Albany County, New York Obituary and Death Notices Collection
(Searches various funeral homes and newspapers in the Albany, Altamont, Berne, Bethlehem, Coeymans, Cohoes, Colonie, Green Island, Guilderland, Knox, New Scotland, Ravena, Rensselaerville, Slingerlands, Voorheesville, and Watervliet areas.)
Lisa Schubert
SARATOGA SPRINGS - Mrs. Lisa L. Schubert, 81, died Friday at the Wesley Health Care Center.
Mrs. Schubert was born in Bremen, Germany, and came to this country in 1955.
She lived in Bellmore, Long Island, for many years before moving to Beverly Hills, Fla. She was a resident of Saratoga Springs since 1999.
She was married to the late Hans Schubert.
Survivors include a son, Thomas Schubert of Wantagh; a daughter, Christa Boden of Saratoga Springs; three granddaughters; and a great-grandson.
A service will be held at 11 a.m. Monday at the William J. Burke & Sons/Bussing & Cunniff funeral homes, 628 N. Broadway.
Burial will be Tuesday in Fero Memorial Gardens, Beverly Hills.
Calling hours will be 9:30 to 11 a.m. Monday at the funeral home.
Memorial contributions may be made to Community Hospice of Saratoga, 179 Lawrence St., Saratoga Springs 12866.
[Published 9-Dec-2001]
Marion Snipes
SCHENECTADY - Mrs. Marion Rose Snipes, 65, of Hulett Street, died Wednesday at St. Clare's Hospital after a long illness.
Mrs. Snipes was born in Boston. She moved to this area from Queens 11 years ago.
She was a member of the Missionary Society for nine years and a member of Duryee Memorial AME Zion Church.
Survivors include her husband, John Snipes; three sons, Alexander White and Richard White, both of Manhattan, and George White of Syracuse; two daughters, Stacy Wells of Brooklyn and Christine White of Manhattan; a brother, Domonick Gironda of Portland, Maine; and 13 grandchildren.
A service is set for 1 p.m. Tuesday at Duryee Memorial AME Zion Church, 307 Hulett St.
Cremation will be in Park View Crematory.
A calling hour will precede the service Tuesday at the church.
Memorial contributions may be made to Duryee Memorial AME Zion Church, 307 Hulett St., Schenectady, NY, 12304.
Arrangements are by Light's Funeral Home, 1428 State St.
[Published 9-Dec-2001]
Rita L. Lockwood
CLIFTON PARK - Mrs. Rita L. Lockwood of Mohawk Terrace died Friday at the Schuyler Ridge Health Care Center.
Born in Troy, Mrs. Lockwood was a graduate of St. Joseph's School.
She worked at the Tobin Packing Co. in Albany for about five years as a meat processor.
Survivors include her husband, Philip Lockwood, whom she married July 14, 1957; a daughter, C. Judith Caponi of Waterford; three grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
Services will be private. There will be no calling hours.
Burial will be in Saratoga National Cemetery, Schuylerville.
Arrangements are by the Gordon C. Emerick Funeral Home, 1550 Route 9.
[Published 9-Dec-2001]
Stanley `Bud' DiStefano, Sr.
LOUDONVILLE - Stanley "Bud" DiStefano, Sr., 73, of Loudonville and North Miami Beach, Fla., died at home Saturday.
Mr. DiStefano was born in Green Island and lived there until moving to Loudonville in 1955.
He was a graduate of LaSalle Military Academy on Long Island and attended Siena College.
Mr. DiStefano was vice president of the Green Island Contracting Corp. for many years before retiring in 1984.
He was vice president of Lodi Realty in Albany, a former Region 1 director of the Association of General Contractors, a former member of the board of directors at Albany Memorial Hospital, and a communicant of St. Pius X Church in Loudonville and St. Mary Magdalene Church in North Miami Beach.
Survivors include his wife, Janet Jeavons DiStefano; a son, Stanley L. DiStefano, Jr. of Menands; five daughters, Nancy J. Burbridge of Ballston Lake, Laurie Todd of Claverack, Janice M. DiStefano of Rotterdam, Susan M. Allen of Ballston Lake and Anne B. DiStefano of Latham; a brother, Walter V. DiStefano of Tampa, Fla.; and 15 grandchildren.
A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Tuesday at St. Pius X Church.
Entombment will be in St. Agnes Cemetery, Menands.
Contributions in Mr. DiStefano's memory may be made to Community Hospice of Albany, 445 New Karner Road, Albany 12205.
Arrangements are by the McNulty Funeral Home, 147 Hudson Ave., Green Island.
[Published 9-Dec-2001]
Theodora Sowek
EAST GLENVILLE - Mrs. Theodora Krupa Sowek, 81, of Woodside Drive, died Friday at Ellis Hospital in Schenectady.
Mrs. Sowek was born in Newark, N.J., and graduated from Germantown High School.
She lived in Albany for 10 years and was employed by Montgomery Ward for seven years.
Mrs. Sowek moved to Glenville in 1957.
She was a member of the Church of the Immaculate Conception.
Survivors include her husband, Stanley A. Sowek, whom she married Oct. 4, 1947; two sons, Lawrence V. Sowek of Clifton Park and Richard E. Sowek of Latham; and two grandsons.
A graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. Monday in Memory's Garden, Colonie.
There will be no calling hours.
Memorial contributions may be made to Community Hospice of Schenectady, 1411 Union St., Schenectady 12308, or to the Sisters of Mercy, 27 N. Main Ave., Albany 12203.
[Published 9-Dec-2001]
William H. Hoffman
POESTENKILL - William H. Hoffman of Snyders Corners Road died Saturday at Samaritan Hospital in Troy after a long illness.
Born in Poestenkill, Mr. Hoffman lived here all his life and was educated in Poestenkill schools.
He was employed at Sterling Winthrop in Rensselaer as a machinist for 40 years, retiring 19 years ago.
Mr. Hoffman was a member of the Poestenkill Evangelical Lutheran Church and an Army veteran of World War II.
Survivors include his wife of 60 years, Rose Snyder Hoffman; two daughters, Cheryl Durgan of Maine and Darlene Belleard of Latham; four grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
A service is set for 11 a.m. Tuesday at the DeGraaf-Bryce Funeral Home, 4392 Route 150, West Sand Lake.
Burial will be in St. Joseph's Cemetery, Troy.
Calling hours will be 3 to 6 p.m. Monday at the funeral home.
Contributions may be made to the Poestenkill Fire Company or to the Poestenkill Ambulance, Poestenkill 12140, in memory of Mr. Hoffman.
[Published 9-Dec-2001]
John Kusaywa, 83, veteran, owned Johnnie's Grocery
COHOES - John Kusaywa, who, with his wife, owned and operated Johnnie's Grocery Store on Bridge Street for 35 years before retiring, died Friday in Atlantic City, N.J. Mr. Kusaywa, of Cohoes, was 83.
Born in Utica, Mr. Kusaywa was educated in Cohoes schools.
He served in the Army Air Forces during World War II and earned a Purple Heart.
Mr. Kusaywa was a member of the American Legion, the Disabled War Veterans and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
He also was a member of the Senior Tuesdays Bowling League.
Survivors include his wife of 60 years, Ida Francolini Kusaywa; two daughters, Linda Kusaywa and Connie Killian; a sister, Mary Hayostek; two brothers, Steve Kusaywa and Walter Kusaywa; two grandchildren; and a great-grandson.
A service is set for 1 p.m. Tuesday at the Marra Funeral Home, Remsen and Columbia streets, where calling hours will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Contributions in memory of Mr. Kusaywa may be made to St. Rita's/Sacred Heart Church.
[Published 10-Dec-2001]
Warren A. Busseno, Sr., 73, former chef for Russo's
SCHENECTADY - Warren A. Busseno, Sr., who was a chef for Russo's Restaurant in Amsterdam for 12 years, died at home Saturday after a long illness. Mr. Busseno, of Avenue A, was 73.
Mr. Busseno was born in Fort Johnson. He moved from Amsterdam to the Schenectady/Scotia area four years ago.
He retired from Russo's Restaurant in 1999.
Mr. Busseno was a member of Alcoholics Anonymous.
An Army veteran of World War II, he served in the Pacific.
Survivors include his wife of four years, Mary Ellen Phlipsak Busseno; two sons, George Busseno and Warren A. Busseno, Jr., both of Amsterdam; two daughters, Michelle Person and Kimberly Brumley, both of Amsterdam; two stepsons, Michael Roach and Harry W. Letko, both of Schenectady; a stepdaughter, Glenna Roach of Schenectady; a sister, Theresa Malley of Broadalbin; a brother, Howard Busseno of Amsterdam; and four grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at 5 p.m. Tuesday at the Westminster United Presbyterian Church, 1690 Avenue A.
Entombment will be in Saratoga National Cemetery, Schuylerville.
There will be no calling hours.
Contributions may be made to St. Mary's Hospital, Alcohol Rehabilitation, 427 Guy Park Ave., Amsterdam 12010, in memory of Mr. Busseno.
Arrangements are by the Bekkering-Ellis Funeral Home, 1 Mohawk Ave., Scotia.
[Published 10-Dec-2001]
William Reid, 79, bomber pilot
LONDON - William Reid, a World War II bomber pilot whose determination to reach his target despite serious wounds and a badly damaged plane earned him Britain's highest military honor, has died. He was 79.
Reid died Nov. 28 at his home in Crieff, Scotland, his family said.
Reid was captain of a Royal Air Force Lancaster bomber that set out for Duesseldorf, Germany on Nov. 3, 1943.
Attacked by a German fighter over the Netherlands, the plane was badly damaged and Reid wounded in the head, shoulders and hands. He flew on, but a second German attack killed the Lancaster's navigator, fatally wounded the radio operator and knocked out the oxygen supply. Reid also suffered further wounds, but flew on for 50 minutes and dropped his bombs on their target.Dizzy from loss of blood and the bitter cold - the windshield had been shattered - Reid managed to fly the crippled plane back to England. Reid was awarded the Victoria Cross for the mission.
Reid recovered from his wounds and went on to fly missions over France. In July 1944, his plane was hit by a bomb dropped by another Lancaster during an attack. Reid ejected and was captured by the Germans. He ended the war at Luckenwalde prison camp.
[Published 10-Dec-2001]
Johnny Stearns, television pioneer
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. - Johnny Stearns, who wrote the popular "Mary Kay and Johnny" show during its 2 1/2-year run and went on to a career as a television producer, director and host, died Wednesday at a Newport Beach, Calif., hospital of complications from a fall. He was 85.
Before Lucy and Desi, George and Gracie, and Ozzie and Harriet, there was Mary Kay and Johnny.
In the fall of 1947, Johnny and Mary Kay Stearns made TV history playing "themselves" as young New York newlyweds in a pioneering television situation comedy, "Mary Kay and Johnny."
The weekly 15-minute show was broadcast live from New York, beginning on the old DuMont Network and later moving to NBC and CBS. The character of Johnny, the more serious of the pair, was a banker; and Mary Kay was his homemaker wife, who was prone to getting into odd predicaments.
Stearns produced Steve Allen's precursor to "The Tonight Show" on WNBC-TV in New York and produced and directed "The Arthur Murray Dance Party" on NBC.
In 1961, after moving to Los Angeles, he began a long-running career in public affairs television as producer and host of "Agriculture U.S.A." on NBC. Later known as "AG-USA," it ran on NBC stations until 1990 and continues in syndication.
After 40 years and 1,100 episodes, Stearns recorded a voice-over for the final episode of the show only days before he died.
Born in Billerica, Mass., in 1916, Stearns began acting at age 14.
He made his Broadway debut in "Night Music" with the Group Theater and performed in "One Touch of Venus" with Mary Martin, "On the Town" and "Are You With It."
It was during this period that he met Mary Kay Jones, whom he married in 1946.
In addition to his wife, Stearns is survived by sons Christopher Jonathan; daughter Melinda; and one grandson.
[Published 10-Dec-2001]
