The Eastwick Press Newspaper

Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper

Obituaries

Jerome Chamberlain

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Stephentown – Jerome “Jim” Chamberlain died August 31, 2013, at Kindred Nursing and Rehabilitation of Laurel Lake, in Lee, MA, of natural causes brought about by old age; he was 97.
Born in the small rural village of Mt. Upton, NY, Jim was the second child of Arthur and Clare (Wilcox) Chamberlain. Like his father, he loved and excelled in all sports, especially the game of baseball; in this he acquired considerable local acclaim. This talent and passion for all sports helped to center and sustain him throughout his long and active life.
In 1934 Jim met and fell in love with Neva A. Pidgeon of Norwich, NY. Their first meeting was over a soda counter where she served him a banana split. As their love grew so did the size of Neva’s banana splits. In 1938 they married. They had three children – Craig Jerome, Eric Roger and Jan Ellen. In 1951 the family moved to Clifton, NJ, where Jim worked for the pharmaceutical company Hoffmann-La Roche, retiring in 1978.
After Neva died in 1985, Jim later met Arline Carman, whom he knew from his early school years. It was a fairytale meeting and courtship. They became snowbirds, wintering in Florida with warm months spent in New York State.
In 2005 Arline’s health began to fail, and she eventually had to be admitted to a nursing home in Melbourne, FL. Jim was there every day, twice or three times, always present to help brighten her days. She died in 2008, and as in Neva’s death, he was totally bereft and lost without her.
Jim’s personal health began failing him. In 2008 he had a fall that required a hip replacement, eventually coming to Massachusetts to be near his family. He spent three years in assisted living; then the frailties of old age caused him to be admitted to the Kindred Nursing facility.
Jim is pre-deceased by his brother, Robert Chamberlain. He leaves two sons, Craig Chamberlain of Stephentown, NY and Eric Chamberlain and wife Lisa of Stockbridge, MA, a daughter, Jan Marraccini and husband William of Bangor, PA, seven grandchildren, four great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
The family wishes to express its extreme gratitude to the entire staff at Kindred Nursing and Rehabilitation of Laurel Lake for the attentive and compassionate care given to their father over the past two years. Thank you one and all.
A memorial service will be held, Saturday, September 7, at 2 pm, with visitation beginning at 1 pm, at the Hall & Higgins Funeral Home, 457 NY Rt. 43, Stephentown, NY. A second memorial service will be held Sunday at 10:30 am at Kindred Nursing and Rehabilitation of Laurel Lake, 620 Laurel Street, Lee, MA.

Florence Townsend

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Petersburgh – Florence Townsend, 92, passed away on Friday, August 30, at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center in Bennington, VT. She had resided on Green Road in Petersburgh, NY.
Born on March 27, 1921, in Cambridge, NY, Florence was the daughter of the late Wesley and Fannie (Burch) Sherman. She graduated from Walter A. Wood High School in Hoosick Falls, NY, in 1939. Florence was a homemaker all of her life. She enjoyed gardening and sewing. She was well known for her flower gardens.
Survivors include her daughters, Sally Webster, Peggy Morin, Joyce Strait and Judy LaFond, all of Hoosick Falls, Jeanette Chaffee and Nancy Coulter, both of Pownal, VT, and Molly LaBonte of North Petersburgh, NY, her son, Malcolm Townsend of Petersburgh, twenty-eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren as well as nieces and nephews. She is pre-deceased by three brothers, Malcolm, Duane and Clarence Burch.
Services will be private. Arrangements are under the care of the Mahar Funeral Home, 43 Main Street in Hoosick Falls.

Herbert C. Schilling

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Clifton Park/Cherry Plain – Herbert C. Schilling, 82, of Clifton Park, NY, passed away peacefully on Saturday, August 24, 2013.
Born October 21, 1930, in Watervliet, NY, he was the son of the late Walter F. Schilling and Elsa Schilling-Schlake. Herb graduated from Watervliet High School. He retired from Behr-Manning/Norton Company after 38 years. He was a member of the Clifton Park Center Baptist Church where he taught Sunday school, led Bible Studies and was a leader with the Baptist Youth Fellowship for several years. Earlier, Herb and his wife Marie had served as supply pastors for the Hoosick Baptist Church, the Hoosick Falls Baptist Church and the West Hoosick Baptist Church, all in Hoosick, NY.
An avid traveler, Herb loved to cruise to escape the cold, winter months and enjoyed spending time with his relatives in Germany and friends in the United Kingdom.
Herb officiated little league games for many years and was a diehard Boston Red Sox fan all his life. He was privileged to see the Red Sox win the World Series twice during his lifetime.
Herb will be forever loved, cherished and missed by his loving wife of 57 years the Reverend Marie Goodermote Schilling of Clifton Park, NY, born and raised in Cherry Plain, NY, his wonderful son Carl Schilling and his wife Mary of Amsterdam, NY, his beloved daughter, Susan Schilling and her husband Larry Crutchley of Rexford, NY, and his grandchildren, Benjamin Schilling of Jersey City, NJ, and Bronwyn Sciarrino of New York, NY. His sister Esther Koemm and her husband Ronald of Marlboro, NY, also survive him as do his in-laws, Joan MacVeigh and her husband Tom, David Goodermote and his wife Gina and Alden Goodermote, all of Cherry Plain. In addition to his parents, Herb is also pre-deceased by his brother, Gunter W. Schilling.
The family would like to express its gratitude to all the medical staff and friends for all their thoughts, prayers and generous support.
A memorial celebrating Herb’s life will be held Saturday, August 31, at 11 am at the Clifton Park Center Baptist Church, 713 Clifton Park Center Road, Clifton Park, NY.
Memorial contributions may be made in Herb’s name to the Cornerstone Christian Academy, P.O. Box 5520, Philadelphia, PA, 19143.

Marie A. Sweet

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Grafton – Marie A. (Schermerhorn) Sweet of Grafton, NY, died on Saturday, August 17, 2013, at Samaritan Hospital in Troy, NY, after a brief illness.
Born on July 28, 1930, Marie was the daughter of the late Mildred and Henry Schermerhorn and the wife of the late Rufus C. Sweet. She was a life long resident of Grafton, educated in Grafton’s Toad Point one room school, and she attended the Walter A. Wood High School in Hoosick Falls, NY.
[Read more…] about Marie A. Sweet

Molly McGovern-Hoyt

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West Hoosick – Molly McGovern-Hoyt of West Arlington, VT, 40 years old, beloved wife of Wayne Hoyt, died unexpectedly at her home on Tuesday, August 6, 2013.
In addition to her husband, she is survived by her wonderful step-children, Ashley, Lindsay, Kylie and Logan Hoyt, her parents, William and Barbara McGovern of West Hoosick, NY, her grandmother, Helen McGovern, and her aunts and uncles, Barbara and George Arakelian and Christine and Richard Catlin. Molly is pre-deceased by her sister, Karen McGovern.
[Read more…] about Molly McGovern-Hoyt

Esther Andrew

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Hoosick Falls – Esther Lorraine Andrew, 88, of Hoosick Falls, NY, passed away Thursday, August 8, 2013, at the Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation at Hoosick Falls in the company of her family. She had resided on the River Road with her husband of 67 years, Ralph E. Andrew.
Esther was born on September 22, 1924, in Bennington, VT, the daughter of the late Leslie and Esther (Keeler) Fleming. Esther enjoyed spending time with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren as well as her trips to the Racino and her many years of league bowling.
Survivors, other than her husband Ralph, include their two daughters, Donna Adler and husband Rick of Hoosick Falls and Tina Berish and husband Stephen of Petersburgh, NY, their three sons, Chip Andrew and wife Jane of Hoosick Falls, Keith Andrew and wife Kim of Wilton, NY, and Andy Andrew and wife Alice of Tampa, FL, her sister, Barbara Pierce and husband Frank of Hoosick, NY, and her brother, Ken Fleming and wife Ann of Hoosick Falls. Esther is also survived by 12 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. She is pre-deceased by three sisters, Virginia Bartholdi, Betty Hynick and Mary Sears, as well as her brother, Leslie (Timer) Fleming.
Relatives and friends called at the Mahar Funeral Home, 43 Main Street, Hoosick Falls, NY, 12090, on Monday, August 12, from 4 to 7 pm. The funeral service was held from All Saints Episcopal Church in Hoosick on Tuesday, August 13, at 10 am. Memorial contributions may be made to the Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation Activities Fund through the funeral home.

Jane V. Morgan

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Bennington – Jane V. Moon Morgan, 73, of 326 South Street, Bennington, VT, died on Friday morning, August 9, 2013, at River’s Edge Community Care in Bennington where she had resided for the past two weeks.
Born in North Adams, MA, on June 20, 1940, she was the daughter of the late Clark and Marjorie Hosley Moon. She was the loving wife of the late Amos E. Morgan, who died on November 4, 2000. They had been married in Albany, NY, on October 8, 1956. Jane attended the Walter A. Wood High School in Hoosick Falls, NY. She was employed for over 28 years at W. J. Cowee, Co., Inc. in Berlin, NY, before retiring in 2002.
Survivors include her two daughters, Frances I. Morgan of Bennington and Cynthia M. Dockery of Chicopee, MA, her siblings, Diane Moon of Troy, NY, Helen Burdick of Burlington, VT, Arthur Moon of Berlin, Edward Moon of Wynantskill, NY, Rosemary Strack of Lake Placid, NY, Arlene Taylor of Plainfield, MA, Nancy Miles of Westfield, MA, and Lynn Bass of Troy, five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren along with many nieces and nephews. She is pre-deceased by a sister, Shirley Campbell.
Funeral Services were held on Tuesday evening, August 13, at 7 pm in the Thomas M. Barber Funeral Home, 66 Armsby Road, Petersburgh, NY, with Rev. Scott DeGiorgio officiating. Burial will be private in the Hoosick Rural Cemetery. Relatives and friends were invited to the funeral home for visitation on Tuesday from 5 to 7 pm.
Memorial contributions given to the Berlin Rescue Squad would be appreciated.