Archive » February 2014 » Obituaries

Virginia Catherine Amundson

KNOX — Dedication to family didn’t deter Virginia Amundson’s travels and curiosity. It fueled it. She had a quick humor and extended her love to her deceased mother and to children who weren’t her own.

Deloris E. Van Deusen-Heidenreich

GUILDERLAND — Deloris E. Van Deusen-Heidenreich, a lifelong Girl Scout and a passionate skier, died on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2014.

“She has left her earthly dwelling to join her beloved husband, Stanley Heidenreich, and her cat, Misty,” wrote her family in a tribute.

Martha Salzer

BERNE — By nature, Martha Salzer was more of a helper than a leader, sewing clothes and baking pies, but through her constant nurturing she was the grand matriarch of her family.

Alec F. Saddlemire

KNOX — Alec F. Saddlemire died in his sleep at his home on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2014.

“He was only 56 and will be missed by all who knew him,” his family wrote in a tribute. He was the son of the late Austin and Frieda (née Schultz) Saddlemire of Knox.

Caitlin Elizabeth Clancy

GUILDERLAND — In elementary school and in her senior year of high school, Caitlin Clancy drew pictures in chalk on neighborhood driveways, even during math class.

Thomas F. Nagle

by Lisa Nicole Viers

Thomas F. Nagle was a man who cared deeply for his family and his community. After a 15-month struggle with cancer, he died at 85 on Friday, January 31.
He was born in Brooklyn in 1928, and spent most of his life in Hicksville on Long Island before moving to Guilderland in October 2012.

Lois Lourdes Hungershafer

GUILDERLAND — The face of Guilderland Town Hall for a quarter of a century, Lois Lourdes Hungershafer was also a vibrant and devoted wife and mother.

“Carl Walters,” said her husband, recalling a former Guilderland supervisor,  “referred to her as Miss Town Hall.” That was during her 25 years as the receptionist there.

Earl H. Green

CAMBRIDGE — Earl H. Green, a religious man and Korean War veteran who worked as a butcher, died on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2014, at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center in Bennington, Vt. after a brief illness. He was 80.

James W. Hurley

ALTAMONT — James W. Hurley, a World War II veteran with a gentle spirit, died on Friday, Feb. 7, 2014, at St. Peter’s Hospital, after a brief illness. He was 91.

Mr. Hurley was born in Willimantic, Conn., the son of the late William T. and Helen (née McCurdie) Hurley.

Leota (Lee) Zyniecki

GUILDERLAND — Leota Mae Zyniecki, known to her friends as Lee, was a pioneer.

She got her driver’s license at age 14 — the last person in Michigan to do so — and got her pilot’s license when she was in her forties.

“She drove with a lead foot,” said her son, Edward Zyniecki III, one of seven siblings.

Florence M. Tryon

 

GUILDERLAND — A strong woman with a hearty laugh and a ready smile, Florence M. Tryon died on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2014, at Ellis Hospital in Schenectady. She was 79.

“She loved to quilt and sew,” said her husband, George E. Tryon. “We were married for 12 years and never had an argument. We saw things the same way.”

David Albert Crosby

David Albert Crosby, a former Guilderland resident who directed college events and loved fishing, died on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2014, in Belhaven, N.C. He was 57.

Mr. Crosby was born on Feb. 2, 1956, in Hudson, N.Y., the oldest son of the late Howard and Jane Crosby, of Foundry Road in Guilderland.

Elizabeth J. Tuft

Elizabeth J. Tuft, known to her friends as Betty, died on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2014, in Palm Coast, Fla., with her family by her side. She was 87.

Mrs. Tuft was born on Sept. 17, 1926, in Schenectady, N.Y. She lived in Guilderland Center until 1983, when she retired to Florida.

Gladys M. Liddle

KNOX — Gladys M. Liddle came from a big family — she was one of six children — and raised a big family — four sons and a daughter.

Donna M. Ostrander

KNOX — A woman of brass and baked goods, Donna Ostrander fed grandchildren, neighbors, and friendly chipmunks.

She raised two daughters as a single mother after her husband, Donald, died; she worked as a clerk for the town and for the United States Postal Service.