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Mary Steinbacher
UNADILLA — Mary E. Steinbacher, 65, of Unadilla, died Thursday, April 5, 2001, at The Hospital, Sidney.
She was born May 22, 1935, in Cannonsville, the daughter of Clair and Carrie (Puffer) Gray.
She was married to James A. Steinbacher on May 18, 1975, in Unadilla. Mr. Steinbacher died Feb. 11, 1993.
She was a former resident of Walton and became a resident of Unadilla in 1975. She had been an employee of the former Keith Clark Inc. of Sidney.
Mary is survived by her daughters and sons-in-law, Cynthia and Steven Medlar of Unadilla, Patricia and Chester Shaw of Memphis, Tenn., and Lindy L. Stickle and Harold Cawley of Unadilla; her sons, John Campbell of Chesapeake, Va., and Jody Campbell of Walton; her brothers, Clair Gray Jr. and James Gray of Walton and Jerry Gray of Tennessee; her sisters, Clarabelle Closs of Walton, Dorothy Seymour of Sidney, Dora Curtain of Tennessee, Donna Kingsbury of Walton and Janet McClenathan of Florida; 17 grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
She is predeceased by a brother, Michael Gray, and a sister, Harriet Hutchinson.
Funeral and committal services will be held at 2 p.m. Monday, April 9, 2001, at the Westcott Funeral Home, Unadilla, with the Rev. R. Michael Amos, pastor of the Fellowship Baptist Church, Unadilla, officiating.
Burial will be later in Highland Cemetery, Sidney Center.
Friends may call at the funeral home Monday, April 9, from noon until the time of service, at 2 p.m.
Funeral arrangements are by the Westcott Funeral Home, Unadilla.
Demetrios Basdekis
FAR ROCKAWAY — Dr. Demetrios Basdekis, a longtime professor of Spanish literature at the State University College at Oneonta, died at St. John's Episcopal Hospital on April 7, 2001, following a brief illness.
Dr. Basdekis was born on Dec. 12, 1930, in Astoria, the son of Greek immigrants, Theodoros and Demetra Basdekis.
Raised in Astoria, Queens, Dr. Basdekis served in the United States Army during the Korean War, and upon completion of his tour of duty received an honorable discharge.
Following his military service, Dr. Basdekis received his undergraduate degree from Queens College and then his Ph.D. in Spanish literature from Columbia University in 1965. Following the publication of his doctoral thesis, Dr. Basdekis taught at the University of California at Berkeley. In 1970, he moved to Oneonta to begin teaching in the Spanish department at SUCO.
A devoted scholar, Dr. Basdekis spoke six languages and authored numerous books and other publications. Among his works were "The Evolution of Ortega Y Gasset as Literary Critic" (University Press of America 1986); "Unamuno and the Novel" (Estudios de Hispanofila Series, University of North Carolina 1974); "Tres Nivolas de Unamuno" (Demetrios Basdekis ed., Prentice Hall 1971); "Miguel de Unamuno" (Essays on Modern Writers Series, Columbia University Press 1969); "Menendez Pelayo y Unamuno: Notas Sobre Estetica" (1966); and "Unamuno and Spanish Literature" (Co-lumbia University Press 1965).
He married Georgia Basdekis in Thessalonika, Greece, in 1969, following which the couple lived in the United States.
Dr. Basdekis is survived by Mrs. Basdekis, who lives in Oneonta; his sons, Theodoros Basdekis, Esq., of Oneonta, and Athanasios Basdekis, Esq., of Washington, D.C.; his daughter-in-law, Teri Basdekis; his two grandchildren, Gabriella Georgia Basdekis and Athena Andrea Basdekis, also of Oneonta; his two sisters, Evangeline Arapoglou of New York City and Fannie Pontisakos of Albany; his two sisters-in-law, Nafsika Keramas and Meni Liaros of Thessalonika, Greece; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Private funeral services are being held in Astoria, where Dr. Basdekis will be buried alongside other family members.
Anna Cavanaugh
COOPERSTOWN — Mrs. Anna Mae Cavanaugh, 85, of Index, died Wednesday, April 4, 2001, at Bassett Healthcare.
Anna was born in Pleasant Brook on May 22, 1915, a daughter of Frank and Pearl (Tooley) Smith.
She married Thomas J. Cavanaugh on April 14, 1948, in Cooperstown. He predeceased her on Nov. 4, 1989,
Anna worked at the Knox School until it closed. She remained on to work at the Otesaga Hotel, then transferred to the Cooper Inn until her retirement.
Mrs. Cavanaugh is survived by her son, Thomas J. Cavanaugh of San Diego, Calif.; three sisters, Irene Sutliff of East Meridale, Pauline Tooley of Stamford and Mildred Harrington; four granddaughters, Jennifer Sullivan, Jenelle Burchard, Juli Munroe and Jo Anna Cavanaugh; and six great-grandchildren.
A Mass of Christian burial will be held on Tuesday, April 10, 2001, at St. Mary's Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church in Cooperstown at 11 a.m., with the Rev. John Rosson, pastor, officiating.
Calling hours will be today from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Tillapaugh Funeral Home in Cooperstown, when the family will be in attendance.
Burial will be in St. Mary's Cemetery in Index at the convenience of the family.
Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Tillapaugh Funeral Service, Cooperstown and Milford.
LeRoy Chambers
ONEONTA — LeRoy Chambers, 77, of Oneonta, died Sunday, April 8, 2001, at his residence after a lengthy illness.
He was born Oct. 19, 1923, in Oneonta, the son of Walter and Hazel (Bateman) Chambers.
He married Eveline Carson on Aug. 25, 1956, in Oneonta.
Mr. Chambers was in the United States Army; he served in both the second World War and the Korean conflict.
He was a former employee of Elmore Feed in Oneonta and the Pleasant Valley Co. and Select Packing Co., both of Rotterdam.
Mr. Chambers was a lifelong area resident except for a few years spent in Schenectady and Florida.
Mr. Chambers is survived by his wife at home; one daughter, Patricia Ann Barker of Forest Park, Ga.; two sisters, Stella Chambers and Alice Hoenig of Schenectady; three brothers, Walter Jr. of Cape Cod, Claude of Arizona and John of Potsdam; and several nieces, nephews and cousins.
A private funeral service will be held at the convenience of the family. Burial will be later in Plains Cemetery, Oneonta.
Those who wish may make contributions to the Catskill Area Hospice, 542 Main St., Oneonta.
Arrangements are by Lewis-Hurley Funeral Home, Oneonta.
John Gulyas
HALCOTT CENTER — John Gulyas, 72, of Halcott Center, died April 6, 2001, at Kingston Hospital, Kingston.
He was born May 23, 1928, in Clifton, N.J., the son of Joseph and Susan Gulyas.
He married Florence O'Donnell on April 23, 1947, in Passaic, N.J. She died Sept. 13, 1992.
He was in the Merchant Marines and served in World War II.
He was a self-employed general building contractor.
He lived in Halcott Center since 1977, having moved from Clifton, N.J.
He is survived by two sons, John P. Gulyas and Michael Gulyas, both of Halcott Center.
Funeral services will be held at 9 a.m. Tuesday, April 10, 2001, at Hynes Funeral Home, Margaretville, with the Very Rev. Robert H. Purcell officiating. Burial will be at Halcott Cemetery, Halcott Center, at a later date.
Calling hours will be held this evening from 7 to 9 at the Hynes Funeral Home, Margaretville.
Arrangements are by Hynes Funeral Home, Margaretville
Mary Musarelli
FRANKLIN — Mary Musarelli, 47, of Franklin, passed away on Thursday, April 5, 2001, at the M.I. Bassett Hospital in Cooperstown.
She was born May 29, 1953, in Norwich.
A resident of Franklin for the past 12 years, Mary was an active participant in the THRIVE program of ARC in Hamden.
She loved knitting, bowling, dancing, music and traveling. Her favorite trips included Florida, Vancouver Island and California.
Mary was a giving and caring person and cherished all the special times shared with her ARC family and the Franklin community. She especially enjoyed the time spent with her cat, Truman.
Mary is survived by her ARC family, including Ralph Dinovi, Jill Bobbins and Paul Schmitt, whom she resided with in Franklin; her last caregivers, Randy and Erin Cowles, and their children, Hattie and Milo, of Franklin; and her former caregivers, Kathie Patterson and Henry Brunelle of Oneonta.
A funeral service will be held on Tuesday, April 10, 2001, at 11 a.m. in the Kenneth L. Bennett Funeral Home, Franklin, with the Rev. Dr. Lyle Linder, pastor of the Franklin United Methodist Church, officiating. Burial will be at a later date in the Ouleout Valley Cemetery in Franklin.
Arrangements are by the Kenneth L. Bennett Funeral Home, Franklin.
Thomas W. Smith
ROCHESTER — Dr. Thomas W. Smith, age 87, died on Sunday, April 8, 2001, after a short illness.
He was predeceased by his two daughters, Susan Sutton Smith and Terry Smith Greco.
He is survived by his wife, Mary Sutton Smith; his sons, Frank (Diane) Smith and Thomas (Patricia) Smith of Albany; grandchildren, Liliana (Craig) Arney and Christopher, Andrew and Emily Smith; and great-grandchildren, Tabatha Carpenter and Marissa Arney.
Born in Cooperstown, Dr. Smith was a graduate of Hamilton College and Harvard Medical School. Following graduation from Harvard in 1939, he entered the University of Rochester surgical training program at Strong Memorial Hospital where he was an intern in surgery and obstetrics and gynecology, 1939-41, and assistant resident in OB/GYN until he was drafted.
He entered the Army as first lieutenant MC at Fort Hancock Station Hospital, October 1941. After graduation from the School of Aviation Medicine at Randolph Field, he and his wife moved from base to base, from Grenier Field to Otis Field to Mitchell Field to Morris Field to Esler Field. He was then sent to the China/Burma/India Theater where he was successively a base surgeon, a group surgeon with the 341st Bomber Group and eventually went to the Air Force China Theater.
After 54 months in the service, he was honorably discharged with the rank of lieutenant colonel.
Returning to Rochester, he completed his specialty training and started the practice of OB/GYN.
During 35 very rewarding years, he held faculty appointments at the School of Medicine until he retired in 1983, as professor emeritus. When he retired, his friends and colleagues established a fund setting up an annual "Thomas W. Smith Teaching Day." He was a founding fellow of the American College of OB/GYN and was certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology in 1952.
With his associate, Dr. Donald Kariher, he patented a disposable circumcision ring, a disposable umbilical cord clamp and a cervical aspirator.
In 1983, Dr. Smith and his wife retired and moved to Cooperstown.
He became a member of the New York State Board for Professional Medical Conduct. In 1998, Dr. Smith and his wife returned to Rochester to live at the Valley Manor.
Funeral services will be private at the convenience of his family.
Contributions in his memory may be sent to The Highland Foundation, care of The Thomas W. Smith Teaching Fund, 1000 South Ave., Box 40, Rochester, N.Y. 14620.
Anthony Funeral Chapel is handling the arrangements. For more information or to send condolences, visit www.anthonychapels.com.
Esther Close
DELHI — Esther Close, age 94, a former Walton resident, died Friday, April 6, 2001, at the Countryside Care Center in Delhi, where she had been residing.
She was born Nov. 14, 1906, in Calais, Maine, to Alexander and Olive (DuBois) Braisland.
She attended teacher training class in Delhi and taught at the stone school house near Dunraven from 1927 to 1929.
She worked at Scintilla in Sidney during World War II and from the end of the war taught at Rock Rift School until it closed when the Cannonsville Reservoir was constructed. From then until her retirement in 1971, she taught fourth grade at Townsend Elementary School in Walton.
She married Milton Close in 1931; he predeceased her in 1960.
She was a member of the Advent Christian Church in Margaretville.
Esther Close is survived by a brother, Walter Braisland, of Delhi, and several nieces, nephews and cousins.
She is predeceased by a sister, Lavinia Braisland, and brothers, Paul and Virgil Braisland.
Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Lyon Bros.-Way, Inc. Funeral Home, corner of North and Delaware streets, Walton, where friends may call Wednesday, April 11, 2001, from 7 to 9 p.m. Funeral service will be held at 11 a.m., Thursday, April 12, 2001, at Advent Christian Church in Margaretville, with the Rev. Hayden Walsh, pastor, and the Rev. Benjamin Shaw officiating. Burial will be in Andes Cemetery at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions to the Advent Christian Church, P.O. Box 545, Margaretville, N.Y. 12455 would be appreciated.
Margaret Pianka
ONEONTA — Margaret Pianka, 55, of Oneonta, died unexpectedly April 8, 2001, at the A.O. Fox Memorial Hospital Emergency Room.
She was born Sept. 22, 1945, in Lackawanna, the daughter of Kenneth and Margaret (Flanigan) Kneff.
She married Raymond Pianka on Dec. 7, 1963, in Erie, Pa.
She was a housewife and most recently was employed at the Holiday Inn of Oneonta.
She has been a resident of Oneonta for the past 15 years and was a member of St. James Roman Catholic Church of Erie, Pa.
She is survived by her husband at home; three daughters, Michele Wilson of Mobile, Ala., Jenifer Rae of Savana, Ga., and Laura Pianka of Oneonta; three sons, Raymond Jr. of Lapier, Mich., Jason of Ashville, N.C., and Max of Oneonta; and eight grandchildren, including Jessica of Nashville, Tenn.
Funeral services will be held later at the convenience of the family. There will be no calling hours.
Contributions may be made to the American Heart Association, P.O. Box 3049, Syracuse, N.Y. 13220-3049.
Arrangements are by Lewis-Hurley Funeral Home, Oneonta.
Terrence Hodges
RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. — Terrence (Terry) Hodges, 50, of West Palm Beach, Fla., died suddenly on Saturday, April 7, 2001, at his home from a heart attack.
Terry was born on Sept. 6, 1950, in Monticello, N.Y., the son of Charlotte (Still) Hodges and the late Robert Hodges, formerly of Oneonta, N.Y.
He graduated from Sun Coast High School, Riviera Beach, Fla., in 1968.
Terry was an avid fisherman.
He is survived by three children, Christy Pace of Jupiter, Fla., and Wesley and Robert Hodges of West Palm Beach, Fla.; his mother, Charlotte of Riviera Beach, Fla.; his brother, Timothy of Winchester, Va.; two aunts, Mary and Mabel Hodges of Oneonta; two uncles, Francis Hodges of Mohawk and Raymond Hodges of Pine Bush.
Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, April 10, 2001, at the Ocean View Methodist Church, Juno, Fla.
Margaret Tyler
HOLIDAY, Fla. — Margaret (Peg) Thorington Thompson Tyler, 92, of Holiday, Fla., died Saturday, April 7, 2001, in Roanoke, Va.
She was secretary for many years at Margaretville Central School and later at South Kortright Central School.
She is survived by three children, Alan, Robert and Mary, from her first marriage to Bradley Thompson. Later she married Andrew Tyler and is survived by his five girls, Kathleen, Jennie, Margaret, Andrea and Betty. Also surviving are 18 grandchildren; 31 great-grandchildren; and three brothers and a sister.
A memorial service will be held Friday, April 20, 2001, at 11 a.m. at the Hobart (N.Y.) United Methodist Church, with the Rev. Richard Elder officiating. Interment will be at the Margaretville Cemetery at mid afternoon.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to Hobart United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 205, Hobart, N.Y. 13788, or Asbury United Methodist Church, 4204 Thys Road, New Port Richey, Fla. 34653.
She was loved by all who knew her.
Karl H. Sprung
DELHI — Karl H. Sprung, 96, most recently of Delhi and formerly of Sidney Center and Forked River, N.J., died Monday, April 9, 2001, at the Countryside Care Center in Delhi.
He was born Dec. 4, 1904, in Hanover, Germany.
He married Sarah Jane Phipps in 1942; she passed away in 1990.
Mr. Sprung retired from the Teaneck School District, where he was a custodian.
He is survived by a stepson, Eugene J. Bair of Sidney Center; seven stepgrandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; and seven great-great-grandchildren. He is also survived by two close friends, Frank Monahan and Bonita Webber of Forked River, N.J.
A graveside service will be held on Thursday, April 12, 2001, at 1 p.m. in the Good Luck Cemetery in Forked River, N.J.
Friends may call on Wednesday, April 11, 2001, at the Kenneth L. Bennett Funeral Home in Franklin, from 7 to 9 p.m. at which time the family will be in attendance.
Arrangements are by the Kenneth L. Bennett Funeral Home, Franklin.
