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Walter C. Root III
DELHI — Walter Clarke Root III, 78, of Clifton Park, former longtime Delhi resident, passed away Saturday, Feb. 23, 2002, at Schuyler Ridge Health Care Residence in Clifton Park after a battle with Parkinson's Disease.
The son of the late Walter C. Jr. and Helen (Crane) Root, he was born Oct. 10, 1923, in Kansas City, Mo., where he began his formal education at the University of Kansas, then joining the U.S. Merchant Marine. He was appointed a cadet midshipman and graduated from the Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point with a bachelor of science degree, later seeing duty on T-2 tankers in the Pacific, Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf until the end of World War II.
After the war, he began a long career in the hospitality industry, eventually going to New York City where he served as domestic sales representative for Sheraton Hotels.
He later became director of sales for Intercontinental Hotels Corp., a subsidiary of Pan-American Airways, for which he traveled extensively, assisting in opening hotels in all Pan-Am destination cities in Latin America.
Later a director of group travel and sales incentive tours for Embassy Tours, Walter subsequently re-joined Sheraton Hotels as director of international sales and, in 1968, became general manager of Grapetree Bay Hotel in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.
The Root family came to Delhi in 1972, where Walter joined the Hospitality Division at SUNY-Delhi and taught hotel sales and marketing, housekeeping and tourism for 13 years until retirement. He moved to Clifton Park three years ago.
A U.S. Navy reservist, Boy Scout counselor and assistant troop leader, he was founder of the Association of Group Travel Executives and was a member of the Hotel Sales and Marketing Association, St. Mary's Parish in Waterford and served in numerous charitable and civic volunteer capacities over the years.
Surviving are his wife of 52 years, Barbara (Sessions) Root; two sons, Walt of Clifton Park, and Bill and his wife, Ellen, Root of Altamont; four grandchildren, Kevin, Brian and Megan Root, Samantha and her husband, Brian, Taylor; and a great-grandson, Austin Taylor.
He was predeceased in 2001 by his only sister, Helen Hill.
Friends are invited to call from 7 to 9 p.m. today at the Hall & Peet Funeral Home in Delhi, where the family will be in attendance and a vigil service will be held at 8:30 p.m. A funeral Mass, to celebrate Walter's life, will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 26, at St. Peter's Church, Delhi, where he was a former parishioner. The Rev. James McDevitt will preside, assisted by deacon Thomas O'Connell. Burial will be later in the Woodland Cemetery. A reception, following the Mass, will be at the SUNY-Delhi Hospitality Center.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions to the American Parkinson's Disease Association, 1250 Hylan Blvd., Suite 4-B, Staten Island, NY 10305, will be appreciated.
Arrangements are entrusted to Robert A. Peet & Son, Delhi.
Howard Francisco
RICHFIELD SPRINGS — Howard J. "Poncho" Francisco, 80, of county Route 22, passed away on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2002, in Little Falls Hospital.
He was born on Oct. 19, 1921, in the town of Fairfield, son of the late Howard F. and Myrtle Denslow Francisco.
Howard was educated in both Herkimer and West Canada Valley schools.
An honorably discharged U.S. Army veteran, he served in World War II in the Pacific Theater and the Allied occupation of Japan.
On Oct. 6, 1948, he married Eloise A. Primeau in the Middleville Methodist Church.
At one time he worked for the tanneries in both Middleville and West Winfield. For 20 years he worked for the Otsego County Highway Department, retiring in 1984.
He was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Herkimer and was a member of West Canada VFW Post No. 7270.
Howard will always be remembered as a loving, caring and hopeful person. He was proud of the fact that he was "a cancer survivor." He will be missed greatly by many, especially his family.
Surviving him are his wife of 53 years, Eloise; a daughter, Cathy and her husband, Lee, Mayne of Burlington Flats; a brother, Gerald, and his wife, Hazel, Francisco of Herkimer; three sisters, Marjorie Brooks of Newport, Ethel and her husband, Bruce, Clark of Herkimer and Shirley Simons of Middleville; two grandchildren, Sherry and Michael Mayne of Burlington Flats; two sisters-in-law, Elsa Francisco and Dorothy Francisco, both of Middleville; several nieces, nephews and cousins.
Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by two brothers, E. Franklin Francisco and Kenneth Francisco; and a sister, Mary Hunt.
Funeral service will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday in J. Seaton McGrath Funeral Home, 40 W. James St., Richfield Springs, with the Rev. Jay Henderson, pastor of the Burlington Flats Baptist Church, officiating.
Interment in Newport Cemetery, Newport, will be later this spring.
The family will be present in the funeral home to receive relatives and friends on Tuesday from 4 to 7 p.m.
Memorial donations may be made to the Cedarville Ambulance Corp., Richfield Springs Emergency Squad or the American Cancer Society. Envelopes will be available at the funeral home.
Alice E. Fairbairn
ONEONTA — Alice E. (Betty) Fairbairn, 83, of Oneonta, passed away Saturday, Feb. 23, 2002, at the A.O. Fox Memorial Hospital in Oneonta.
She was born Jan. 12, 1919, in the town of Colchester, the daughter of James and Viva (Grover) Elmore.
She married Ward A. Fairbairn on Oct. 2, 1937, in Downsville. He died on Nov. 27, 1968.
For the past several years, Betty worked as a caregiver in area homes.
Prior to that she and her husband owned a dairy farm on Terry Clove in DeLancey. After selling the farm, she held positions at ECD Bendix, the O'Connor Hospital, and for 15 years with the State University College of Technology at Delhi, from which she retired in 1981.
She was a member of the Delhi Presbyterian Church.
Betty had varied interests, but especially enjoyed helping others, as well as the special times spent with her family. She also enjoyed gardening and painting.
She is survived by her children and their spouses, Gary D. and Ginny Fairbairn of Walton, and Sharon F. and Kermit Conrow of Oneonta; nine grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; four sisters and a brother, Mina Whalen of Boca Raton, Fla., Geraldine (Dena) Pagano of Winter Springs, Fla., Eugenia (Jean) Potts of St. Petersburg, Fla., James Elmore of Aura, Colo., and Rosemary Jones of Gloversville; along with several nieces, nephews and cousins.
A funeral service will be at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2002, at the Lester R. Grummons Funeral Home in Oneonta with the Rev. Jeffrey Staples, pastor of the Delhi First Baptist Church, officiating.
Burial will be at a later date in the Hamden Cemetery.
Friends may call at the funeral home on Tuesday from 2 p.m. until service time.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Catskill Area Hospice.
Arrangements are by the Lester R. Grummons Funeral Home, Oneonta.
Michael M. Veres
DADE CITY, Fla. — Michael M. Veres, 61, passed away Sunday, Feb. 17, 2002, in Dade City, Fla.
He is survived by his wife, Donna, of Zephyrhills, Fla.; two daughters, Lynne and Mark Talbot of Gilbertsville, N.Y., and Sheri Gould of DeRuyter, N.Y.; four sons, Richard and Amy Veres of Ludlow, Mass., Shawn Veres of Durham, N.C., Eric Harris of Zephyrhills, Fla., and Larry G. Harris of Baldwinsville, N.Y.; a brother, Dean and Helen Veres of Endicott, N.Y.; and seven grandchildren.
Mr. Veres was a member of the Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association, the Disabled American Veterans and the American Legion Post 189.
Services will be held Saturday, May 11, 2002, at 11 a.m. at the Gilbertsville Presbyterian Church.
Contributions in his name can be made to the Presbyterian Church Bell Tower Fund, Gilbertsville NY 13776.
Dorothy G. Ryndes
ONEONTA — Dorothy Goodwin Ryndes, age 91, of Oneonta, passed away unexpectedly Sunday, Feb. 24, 2002, at the Albany Medical Center, Albany.
She was born on May 6, 1910, in Albany, the daughter of Charles J. and Sarah A. (Balway) Goodwin.
She attended elementary schools in Albany, Delmar and Rensselaer, and was a member of the Class of 1928, from Rensselaer High School.
She worked in the signal department of the New York Central Railroad from 1928 to 1931, before coming to Oneonta Normal School, from which she graduated in 1933.
She taught kindergarten in the Van Rensselaer School in Rensselaer, from 1933 to 1936.
In 1936, she married Leonard J. Ryndes of Oneonta.
From 1937-1970, she held the position of assistant librarian at the Oneonta Normal School and the State University College at Oneonta. In 1960, Mrs. Ryndes earned a bachelor of science degree from SUCO.
From 1970 through 1979, she was co-executive director with her husband, Leonard, of the Upper Catskill Community Council of the Arts, and after retirement served on its board of directors for several years.
She was named director emeritus of the organization in 1989.
Mrs. Ryndes was a member of the Board of Directors of the Hanford Mills Museum in East Meredith for 15 years.
She received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the SUCO Alumni Association and the Distinguished Citizens Award from the Faculty Association of SUCO for work done when she was the executive director of UCCCA.
She was a member of Arethusa Sorority and its president for two years.
She received the Charles W. Hunt Memorial Award from UCCCA in 2000 and the Faculty Emeritus Award from the State University College at Oneonta in 2001.
Mrs. Ryndes was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Oneonta, and the Church Women United, a member of the Oneonta Chapter of NSDAR, the College at Oneonta Retired Faculty Association, member of the Board of Directors of the Catskill Symphony Orchestra and served as a volunteer at the FoxCare Center as recently as last week.
She is predeceased by her husband, Leonard; her sister, Mildred Lewis; and her brother, John Goodwin.
She is survived by her brother and his wife, Dr. Robert and Nancy Goodwin of Hamilton; and several nephews, nieces and cousins.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m., today, Tuesday, at the Lewis-Hurley Funeral Home, 51 Dietz St., Oneonta, with the Rev. Edward Carlson, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, officiating.
Burial will take place at a later date in the Glenwood Cemetery in Oneonta.
Visiting hours were held on Monday evening at the Lewis-Hurley Funeral Home.
Those who wish may make contributions to the Oneonta Dollars for Scholars, P.O. Box 1083, Oneonta, NY 13820, for a scholarship to be awarded to an Oneonta High School student in Memory of Mrs. Dorothy Goodwin Ryndes.
Alice R. Barrett
VENICE, Fla. — Alice R. Barrett, 71, of Venice, Fla., died Thursday, Feb. 21, 2002.
She was born in Smithville, N.Y., on Dec. 3, 1930.
She moved to Venice in 1990, from Richfield Springs, N.Y.
She was a secretary with Barrett Electric Co.
She was a member of the Methodist faith.
She is survived by her daughter, Valerie Barrett of Venice, Fla.; a son, Harold F. "Buddy" Barrett Jr. of Nokomis, Fla.; a sister, Rosemary Overstreet of Thaxton, Va.; six grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
Services will be private.
Memorial donations may be made to Hospice of Southwest Florida, 5955 Rand Blvd., Sarasota, FL 34238.
Farley Funeral Home-Venice Chapel is in charge of the arrangements.
Catherine H. Hoag
SAUGERTIES — Catherine H. Hoag of Churchland Lane, an area resident since 1970, died Saturday, Feb. 23, 2002, at Benedictine Hospital after a short illness. She was 86.
She had previously lived in Tenafly, N.J., where she worked as the "ice cream lady" at Tenafly High School.
She was a member of Emmanuel Chapter 517, Order of the Eastern Star and the Katsbaan Reformed Church, where she was also a member of the Church's Ladies Aid Society.
She was born on Sept. 5, 1915, in Englewood, N.J., the daughter of the late Berthold and Frieda Roth Nensel.
Her husband, Edmund A. Hoag, died in August 1989.
Survivors include two daughters, Catherine Nieffer and Janet Parr, both of Saugerties; a son, Edmund Jr. of Maryland; 10 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
A brother, Emil Nensel, died previously.
Calling hours will be held Tuesday, from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Services will be 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Seamon-Wilsey Funeral Home, John and Lafayette streets, Saugerties, with the Rev. William Sacher, pastor of the Katsbaan Reformed Church, officiating.
Burial will be in the spring in Katsbaan Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the National Leiomyosarcoma Foundation, 129 Hawkins Road, Maryland, NY 12116.
Carolyn Manley
MASONVILLE — Carolyn Marcia Foote Manley, age 65, of Masonville, passed away Thursday, Feb. 21, 2002, at the New York State Veteran's Home in Oxford.
She was born Aug. 18, 1936, in Otego, the daughter of Stuart and Ena Foote.
She married Charles E. Manley in 1959. They were longtime residents of Masonville.
She was predeceased by her husband, Charles E. Manley; and her parents, Stuart and Ena Foote.
Surviving are her daughter, Brenda Manley Waite; and son, Dustan James Manley; granddaughter, Kristin McDonough; and grandson, Dustan Manley Jr.
She was a loving wife, mother and grandmother.
She graduated from Otego Central School in 1955, and was then employed by Scintilla, working in the engineering department, blueprint room from 1955-1960.
She was a member of the Masonville Federated Church and president of the Masonville PTO during the country's bicentennial year 1975-1976.
Carolyn loved God and her country, to walk, bird watch, garden and raise fruit. She loved her animals and was always a good neighbor to all.
She was famous locally for her pancakes, cinnamon rolls and whole-wheat bread and rolls, and she loved to invent new recipes.
She will be profoundly missed by both family and friends.
Calling hours will be Friday, March 1, 2002, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Westcott Funeral Home, Unadilla, with a memorial service following by the Rev. Al Mosher.
Donations in her name may be made to the Masonville Fire Department or the American Cancer Society.
Funeral arrangements are by the Westcott Funeral Home, Unadilla.
Edward M. Matus
ST. JOHNSVILLE — Edward Michael Matus, 77, of St. Johnsville, passed away on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2002, at his home.
He was born in St. Johnsville on Aug. 6, 1924, the son of the late Joseph and Katherine (Pasieka) Matuszewski.
On Jan. 21, 1950, Edward was joined in holy matrimony to the former Evelyn Ouderkirk of St. Johnsville.
Edward is survived by his wife, Evelyn; daughters, Michal Ann Rizzo and husband, Joseph, of Oneonta, and Patricia Jean Meyers of Utica. He is also survived by three grandchildren; Joseph Edward Rizzo, Nicola Katherine Rizzo and Roy Edward Meyers.
He was predeceased by three brothers, Frank Matus, Thaddeus Matus and Stanley Matuszewski.
Mr. Matus was a retired postmaster of St. Johnsville.
Edjo, also known as "Big Train" was a well-known athlete in his youth. He played for various baseball teams in the area and was a former pitcher for the New York Giants' Farm Team, being signed in 1947.
Edward Matus was a veteran of World War II, serving in Europe. He was a veteran of Normandy and Northern France Campaign. He was wounded in action and spent more than a year in the hospital recovering from his injuries.
A memorial mass of resurrection will be held on Saturday, March 2, 2002, at 11 a.m. at St. Patrick's Church in St. Johnsville.
The family will be receiving friends and relatives immediately following the services at the Church Hall.
Interment will take place in St. Johnsville Cemetery in the spring.
Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Smith-Woody and Enea Funeral Home, 9 Center St., St. Johnsville.
Edward Matus will be remembered as a very loving and giving father and grandfather.
