoming a resident of the Guilderland Center Nursing Home.

“Lois was a sweet lady who loved everyone she met, especially children,” her family wrote in a tribute. “She was deeply involved with the Altamont Senior Citizens, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and many local activities in Altamont. She was a member of the Princetown Reformed Church then the Altamont Reformed Church.”

She is survived by her nieces Linda Brennan and her husband, Thomas, and Carol Maikoff and her husband, Tim, as well as five great-nieces and -nephews. Her brother Raymond Gray, died before her.

The family wishes to extend a special thank-you to the staff of the Guilderland Center Nursing Home.

A funeral service will be conducted at 3 p.m. on Saturday April 18, at the Fredendall Funeral Home, in Altamont. Interment will be in Prospect Hill Cemetery. Friends may call prior to the service from 2 to 3 p.m.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Altamont Senior Citizens, Post Office Box 245, Altamont, NY 12009.

Emory E. Grayson

BERNE — An arborist, Emory E. Grayson Jr. tended to landscapes and to his family with care and pride.

He died on Nov. 25, 2008 in his Berne home surrounded by his family. He was 79. A memorial service will be held this Saturday at the First Reformed Church of Berne where he was an active member.

Mr. Grayson was born in Northampton, Mass. on Oct. 23, 1929. He grew up in Amherst, Mass. His mother was a homemaker and his father worked for the University of Massachusetts as the placement director, finding jobs for students.

“He learned about the outdoors from his Dad,” said his wife, Jacqueline Grayson. “They were great sportsmen,” and especially enjoyed fishing, she said of the Graysons.

“His father and brothers were the basketball team in Milford, Mass.,” said Mrs. Grayson.

Mr. Grayson was graduated from Amherst High School, Monson Academy, and the Stockbridge School of Agriculture, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Mass.

It was as a student at the University of Massachusetts that he met the woman who would become his wife, a nutrition major, Jacqueline Grayson. They married after she graduated in 1952. Their marriage of 56 years ended only with his death.

Mr. Grayson was employed as an arborist, landscape gardener, and planner in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York. He was honorably discharged from the Army National Guard in Massachusetts and Connecticut after 10 years of service.

“He was a strict father, but they understood that,” Mrs. Grayson said of their children. “For instance, when they were dating, he would stand in the driveway until they returned home on time.”

Mr. Grayson was involved in his children’s activities and interests, she said. “When my son was 16, they built a kit car on a Volkswagen chassis,” she said. “It looked like a little Jaguar.”

The couple retired to Berne in 1995 to be near their daughter. “My husband built our daughter’s home with my son-in-law and then they built our home...We have over 20 acres with a lovely view,” said Mrs. Grayson.

Mr. Grayson “absolutely” enjoyed his grandchildren, she said. “We went to all their games and musical events,” she said. “It thrilled him to have a great-grandson.”

Mr. Grayson was in perpetual motion. He was a skilled fisherman and liked gardening, woodworking, sailing, golfing, and traveling. He was an avid Boston sports fan and Cape Codder. “He was quiet and always busy,” said his wife. “I don’t think he ever sat down except to eat.”

She also said, “He was outdoors all the time” and enjoyed yard chores. “He loved to shovel...He did a lot of gardening,” she said. “When it was cold, he was in his workshop.”

And, he was an active member of the First Reformed Church in Berne. “Our church family was very important to us,” said Mrs. Grayson. “He had some great friends. He would go for coffee every morning with his friends in Berne. He would listen...When he got home, I’d ask, ‘What did you learn?’ He’d say, ‘Not much.’”

Emory E. Grayson Jr. is survived by his wife of 56 years, Jacqueline; his children, Hollie Boland and her husband, Daniel, of Winston-Salem, N.C.; Heather Hillery and her husband, Michael, of Albany, and Paul Grayson of Middletown, N.Y.; his grandchildren, Amy Schenck and her husband, Stephen, of Greensboro, N.C., Forrest Hillery of Falls Church, Va., Morgan Hillery of Baltimore, Md., Margaret Hillery of Albany, Taylor Grayson of Campbell Hall, N.Y.; and his great-grandson, Stephen Schenck.

He is also survived by his sisters, Dorothy Grayson of Denver, Colo. and Janet Snoeyenbos of Amherst, Mass. as well as many cousins, nieces, and nephews.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, April 25, 2009, at 11 a.m. at the First Reformed Church of Berne.

Memorial contributions may be made to the First Reformed Church of Berne, care of Rev. Robert Hoffman, Helderberg Trail, Berne, NY 12023.

— Melissa Hale-Spencer

Dorothy M. Jacobson

VOORHEESVILLE — Dorothy M. Jacobson was firmly planted in Voorheesville where she tended to her family and community. She died on April 12, 2009. She was 85.

“It was very fitting that her passing occurred in the home that she and her Stan built almost 60 years ago,” her family wrote in a tribute. “Her tap root was there and she was surrounded by the warmth of her many cherished memories.”

Mrs. Jacobson was born on Feb. 17, 1924, the daughter of the late Howard and Maude (Van Alstyne) Shank.

“She was married for 42 years to the love of her life, her late husband, Stanley O. Jacobson, who died in 1985,” her family wrote.

Mrs. Jacobson loved country music, the Dodgers, pinochle, traveling, baking, growing African violets, and tending to her home and loved ones, her family said.

Mrs. Jacobson was a devoted member of the Helderberg Reformed Church of Guilderland Center, which her husband’s grandparents had helped to found. She was a member of Reformed Church Women of Helderberg and spent hours cooking for the annual dinners that helped to financially support the church for many years.

Mrs. Jacobson is survived by her loving daughters, Patricia I. Kelly of Green Valley, Ariz. and Jean D. Brown of Schenectady; by her sisters-in-law; and by many special nieces and nephews.

“A wonderful wife, mother, aunt, and friend, as well as a caregiver, Dorothy will be missed by many whom she touched with her loving heart,” the tribute said.

Her brothers — Harold, Carl, and Clifford Shank — died before her as did her sons-in-law, Roger F. Brown and Robert J. Kelly.

Calling hours will be held on Friday, April 17, at the Fredendall Funeral Home in Altamont from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. Funeral services will be on Saturday, April 18, at 11 a.m. at the funeral home. Interment will follow at Prospect Hill Cemetery in Guilderland.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Helderberg Reformed Church or the Multiple Sclerosis Society.

ALTAMONT — A guiding force for the Altamont Fair, Madeline M. Karker died on April 12, 2009 at St. Peter’s Hospice Inn in Albany.

She was born on Aug. 23, 1922 in Central Bridge, the daughter of Dominic and Stella (Farro) Falzarano. She lived in Central Bridge, a village even smaller than Altamont, until she was 11.

Mrs. Karker moved to Schoharie with her family when she was in middle school, and attended high school there. She met her husband, Roger C. Karker, at a roller skating rink as a teenager, and the two married when she was 19, in 1941.

They enjoyed 58 years of what their daughter, Jean Southwood, called a “loving marriage.” He died on Feb. 7, 1999.

Mrs. Karker moved to Altamont with her husband shortly after they were married. The couple raised four children — Roger, Joan, Jean, and George — and she stayed home with them until they reached middle school, although she helped out in their elementary school cafeteria while they were there, said her daughter.

Once the children were older, Mrs. Karker applied for a job as the executive secretary for the Altamont Fair, a position she loved. She worked there for 30 years, retiring at age 80.

“She always used to say that in order to keep the mind and body sound, you had to work,” her daughter said. “She would have kept working past 80 if she was able.”

In addition to working, Mrs. Karker enjoyed auctions and antiques, which she frequently bought, said her daughter. She was a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Altamont.

She also loved to knit, but, according to her daughter, flower gardening was her special passion, as evidenced by the flourishing gardens around her home.

Madeline M. Karker is survived by four children, Roger C. Karker and his wife, Carol; Joan Bratt and her husband, Eric; Jean Southwood; and George M. Karker and his wife, Gretta.

She is also survived by her sister, Minnie Fernandez and her husband, Jose; her brother, Clement Falzarano and his wife, Mary; her cousin, Minnie Hotaling; her grandchildren Jason, Jeremiah, Joshua, Adam and his wife, Maria, Ryan, Victoria, and Alexandra; and many nieces and nephews.

Calling hours will be held today, April 16, from 4:30 to 8 p.m. at Fredendall Funeral Home in Altamont. A funeral service will be conducted on Friday, April 17, at 11 a.m. Interment will follow at the Fairview Cemetery in Altamont.

Memorial contributions may be made to St. Peter’s Community Hospice in Albany or to the American Cancer Society.

Angela Jean-Frances Markessinis

GUILDERLAND — Angela Jean-Frances Markessinis, a tough woman, and devoted wife and mother, died on Thursday, April 9, 2009, at St. Peter’s Hospice Inn in Albany. She was 82.

Mrs. Markessinis was born in Syracuse on May 13, 1926, to Vincent and Mary Monforte, said her son, Martin Markessinis. She moved to the Albany area with her family as a child, and graduated from high school.

Mrs. Markessinis took a job as a waitress when she was a teenager, and met her husband, Thomas Markessinis, at a restaurant where he was a chef. She continued to work with her husband in the restaurant business — waitressing, hostessing, and basically running the dining room, while he cooked at O’Connor’s Restaurant and Hellman’s Thruway House, both fine dining establishments in their day, her son said.

“The funny part was, she was a better cook than my Dad,” said her son. “He cooked for large groups of people, but she made old-style Italian meals for the family.”

The couple had three children — Kathy, Martin, and Lawrence — and “she was a damn good mother,” according to her son. “She was always caring, always there to make sure we didn’t screw up,” he said.

In addition to working in the restaurant business, Mrs. Markessinis worked the Guilderland voting polls for many years, and was an avid quilter, crafting quilts for many members of the family, said her son.

“In the later years, her grandchildren and great-grandchildren were the spirit of her life,” her son said. “She was a real sweetheart.”

Angela Jean-Frances Markessinis is survived by her two children, Kathy Madden of Bay St. Louis, Miss., and Martin Markessinis Sr., of Guilderland; two brothers, Ronald Monforte of Connecticut, and Salvatore Monforte of California; Dolores Monforte, Rose Marie Martel, and Vincent Peter Monforte, all of Albany; and, 10 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren, two great-great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.

Her husband, Thomas L. Markessinis, died before her, as did her son, Lawrence F. Markessinis, and her siblings — Doris Monforte, Josephine Piombino, and Vincent Monforte.

Funeral Services were held on Tuesday at the Newcomer-Cannon Funeral Home in Colonie.at 1 p.m. Internment followed at Prospect Hill Cemetery in Guilderland.

Memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN, 38105; The National Kidney Foundation of Northeast New York, 99 Troy Road, Suite 200, East Greenbush, NY, 12061; Community Hospice of Albany, 445 New Karner Road, Albany, NY, 12205; Visiting Nurses Foundation, 35 Colvin Avenue, Albany, NY, 12206; or, to the Western Turnpike Rescue Squad, 200 Centre Drive, Albany, NY.

Debra J. Murphy

FEURA BUSH — Debra J. Murphy, who worked hard and put her family ahead of herself, died on April 3, 2009 after a courageous battle with breast cancer. She was 52.

Growing up in Albany, Mrs. Murphy was a middle child among the late Doris M. and Donald B. (Oliver) Smith’s 10 children, and was close to her four sisters and five brothers, her husband said.

He knew one of her brothers, Mr. Murphy said, and the couple met through friends.

When their children were small, Mrs. Murphy began cleaning houses part time and ended up building a business out of it.

“She did everything,” Mr. Murphy said of his wife, and she put everyone else’s needs before her own. “She just moseyed along,” he said.

“She loved her family, friends, and pets and lived her life to the fullest,” her family wrote in a tribute. “She was simply the best.”

Mrs. Murphy is survived by her husband, Daniel E. Murphy, and her three children: Larry Race, Kristy Therrien, and Daniel E. Murphy Jr. She is also survived by her three grandchildren, Zachary and Mackenzie Therrien and Kayla Murphy, and seven siblings, Diane Lambert; Lorraine Parker and her husband, Ken; Janice Riley and her husband, Jay; Brenda Smith; Don Smith Jr.; Craig Smith; and Chris Smith. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held at The King’s Chapel, 440 Route 9W, Glenmont, on April 18 from 3 to 5 p.m. with a service at 5 p.m. A reception will follow the service. Arrangements are by the Meyers Funeral Home.

Memorial Contributions may be made to the Community Hospice of Albany, 445 New Karner Rd., Albany, NY 12205 or to the Mohawk-Hudson River Humane Society, 3 Oakland Ave., Menands, NY 12204.

Leonard I. Quint, Ed. D.

BRADENTON, Fla, — Dr. Leonard I. Quint, an elementary school principal for 33 years in the Guilderland Central School District, and mentor to students, teachers, and future principals, died on March 29, 2009 in Bradenton, Fla., after a brief illness. He was 78.

“His work was characterized by an innovative, warm, supportive, open, and humorous style, which set high expectations for students and faculty achievement and parental involvement,” said his son, Brian Quint.

Dr. Quint was born and raised in Hempstead, N.Y., and worked with his parents, Jennie and Nathan, in the family-owned soda and candy shop.

“He grew up in the Depression and he saw his parents work very, very hard,” Mr. Quint said of his father and the work ethic that he learned.

He was in the Naval Air Reserves at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn from 1950 to 1954.

Dr. Quint earned a bachelor of science degree from Hofstra University in elementary education, a master of arts degree in educational administration from Queens College, and later a doctorate in education in educational administration from the University at Albany.

From a young age, Mr. Quint wanted to be a teacher, his son said, and soon after becoming one decided to become a principal.

He first worked in the Uniondale Public School system as a teacher, and then as an assistant principal.

At age 27, Dr. Quint became the supervising principal in a school for kindergarten through 12th grade in East Nassau, N.Y. and was thought to be the youngest principal in New York State at that time.

He then began his award-winning work in Guilderland. From 1958 to 1972, he was the principal at the Fort Hunter Elementary School. And, from 1972 to 1991, he led the Lynnwood Elementary School. He also served as an interim principal in several other schools in the district through 1993 after his retirement.

In 1987, Lynnwood was one of 21 elementary schools to win the New York State Education Department’s prestigious Elementary School Recognition Program award.

Dr. Quint also taught and served as a mentor to future school principals as an adjunct professor at the University at Albany. “He positively affected the lives of many, many students, parents, and teachers over the years,” his son wrote in a tribute.

After retiring, Dr. Quint moved to Sarasota, Fla., where, his family said, “He focused on relaxing, learning about computers, spending time with his family, volunteering for arts organizations, rooting for the Yankees and the Giants, and fighting for every possible improvement in his physical health.”

His family concluded, “He will be terribly missed by his family as he loved them unconditionally, and was always willing to help and stay involved with them, even in the hardest of times.”

Dr. Leonard I Quint is survived by his wife, Dorothy; his children, Avis, Valerie, and Brian; his stepchildren, Renee and Daniel; and his grandchildren, Michael, Noah, Sage, Johanna, and Victoria.

Memorial contributions may be sent to TideWell Hospice and Palliative Care, 5955 Rand Boulevard, Sarasota, FL 34238 or to The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, 636 Morris Turnpike, Suite 3A, Short Hills, NJ 07078.

Ruth Knaggs Radzewicz

ALTAMONT — Ruth Knaggs Radzewicz, a hardworking, generous, and dedicated wife and mother, died on April 7, 2009. She was 84.

Mrs. Radzewicz was born in Altamont to George and Lavina Grant Knaggs. She grew up on the Knaggs Farm, a working farm, and started school in a one-room schoolhouse in town. She graduated from Draper High School.

Mrs. Radzewicz met her husband, Albert, through his sister, and moved to Connecticut with him in the early 1950s. Mr. and Mrs. Radzewicz came back to Altamont to visit her family, and noticed that a farm in the area was up for sale. The couple took a look at the farm and decided to buy it, thinking it would be a good place to raise a family,

The farm, which they named Radzewicz Brothers, was a working dairy farm. Mrs. Radzewicz worked in the telegraphic office of General Electric for several years, to help pay the mortgage, while her husband ran the farm. They had four children — Paul, Lois, Ruthann, and Victor — and the children grew up helping to work the farm.

“It was a family farm, we all pitched in,” said Mrs. Radzewicz’s son Paul. “We are a very farm-oriented family.”

In addition to working and helping out with the farm, “My mother loved gardening,” said her son. “There were flower gardens all over the farm.”

When the farm transitioned to a tire business, Mrs. Radzewicz took over the bookkeeping, a job she held right up until her death. “I was so fortunate to get all the time with her that I did, working with her in the home business,” her son said.

“She was loyal, dedicated, and the most loving, caring person I ever knew,” Mrs. Radzewicz’s daughter Lois said, noting her mother’s dedication to her husband. At the time of her death, they had been married for 61 years.

“She did everything for everybody; we couldn’t have asked for a better mom,” her daughter said.

Ruth Knaggs Radzewicz is survived by her husband, Albert Radzewicz; three children, Paul Radzewicz and his wife, Karen, of Guilderland, Lois Teschka and her husband, Richard, of Delanson, and Ruthann Smith and her husband, Bryan, of New Berlin; one brother, Albert Knaggs; two sisters, Edith Keys and her husband, Raymond, of Guilderland, and Margaret Knaggs; eight grandchildren, Sandra, Carl, Doug, Brian, Laura, Amanda, Daryl, and Sarah; and, several nieces and nephews.

Her son, Victor, died before her, as did three brothers — Robert, Arnold, and Oscar Knaggs.

Private services were held for Mrs. Radzewicz. Memorial contributions may be made to the Altamont Rescue Squad, 767 Main St., Altamont, NY, 12009, or the Alzheimer’s Association, 85 Watervliet Ave., Albany, NY, 12206.

SHREWSBURY, Mass. — A hard worker and dedicated homemaker, Joyce Ann Roe died on Wednesday, April 8, 2009, in Massachusetts where she had lived. She was 84.

“She was a lovely, sweet, generous person,” said her daughter, Diane Haarmann. “As an only child, she made family out of friends...She opened her heart and never said an unkind word. She was a caring, nurturing person.”

“No stranger to hard work, as a child she had a paper route that she serviced on her bike, no matter the weather,” her family wrote in a tribute. “That was very important to her,” said her daughter, conceding it was unusual for a girl to deliver newspapers in that era. “She’d say, ‘I had a bike and I never missed a day, no matter how snowy,’” her daughter recalled, adding that her mother never drove.

It wasn’t a problem, though, because she always had plenty of friends ready to give her a ride. Her first job at the Aetna Life Insurance Company in Albany brought her great satisfaction, her daughter said.

Mrs. Roe was born in Albany, the daughter of Everett and Elizabeth (Caldicott) Ingraham. She grew up in Clarksville, where her parents owned the gas station, said her daughter.

“It was very sad. My grandfather died in 1948 when my mother was pregnant with me,” said Mrs. Haarmann. “Then, two years later, my father died, so my Mom and my grandmother were both widowed...My mother remarried Tom Roe and we moved to Voorheesville in 1955.”

Mrs. Roe loved her Voorheesville home at 62 Maple Avenue, a few doors down from the Methodist church and across from the park. She lived there until she had a bad fall a year ago, and then she moved to Massachusetts to be near her daughter.

“She and Tom were active in the Methodist church,” said Mrs. Haarmann. “My mother was totally part of the cycle of life and nature.”

Although she didn’t like outdoor activities herself because she was terrified of snakes, Mrs. Roe loved watching the world of nature from her kitchen window, her daughter said. “The backyard went right down to the Vly Creek and she’d watch the woodchucks, and the foxes under the chicken house, and all the birds,” said Mrs. Haarmann. She especially liked it when the bluebirds returned to her yard each year and when her daffodil beds blossomed in the spring.

Mrs. Roe was devoted to Voorheesville’s Boy Scout Troop 73. “Our house was right in the heart of the village and the Scouts would come by and drop off snowshoes or toboggans or whatever,” said Mrs. Haarmann. The Scouts loved to meet at the Roe home, particularly on baking day.

“She was a spectacular cook,” said Mrs. Haarmann. “My mother could make a pie crust that was so light, and so flaky, she was renowned for her pies and cakes. Cookies were too poky.”

Mrs. Roe was generous with her baked goods. “She was always happy, her whole life, to send a dessert to the Boy Scouts, or to the church, or to the senior citizens center,” said her daughter.

Mrs. Roe loved playing card games, especially pinochle. “Bingo was another passion,” her family wrote. “She also loved movies, particularly crime dramas. She was a life-long sports fan and looked forward to baseball season each year.

“Joyce was an eternal optimist who never saw the dark side of anything or anyone,” her family concluded. “She loved people and never gave offense. To know her was to like her, and, the better you knew her, the more likely you were to love her.”

Mrs. Roe is survived by her children, Wayne I. Roe and his wife, Debra, of Bethesda, Md., Glenn T. Roe and his wife, Nancy, of Loudonville, and Diane C. Haarmann and her husband, Carl, of West Boylston, Mass; three grandchildren, Alexander, Kathryn, and Jennifer Roe; and several beloved first cousins.

Two memorial services will be held. The first will be on Saturday, April 18, at 10:30 a.m. in the Fay Brothers Funeral Home in West Boylston, Mass. The second will be Sunday, April 19, at 1 p.m. at the United Methodist Church of Voorheesville on Maple Avenue. Burial will be private.

Memorial contributions may be made to Boy Scout Troop 73, care of Scoutmaster Raymond Ginter, 83 Voorheesville Avenue, Voorheesville, NY 12186 or to the Activities Department at Shrewsbury Crossings, 311 Main St., Shrewsbury, MA 01545.

ALTAMONT — Sheldon C. Wright, a civil engineer and Korean War veteran, died on April 10, 2009 at St. Peter’s Hospice Inn in Albany, surrounded by his loving family. He was 79.

He was born on Aug. 17, 1929 in Plympton, Mass., the son of Alexander and Anna [Farrar] Wright.

A graduate of The Citadel, he proudly served his country from 1952 to 1953 during the Korean War as a member of the United States Army.

He was a civil engineer and he worked for the Federal Highway Administration in Albany. He was an active member of the First Congregational Church of Albany, having held the position of trustee as well as treasurer.

“Sheldon loved and enjoyed his family. He really enjoyed spending time at the camp in Vermont, as well as boating, gardening, and home improvement projects,” his family wrote in a tribute.

He is survived by his loving wife, Janice (Brown); they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on April 4, 2009.

He is also survived by his loving children, Donna O’Clair of Rotterdam, Robert and his wife, Karon, of Canton, Ga;, and Thomas and his wife, Deborah, of Guilderland, and by his grandchildren John and Chris O’Clair and Matthew and Zachary Wright. He is also survived by his sister, Winifred Pillsbury of Plympton, Mass. His grandson, Timothy O’Clair, died before him.

A funeral service was conducted on Tuesday, April 14, at the First Congregational Church of Albany with interment in the Hillcrest Cemetery, in Plympton, Mass. Arrangements were by the Fredendall Funeral Home of Altamont.

Memorial contributions may be made to the St. Peter’s Hospice Inn or the American Cancer Society or the First Congregational Church of Albany.