Obituaries Archives — The Altamont Enterprise, August 12, 2010
Rodger A. Gill
GUILDERLAND — Rodger A. Gill, a baker, died on Aug. 9, 2010, after a long illness. He was 55.
Mr. Gill was born on July 17, 1955, to the late Charles and Dawn Gill, in Schenectady. He was raised in Altamont, and graduated from Guilderland High School in 1973.
He worked for the Freihofer Baking Company as a mixer starting in 1977.
He is survived by his brothers, Charles H. Jr. and Mitchel Gill, and Gay, and his sister, Dawn A. Berschwinger. He is also survived by his sister-in-law, Theresa Gill, and his brother-in-law Rick Berschwinger, and several nieces and nephews.
Calling hours were held on Aug. 11 at the Fredendall Funeral Home, in Altamont, followed by interment at Memory’s Garden Cemetery in Colonie. Arrangements were made by Fredendall’s Funeral Home.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Schenectady, at 1411 Union St., Schenectady, NY 12308, or Hospice of Rensselaer, at 295 Valley View Boulevard, Rensselaer, NY 12144.
Charles “Chaz” Plumadore
BALLSTON SPA — Charles “Chaz” Plumadore, an avid outdoorsman, died unexpectedly on Saturday, Aug. 7, 2010. He was 47.
Mr. Plumadore was born in Gloversville on April 15, 1963, to Jean (Harman) Plumadore and the late Lionel Plumadore. He worked as a systems engineer for Riversource Insurance, in Guilderland, for several years.
He enjoyed fishing, boating, and camping. He was also a huge fan of NASCAR; his favorite driver was the late Dale Earnhardt Sr.
Mr. Plumadore is survived by his mother, Jean (Harman) Plumadore; his son, Alex Plumadore, of Rochester; two brothers, Thomas Plumadore, and his wife, Tammy, of Gloversville, and James Plumadore, of Orlando, Fla.; two sisters, Valerie Insogna, of West Point, N.Y., and Niki Riedel, and her husband, Seth, of Schenectady; and, several aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Two brothers, Timothy and Mark Plumadore, died before him, as did four sisters, Dawn, Karen, Laurie, and Elizabeth Plumadore.
A memorial service was held on Aug. 11 at the Foothills United Methodist Church, in Gloversville, with the Rev. Cynthia VanAllen as celebrant. Arrangements were made by the Walrath and Stewart Funeral Home in Gloversville.
Memorial contributions may be made to Search Team 5-1, care of Stan Banovic, at 324 West Montgomery St., Johnstown, NY 12095.
Marlene W. Prentiss
VOORHEESVILLE — Marlene Windelspecht Prentiss kept a steady keel through business and politics.
She died on Aug. 9, 2010 at Kingston Hospital after years of battling lupus and suffering from a leg amputation and two recent brain aneurysm operations. She was 73.
Born on Sept. 29, 1936, Mrs. Prentiss was the daughter of the late Marvin and Ruth (Scrafford) Windelspecht. She lived her whole life on McNutt Avenue in Colonie until 2008, when she moved to Voorheesville, where she had spent her childhood summers with her cousin, the late Olive Windelspecht Kling.
On the Fourth of July weekend in 1965, she met Robert Prentiss. “I was trying to get to the bar and she kept getting in my way,” Mr. Prentiss chuckled as he remembered their first encounter. At the time, he was a councilman at large in Pittsfield, Mass. and had promised a constituent that he would look at some potholes. On their first date, she went along and inspected the potholes and drainage problems, Mr. Prentiss said.
“Marlene was my partner,” he said. “We worked well together.”
In 1979, the couple opened the first of three Snelling & Snelling employment agencies that they would own together.
When Mr. Prentiss was elected to the State Assembly in 1994, his wife took on politics herself, campaigning right alongside him. Five years later, she ran for the Albany County Legislature, where she served from 2000 to 2007.
“People came first. That was her mantra and her campaign slogan and she proved it in the legislature,” Mr. Prentiss said. “She was a fighter for the people,” he said, explaining that she didn’t pay much mind to party affiliation — he called her an independent Republican.
“She touched the lives of a lot of people for the better,” Mr. Prentiss said.
Mrs. Prentiss was a member of the Fuller Road Volunteer Fire Department Auxiliary, the Weininger Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8692 Auxiliary, and the Colonie Kiwanis Club. She was also an active member of the New Scotland Kiwanis Club, the New Scotland Historical Society, the Helderberg Garden Club, and the Friends of the Voorheesville Library, and she was a parishioner of St. Matthew’s Church.
A practical woman, full of common sense, “She provided the balance I needed,” Mr. Prentiss said. “Her heart lives on in mine.”
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Mrs. Prentiss is survived by her husband of 42 years, Robert G. Prentiss, and their children, Lisa Galasso and her husband, Leonard, of Cohoes and Roger Prentiss of Colonie. She is also survived by four grandchildren: Adriana, Anthony, Donald, and Dylan.
Her sister, Jean, died before her.
A funeral Mass was held on Tuesday at St. Matthew’s Church in Voorheesville with burial in St. John’s Lutheran Cemetery in Colonie. Arrangements were by the Reilly and Son Funeral Home.
— Saranac Hale Spencer
Carolyn B. Rudesheim Tryon
GUILDERLAND — Carolyn B. Rudesheim Tryon, a loving wife and mother, died on July 31, 2010, in Fish Creek Pond Campsite at Upper Saranac Lake. She was 69.
Mrs. Tryon was born in Albany, the daughter of the late Fred and Emily Marshall Rudesheim. She was a lifelong resident of Guilderland, and graduated from Guilderland High School in 1958.
She was employed by the Guilderland School District for 33 years, and was a life member of the Hudson Mohawk Pioneer Gas Engine Association. She was also a member of Tri-County Power Association, the Southern Tier Gas Engine Association, and the Christ Child Society at St. Madeleine Sophie Church.
Mrs. Tryon enjoyed camping with her family, and collecting angels. Her hobbies included reading, arts and crafts, and Saturday morning garage sales.
She loved her dogs, Harley, Diesel, and Moose, which she considered her “canine grandchildren.”
She is survived by her beloved husband of 49 years, Walter J. Tryon Sr.; her children, Walter J. Tryon Jr. and Jamie Percuoco, and Diane Tryon LaForte, and her husband, Thomas; her granddaughter, Amanda LaForte; her brothers-in-law, William Gates and George E. Tryon, and his wife, Florence; and several nieces and nephews.
Her sister, Catherine Gates, died before her.
Funeral services were held this morning, Aug. 5, at 11 a.m., at New Comer Cannon Funeral Home in Colonie. Interment followed in the Hannacroix Rural Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Hudson Mohawk Chapter Pioneer Gas Engine Association, Post Office Box 393, Schoharie, NY 12157, or to the Christ Child Society, St. Madeleine Sophie Church, 3500 Carman Road, Schenectady, NY 12303.