U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-CurrentJames E. Swendsen
Ret. Laborer, 71
James E. Swendsen of Beach Lake, Pa., a retired laborer for IBEW, Syracuse, died Thursday, November 1, 2007 in Scranton, Pa. He was 71.
The son of the late Richard and Nettie Tyler Swendsen, he was born May 10, 1936 in Honesdale, Pa.
Survivors include a daughter, Teresa Gillow and her husband John of Beach Lake, Pa.; a son, James Swendsen and his wife Jackie of Milanville, Pa.; his grandchildren, Jonathan Gillow, Aaron Swendsen and Ethan Swendsen; one aunt, Irene Popielarz of Port Murray, N.J.
Services will be held on Tuesday, November 6 at 11 a.m. at the Stewart-Murphy Funeral Home, 34 Upper Main St., Callicoon. The Rev. Lane Jones will officiate.
Burial will be in Milanville Cemetery, Milanville, Pa.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association.
Monique West
Direct Support Professional, 28
onique Love West, of Middletown, formerly of Sullivan County, a Direct Support Professional for New Hope Community, died Tuesday, October 30, 2007 at the Orange Regional Medical Center, Middletown. She was 28.
The daughter of John T. and Sallie B. Rivers Powell, she was born March 7, 1979 in Queens.
Survivors include her husband, Shawn L. West, at home; one daughter, Ta-Shauna West, at home; one son, Shaun P.T. West, at home; her parents, John and Sallie Powell of Callicoon; three sisters, Darlene Brown of Livingston Manor; Lillian Allen of Livingston Manor; and Leila Powell; three brothers, Louis Brown Jr. of Liberty, John Powell of Newburgh, and Keith Powell of South Carolina.
Visitation will be held Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2007 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Harris Funeral Home, West Street at Buckley, Liberty.
Funeral services will be held Tuesday at 3 p.m. at the funeral home. The Rev. Jimmy Rivers will officiate.
Arrangements have been entrusted to the Harris Funeral Home, West Street at Buckley, Liberty.
William R. Staesser
Ret. Equip Operator, 73
William R. Staesser of Livingston Manor, a lifetime area resident, died on Saturday, November 3, 2007 at the Catskill Regional Medical Center, Harris. He was 73.
The son of William and Emma Knobel Staesser, he was born on February 5, 1934 in Callicoon.
He was a retired heavy equipment operator and owner of Bill’s Gun Shop in Livingston Manor. He was a member of Liberty Elks Lodge #1545 and a charter member of the Livingston Manor Lions Club.
Survivors include his wife of 52 years, Tara Hanofee Staesser, at home; a son, William Staesser III of Livingston Manor; a daughter, Tracy Staesser of Grahamsville; a brother, John Staesser of Long Eddy; two sisters, Lillian Neer of Long Eddy and Shirley Swendsen of Lakewood, Pa.; and five grandchildren, Daniel Staesser, Shannon Henke, Samantha Staesser, Lindsey Staesser, and William Staesser IV.
He was predeceased by a daughter, Karen Staesser.
Cremation will take place at Cedar Hill Crematory in Middle Hope.
Funeral services will be private and held at the convenience of the family.
Funeral arrangements are by Ramsay’s Funeral Homes Inc., Liberty.
Thomas P. Dunleavy
Ret. Tavern Owner, 69
Thomas Patrick Dunleavy of Narrowsburg, the former owner of Dunleavy's Tavern in Manhattan and a part-time local area resident since 1989, died Friday, March 8, 2002, at his home in Narrowsburg. He was 69 years of age.
The son of the late John and Margaret Lavin Dunleavy, he was born October 28, 1932, in Manhattan.
A Navy veteran of the Korean War, he served on the USS Bennington.
In a family statement, it was said, "Thomas loved life, his family and friends. He was a man to whom all types of people gravitated; nothing pleased him more than to cook for his family or a group of friends. He possessed an enormous capacity to laugh, to learn and to love. He will be missed by many."
He is survived by his wife, Denise McDermott Dunleavy, at home; two daughters, Megan Dermot Dunleavy of Los Angeles, Calif., and Cristin Margaret Dunleavy of New York City; a sister, Sister Margaret Mary of Marymount Convent in Tarrytown; numerous brothers and sisters-in-law; and a number of nieces and nephews.
A memorial service and funeral mass will be offered on Thursday at Holy Cross Church, 329 West 42nd St., New York.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Orange and Sullivan, 800 Stony Brook Court, Newburgh, N.Y. 12550.
Local arrangements were made by the Ramsay's Funeral Home in Kauneonga Lake.
Barbara Degenhardt
Retired Caterer, 94
Barbara Marie Meyer Degenhardt of Manhattan, a former local area resident, died Friday, March 8, 2002. She was 94 years of age.
The daughter of the late Daniel and Christina Hortsmann Meyer, she was born November 11, 1907, in Fremont Center. She was the widow of Frank Degenhardt.
Mrs. Degenhardt moved to New York City in 1929 and worked as a waitress. Years later, she created a small, private catering business in which she worked until she was in her eighties. She was a very active parishioner and philanthropist to St. Gregory's Church and School in Manhattan since 1931.
Mrs. Degenhardt is survived by a sister, Gertrude Meyer of Manhattan; two sons, Richard Degenhardt of California and Gerald Degenhardt of Connecticut; six granddaughters; a great-granddaughter; and several nieces and nephews.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered Tuesday at St. Gregory's Church in Manhattan.
Burial will be made in St. Mary's Cemetery in Obernburg.
Local arrangements were made by the Harris Funeral Home in Roscoe.
Alexander Odulak
Ret. Pat. Designer, 83
Alexander Odulak of Glen Spey, a retired pattern designer in New York City and 18-year area resident, died Sunday, March 10, 2002, at St. Vincent's Hospital and Medical Center in Manhattan. He was 83 years of age.
The son of the late Ivan and Anna Kiz Odulak, he was born December 10, 1918, in Razhniv, Ukraine. He was the widower of Anna Solohub Odulak who died November 6, 1998.
Mr. Odulak was a member of St. Volodymyr's Ukrainian Catholic Church in Glen Spey.
He is survived by a son and daughter-in-law, John and Halya Odulak and a daughter and son-in-law, Maria and Orest Slupchynskyj, all of New York; five grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
Funeral services were held Thurday at the Gray-Parker Funeral Home in Port Jervis, followed by a Liturgy Mass at St. Volodymyr's Ukrainian Catholic Church in Glen Spey with the Rev. Olesksa Kostyk officiating.
Burial was made in the Glen Spey Cemetery in Glen Spey.
Memorial contributions may be made to the construction of a Ukrainian Catholic Church in Razhniv, Ukraine.
Sabena K. Ruisi
Telephone Oper., 54
Sabena K. Ruisi of Wurtsboro Hills, a telephone operator for New York Telephone in Monticello and a longtime area resident, died Monday, March 4, 2002, at the Horton Medical Center in Middletown. She was 54 years of age.
The daughter of the late Anthony and Nancy Gentile, she was born April 2, 1947, in Manhattan.
Mrs. Ruisi was a member of St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church in Wurtsboro and was active in the Ave Maria Guild.
She is survived by her husband of 22 years, Vincent T. Ruisi, at home; a son, Anthony J. Ruisi, and a daughter, Jennifer Ruisi, both of Wurtsboro; and a grandson, Anthony J. Ruisi Jr.
A Mass of Christian Burial was offered Thursday at St. Joseph's R.C. Church in Wurtsboro with Fr. Peter Madori officiating.
Burial was made in St. Joseph's Cemetery in Wurtsboro.
Memorial contributions to the family would be appreciated.
Funeral arrangements were made by the VanInwegen-Kenny Funeral Home in Wurtsboro.
Katherine Colapinto
Ret. Businesswoman, 84
Katherine "Kay" Colapinto, a three-year resident of San Juan Capistrano, Calif., and a former longtime resident of Livingston Manor where she and her late husband owned and operated the Central Garage, died March 4, 2002, in San Juan Capistrano. She was 84 years of age.
The daughter of the late Henry and Lepodina Raulfs, she was born August 31, 1917, in Hoboken, N.J.
Mrs. Colapinto was a member of the Livingston Manor Senior Citizens, St. Aloysius Church and its Altar/Rosary Society, the Italian- American Club and the Livingston Manor Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary. She was a longtime volunteer at Community General Hospital.
She is survived by a son and daughter-in-law, Don and Perry Colapinto of San Diego, Calif.; a daughter and son-in-law, Ginger and Sammie Lee Marler of Brunswick, Ga.; a sister, Marie DiMartino of New Haven, Conn.; and six grandchildren.
Burial will be made later in St. Peter's Cemetery in Liberty.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. Aloysius Church, Livingston Manor, N.Y. 12758.
Local arrangements were made by the Herbert C. Byrant Funeral Home in Livingston Manor.
Robin S. Pruden
Nurses' Aide, 32
Robin Simmons Pruden of Monticello, a certified nurses' aide for the Sullivan County Adult Care Center and Walnut Mountain Care Center, both in Liberty, died Thursday, February 21, 2002, in Sayre, Pa. She was 32 years of age.
The daughter of Alma Jean Greene and the late J.B. Simmons, she was born January 24, 1970, in Monticello.
She attended Monticello Central School and, in the words of a family member, "she had a gentle touch with people and was very compassionate."
Ms. Pruden is survived by three children, Lakeisha Powell, Shamil Moore and Shamira Moore; her companion Archie Moore; her mother, Alma Greene of Monticello; her maternal grandmother, Leola Bivins of New Jersey; her paternal grandfather, Arthur Simmons of Alabama; eight sisters, Sherry Pace, Wanda Pace, Alice Simmons and Kizzy Greene, all of Monticello, Shanova Merchant of South Fallsburg, Jessica Simmons of Queens, Xavia Simmons of Philadelphia, Pa., and Varnell Johnson of Albany; three brothers, Mustafa Muhammed of New Jersey, Lee Willie Pace of Monticello and Sean of Livingston Manor; a sister-in-law; three brothers-in-law; and a host of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
Friends may call at the VanInwegen-Kenny Funeral Home, 195 Broadway, Monticello, on Tuesday from 7 to 9 p.m.
Services will be held at noon on Wednesday at the First Baptist Church of Monticello, 28 Liberty St., Monticello, with the Rev. Willie Smith officiating.
Burial will be made in Rock Ridge Cemetery in Monticello.
