Ronald W. Boyce, 61, of Sprakers, died Monday at St. Mary's Hospital in Amsterdam.

Born Aug. 30, 1935 in Schenectady, he was the son of William and Dorothy Hempstead Boyce. He was a resident of Montgomery County for about 34 years.

Mr. Boyce was a veteran of the U.S. Navy and served in Korea. He worked for the Beech-Nut Nutrition Corp. in Canajoharie for about 30 years before his retirement in 1995.

Mr. Boyce is of the Methodist faith.

He married Florence Swartz Boyce in 1966.

In addition to his wife, survivors include a son, Ronald W. Boyce Jr. of Rotterdam; a daughter, Darleene Stearns of Fultonville; a brother, Gary W. Boyce of Sprakers; four grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Friday at the Griswold Funeral Home, 1867 State Street, Schenectady. Burial will be in Parkview Cemetery in Schenectady.

Calling hours are from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home. 

Memorial contributions may be made to Mid-County Ambulance Corps, Canajoharie.
 

Robert Bain
February 11, 1997

Robert F. Bain, 77, of Lafayette Street, Hudson Falls, died Feb. 11 at his home.

Born Sept. 17, 1919 in Amsterdam, he was the son of the late Edward and Frances Fifield Bain.

Mr. Bain was a graduate of St. Mary's Institute in Amsterdam, and a U.S. Army veteran of World War II.

Until his retirement in 1985, he was the instructor in the laundry at Great Meadow Correctional Facility in Comstock.

Mr. Bain was a communicant of St. Mary's/St. Paul's Church in Hudson Falls.

His memberships included the Glens Falls Elks Lodge No. 81 and the Hudson Falls American Legion Post No. 574.

He married Frances Casano on Feb. 14, 1941 in Gloversville. She died Dec. 8, 1970.

On April 25, 1976, he married Mildred Demski. She died on July 31, 1991.

Survivors include three daughters, Gelsomine Torda of Greenfield Center, Kathleen Hart of South Glens Falls and Margaret Thackrah of Hudson Falls; a sister, Katherine Renzo of Gloversville; two step-daughters, Nancy Lane of Lake Katrine and Lynn Shields of Sarasota, Fla.; five grandchildren, one great-granddaughter, five step-grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews.

A funeral mass was celebrated at the St. Mary's/St. Paul's Church on the village park in Hudson Falls.

The Rite of Committal will take place in the spring at St. Mary's Cemetery in Fort Edward.

Calling hours were held at the Carleton Funeral Home Inc., 68 Main St., Hudson Falls.

Memorial contributions may be made to a charity of one's choice.
 

Sarah Engle
February 24, 1997

Mrs. Sarah Margaret Engle, 84, of 118 Patrick Henry Road, Bartow, Fla., died Monday at her residence in Bartow.

Born Nov. 27, 1912 in Amsterdam, she was a waitress for Johnnie's Seafood Restaurant in Amsterdam for 25 years.

Mrs. Engle was a member of St. Matthew's Catholic Church in Winter Haven, Fla. She was a former member of St. Mary's Church in Amsterdam.

She was predeceased by her husband Marvin Engle.

Survivors include her sister, Winnie Frear of Amsterdam, and several nieces, nephews and cousins.

A Memorial Mass will be conducted March 15 at St. Mary's Church in Amsterdam. Interment will follow in St. Joseph's Cemetery.

Arrangements are under the direction of Whidden-McLean Funeral Home, Bartow, Fla.
 

Charles Mc Clary
February 23, 1997

Charles M.B. McClary, 68, of Brandt Place, Amsterdam, died Sunday afternoon at home following an illness.

Born March 23, 1928 in Gloversville, he was the son of Charles and Minnie Barclay Mc Clary.

Mr. Mc Clary was educated in the Gloversville school system.

He was self-employed as a tree surgeon until retiring 15 years ago.

He was a veteran of the Armed Forces, and served with the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Army until being honorably discharged.

Mr. Mc Clary was of the Protestant faith.

He was a member of John J. Wyszomirski American Legion Post 701 of Amsterdam, Veterans of Foreign Wars 2007 of Gloversville and the Disabled American Veterans of Johnstown.

His first wife, Beverly Petitt McClary died in 1994. He later married Valerie Severino Mc Clary.

In addition to his wife, survivors include three sons, Charles S. McClary of Gloversville, Steven R. Mc Clary of Glens Falls and Lloyd M. Mc Clary of Amsterdam; three daughters, Bonita Kowalski of Fort Hunter, Charlene Winnie of Oklahoma City, Okla. and Shirley Mc Clary of Little Falls; six stepchildren, Robert J. Severino, Charles Baker, Richard Baker and Frederick Callafello, all of Amsterdam; Debbie Baker and Michelle Hemstreet, both of Ballston Spa; two sisters, Lillian Randall of Gloversville and Esther Arminio of Fultonville; 10 grandchildren, one great-grandchild, and nieces, nephews and cousins.

Mr. Mc Clary was predeceased by a son, Richard M. McClary, two brothers, and three sisters.

Funeral services scheduled for 11 a.m. today at the Riley Mortuary Inc., 110 Division St., Amsterdam. The Rev. Raymond Barnett, pastor of Calvary Assembly of God Church will officiate. Interment will be in Mayfield Cemetery.

Calling hours were Tuesday.

Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Amsterdam, 40 Guy Park Ave., Amsterdam.
 

Dorothy Countryman
February 25, 1997

Mrs. Dorothy L. Countryman, 85, of McEwan Road, Marshville, died Tuesday at Amsterdam Memorial Hospital following a long illness.

Born May 19, 1911 in Pattersonville, she was the daughter of William Leackfeldt and Ella Muselback.

Mrs. Countryman was educated in Pattersonville. She was a homemaker.

She resided in Marshville since December of 1991.

She married Hammed Countryman on April 12, 1933 in Pattersonville. He died April 23, 1966.

Mrs. Countryman is survived by a son, Charles P. Countryman of Buel; a daughter, Marie C. Nettleton of Marshville; nine grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren and several nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Funeral services will be private at the convenience of the family at Houghtaling & Smith Funeral Home, 20 Otsego St., Canajoharie. The Rev. Robert Dievendorf of Grace Congregational Church in St. Johnsville will officiate. Spring burial will take place in Fort Plain Cemetery.

Calling hours will be private.

Memorial contributions may be made to Marshville Evangelical Church Memorial Fund, in care of Canajoharie United Methodist Church, 50 E. Main St., Canajoharie, 13317.
 

Ruth McGregor
February 25, 1997

Ruth Coral Norton McGregor, 84, of the Fulton County Infirmary, Gloversville, died Tuesday at the infirmary following a long illness.

Born Jan. 11, 1913 in Hornell, she was the daughter of Benjamin H. and Grace Miller Norton.

Mrs. McGregor resided in Utica and Fonda as a child, then in Johnstown and in Gloversville, since 1934.

She was employed as a factory worker with the former Borman Coat Factory in Johnstown.

She married Ernest McGregor on Aug. 12, 1931. He died June 1, 1989.

Mrs. McGregor is survived by two daughters, Mary Lou Laird and Lorraine Spiry, both of Gloversville; six grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be conducted at 11:30 a.m. Saturday at the Walrath & Bushouer Funeral Home Inc., 51 Fremont St., Gloversville, with the Rev. Albert M. Brockway officiating.

Calling hours will be from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Friday at the funeral home.

Spring burial will be at Prospect Hill Cemetery, Gloversville.

Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association, 440 New Karner Road, Albany, 12205; or the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 261, Gloversville, 12078.
 

Janett Colyer
February 26, 1997

Janett Webb Colyer, 88, of Route 30, Schoharie, died Wednesday at the Eden Park Nursing Home, Cobleskill, after being stricken.

Mrs. Colyer lived on Nott Street, Schenectady, during her childhood, before moving to Schoharie. She was a 1927 graduate of Schoharie High School and graduated from Oneonta Normal School.

Mrs. Colyer taught in a one-room schoolhouse on Route 30 near her home. Subsequently, she moved to Northport, Long Island, where she taught fourth grade. After her marriage, she returned to Schoharie. For more than 20 years, she taught English at Cobleskill Central School, retiring in 1968.

In her early years, she was a Miss Schoharie County.

Mrs. Colyer was a member of and former regent for the Schoharie Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. She was instrumental in the restoration of the DAR Hall on Main Street. She was a volunteer at the Community Hospital of Schoharie County in Cobleskill.

Mrs. Colyer was a member of the Schoharie Presbyterian Church.

Her husband, Everett L. Colyer, whom she married May 20, 1933, died in 1978.

Survivors include a daughter, Betsy C. Guernsey of Schoharie; a son, Richard W. Colyer of Schoharie; six grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. March 5 at the Schoharie United Presbyterian Church on Main Street.

Burial will be in the Old Stone Fort Cemetery at a later date.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Schoharie Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, in care of Anne Sholtes, regent, P.O. Box 87, Schoharie 12157.

Arrangements are by the Langan Funeral Home.
 

Francis Cunningham
February 24, 1997

Francis J. Cunningham, 82, Major U.S. Army (retired), died at his home in Venice, Fla., Monday.

Born in Chicago Oct. 3, 1914, he was the son of James Cunningham and Katherine Fitzpatrick Cunningham. 

He graduated from DePaul University in Chicago, and joined the corporate trading department of the investment banking firm of Kidder, Peabody & Co. Inc., in New York in 1936. In June 1942, he was inducted into the U.S. Army and was commissioned as First Lieutenant at Fort Benning, Ga., in 1943. In World II, he served with the 29th Infantry Regiment overseas in Iceland, Scotland, England, France, Belgium, Holland and Germany, and was wounded in the Battle of the Bulge in the Ardennes Breakthrough, for which he received the Purple Heart. He was also awarded the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star for Bravery beyond the line of duty when he took over command of his unit after his captain was killed on the battlefield. In the fall of 1945, Mr. Cunningham returned to Westport with the rank of Captain, after which he earned his Majority serving in the Army Reserves.

Mr. Cunningham resumed his position with Kidder, Peabody & Co. in 1945, and was made a senior partner of that firm in 1952. After serving as a member of the Board of Governors of the National Association of Security Dealers from 1969 to 1971, he became vice chairman in 1971. He also served on the Securities & Exchange Commission until his retirement from Kidder, Peabody in 1972.

Survivors include his wife, Dorothy Cunningham; a brother, Bernard J. Cunningham of River Forest, Ill.; three daughters, Sheila Perry of Amsterdam; Gail Cunningham Coen of Westport, Conn.; and Blithe Dotson of Newton, Conn.; five grandsons, three granddaughters, and one great-grandson. He is also survived by his first wife, Toni Cunningham of Westport. 

Funeral and interment arrangements are by The Harding Lewis Funeral Home of Westport, Conn.

There will be no calling hours.

Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society.
 

Frances Mahar
February 26, 1997

Mrs. Frances M. Mahar, 79, of Patten Avenue, Rensselaer, died Wednesday at Albany Memorial Hospital after a short illness.

Born in Cohoes, Mrs. Mahar lived in Rensselaer for many years.

She was a communicant of St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church.

Mrs. Mahar was the widow of William J. Mahar.

Survivors include a son, William J. Maher of St. Croix, Virgin Islands; a daughter, Frances Holmes of Menands; a sister, Eleanor Greenwell of Morganfield, Ky.; a brother, Donald Malpass of Oldsmar, Fla.; six grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.

Services are 9:30 a.m. Saturday at the W.J. Lyons Jr. Funeral Home, 1700 Washington Ave., and at 10:30 at St. Joseph's Church, Third Street, where a Liturgy of Christian Burial will be celebrated.

Spring burial will be in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, East Greenbush.

Calling hours are 4 to 8 p.m. Friday at the funeral home.
 

Ralph Brown
February 24, 1997

Ralph Kieffer Brown, 85, of Marr Street, Truth or Consequences, N.M., formerly of Lansingburgh, died Monday at Memorial Medical Center, Las Cruces, N.M.

Born and educated in Amsterdam, Mr. Brown lived in Truth or Consequences for the past four years.

He worked for Simmon's Machine and Tool Company in Menands for 38 years, retiring in 1977.

Mr. Brown was a former communicant of St. Augustine's Church in Lansingburgh and was a member of the Troy Knights of Columbus.

He was the widower of Catherine McMahon Brown.

Survivors include two sons, R. Kenneth Brown of Slingerlands and Richard P. Brown of Orlando, Fla.; three daughters, C. Marlene Herbert of Truth or Consequences, Judith A. Patrick of Northville, Mich., and M. Karen O' Donnell of Troy; a brother, Charles Brown of Troy, a sister, Helen Brown McCabe of Troy; 15 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

The services are 9 a.m. Friday at the John J. Sanvidge Funeral Home, 115th Street and Fourth Avenue, Lansingburgh, and at 9:30 a.m. a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Augustine's Church.

Calling hours are 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. today at the funeral home.

Burial will be in St. Peter's Cemetery, Troy.
 

Avery DeLuca
February 21, 1997

Avery DeLuca, 85, of Sharon Springs, died Friday at Mease Countryside Hospital in Safety Harbor, Fla., after being stricken at his winter home.

Mr. DeLuca was born in Amsterdam and moved to Sharon Springs in 1935.

He was a 1928 graduate of Amsterdam High School and later earned a master's degree from the State University of New York at Albany in 1945.

From 1935 to 1947, Mr. DeLuca taught in the Sharon Springs school district. Subsequently, he served as supervising principal from 1947 until retiring in 1970.

Mr. DeLuca was a charter member of the Sharon Men's Club; a member of the Sharon Springs Volunteer Firemen and the Masonic Lodge; past president of the Schoharie County Teachers Association and Retired Teachers Association of Schoharie County; and president of the Schoharie County Snowbirds of Florida.

During World War II, Mr. DeLuca was president of the Schoharie County unit of the American Red Cross.

He was a member of the United Methodist Church of Sharon Springs.

Survivors include his wife, Helen Stephenson DeLuca; two sons, Dr. Donald DeLuca of Little Rock, Ark., and the Rev. David DeLuca of Portland, Maine; a daughter, Dr. Carol DeLuca Hunter of Richmond, Ind.; and eight grandchildren.

Cremation was in Florida. A memorial service and burial will be held at a later date in Sharon Springs.

There are no calling hours.

Local arrangements are by the Lappeus Funeral Home.
 

Mildred Alpert
February 3, 1997

Mildred Sylvia Alpert (Sack) died Feb. 3 in Carlsbad, Calif.

She was married to Stanley Alpert, who survives.

Mrs. Alpert resided in Amsterdam from 1936 to 1939 and from the time of her marriage in 1949 until 1976.

She was a 1939 graduate of Wilbur H. Lynch High School. She was also a member of Congregation Sons of Israel Synagogue and president of the Sisterhood and the Daughters of Jacob in the early 1960s.

In addition to her husband, survivors include a son, Ned Alpert of California; two daughters, Andi Vallon of Washington and Marcia Lawton of Washington; and her sister, Barbara Rose of Florida.

Arrangements were under the direction of Accucare Crematorium.