Obituaries

Hoosick Falls – Steve M. Zakrzewski, 53, passed away at his residence on Seward Street in Hoosick Falls, NY. He was the son of the late Joseph and Joan (Skarrup) Zakrzewski.
He was born in Troy, NY, on November 5, 1959, and he attended schools in Cambridge, NY. He was employed at Bennington Paper Board as a laborer. Steve enjoyed the outdoors, shooting pool and being with family. He was an avid Yankee and Giant fan.
Survivors include his daughter, Stephanie Niles of Chesapeake, VA, his sons, Shawn Morrison of Charleston, SC, and Steve M. Zakrzewski Jr. of Hoosick Falls, his four sisters, Donna Candal, Doreen Crandall, Linda Myers and Patty Weld, his four brothers, Joseph, Nelson and Jake Zakrzewski and Harry Criss, and his grandson, Blake Niles.
Funeral services are Friday, March 22, at 2 pm from the Mahar Funeral Home, 43 Main Street in Hoosick Falls, NY, 12090. Burial will follow the service at Island Hill Cemetery in Buskirk, NY. Relatives and friends may call at the funeral home on Friday from 12 to 2 pm. Memorial contributions may be made to Steve’s family through the funeral home.

Hoosick Falls – Mary Jane O’Dell, 70, passed away on Sunday, March 10, 2013, at the Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation in Hoosick Falls, NY. She had resided on Elm Street in Hoosick Falls.
Born on January 28, 1943, in Hoosick Falls, Mary Jane was the daughter of the late Kenneth and Ruth (Brownell) O’Dell. She was educated at schools in Hoosick Falls. Mary Jane worked in the family business, O’Dell’s Store, on Elm Street. She was a member of the First Baptist Church in Hoosick Falls.
Survivors include her sister, Barbara Zagorski of Hartford, CT, her brothers, William and Richard O’Dell of Hoosick Falls and Robert O’Dell of White Creek, NY. She is also survived by several nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews. She is pre-deceased by a sister, Elizabeth Peret, and a brother, John O’Dell.
Funeral services were Thursday, March 14, at 10 am from the First Baptist Church on Main Street in Hoosick Falls. Burial followed the service at Maple Grove Cemetery in Hoosick Falls. Relatives and friends called at the Mahar Funeral Home on Wednesday evening. Memorial contributions may be made to the Karen McGovern Memorial Fund through the funeral home.

El Paso/Hoosick Falls – Ryan Colby Cook, age 27, of El Paso, TX, died unexpectedly on March 4, 2013. Born on December 10, 1985, in Ames, IA, he was the son of Raymond Cook and Sandra (Beese) Cook. He attended Williamstown, MA, schools, and graduated from Hoosick Falls Central School in 2004. He was third in his class.
While in high school, he was a member of the National Honor Society. He was also involved with SADD. He played football and basketball at both Mount Greylock High School in Williamstown and Hoosick Falls Central High School. He played on two super bowl teams at Mount Greylock, and his senior year, the Hoosick Falls Central team played for the NY State championship in the Carrier Dome. He was an avid Minnesota Vikings fan and was deeply loyal to Ole Miss football, his alma mater.
During high school he worked at both Babson’s and Fox Hollow Restaurants in Hoosick Falls and North Petersburgh, NY. He loved the game of golf and spent much of his summers playing golf with his many friends, young and old, at the Hoosick Falls Country Club.
After high school, he attended Ole Miss in Oxford, MS, where he earned an Army ROTC scholarship. He graduated from Ole Miss in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice. That same year he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army. At the time of his death he was on active duty stationed at Fort Bliss, TX. He held the rank of Captain. He also served one year in Afghanistan wherein, amongst other medals, he was awarded the Bronze Star.
Ryan married Jessica (Mose) Cook on September 20, 2009, in Saratoga Springs, NY. She survives as well as her parents, Alfred and Phyllis Mose of Glenville, NY. Ryan and Jessica were animal lovers with three dogs of their own, fostered many others and spent countless hours volunteering at local animal rescue.
Ryan is also survived by his father, Raymond Cook of Wellington, FL, and his stepmother, Jennifer Cook of Saratoga Springs, NY, along with his sister, Bree Cook of Bennington, VT, and stepsister Austin and husband Turner Bayliss of Nashville, TN. He also leaves a maternal great-grandmother, Laura Mosher of Wykoff, MN, a stepgrandfather, Joseph Tornabene of Pownal, VT, his favorite aunt, Debra Beese of Minneapolis, MN, and several other aunts, uncles and cousins.
He was pre-deceased by his mother, Sandra (Beese) Cook, in 1989, his maternal grandparents, Gerald and Murlie Beese, his paternal grandparents, Charles and Anna Cook, and a step-grandmother, Janet Tornabene.
Funeral services are Friday, March 15, at 10 am from the Immaculate Conception Church on Main Street in Hoosick Falls. Military Honors will follow the Mass in Wood Park at the Veterans Memorial on Main Street in Hoosick Falls. Burial will take place in Minnesota.
Relatives and friends may call at the Mahar Funeral Home, 43 Main Street in Hoosick Falls, on Thursday, March 14, from 4 to 8 pm. Although flowers are welcome, in lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Susan B. Komen for the cure fund, through the funeral home.

Hoosick Falls – Alyce L. Bissonette, 88, passed away on Wednesday, March 6, 2013, at Samaritan Hospital in Troy, NY. Alyce was the wife of the late Wilfred Bissonette for more than fifty years. He died in 2003.
Born on February 7, 1925, in Cambridge, NY, Alyce was the daughter of the late John and Mary (McGowan) Gannon. She attended schools in Cambridge and was a homemaker all of her life. Alyce enjoyed snowmobiling, camping, knitting and spending time with her family.
Survivors include her daughters, Roberta McEvoy and husband Mike of Greenwich, NY, and Leah Bissonette of San Diego, CA, her son, Eric Bissonette and wife Dawn of Cambridge, her grandchildren, Dana and Shelia Grimes, her four great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews. Alyce is pre-deceased by a sister, Elizabeth Amazon, and two brothers, Albert and Thomas Gannon.
Funeral services were on Saturday, March 9 from the Mahar Funeral Home. Burial followed the service at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Hoosick Falls. Relatives and friends called at the funeral home on Saturday morning.

Hoosick Falls – Mary Alice Scott, a long-time resident of Hoosick Falls, NY, died Thursday, the 8th of March, 2013, in her home with her children by her side. Born on September 25, 1935, to John and Mary Nealon, Mary Alice was a very loved and respected teacher at St Mary’s Academy for over 25 years.
Mary grew up in Hoosick Falls and graduated from St. Mary’s Academy with her five brothers, Charles, Larry, William, John and James. She enjoyed many summers with the entire extended family at their cottage on Hedges Lake during summer recess.
Mary Alice earned a Masters Degree in Education at St. Rose College in Albany, NY, and taught both high school and elementary education during her tenure at St. Mary’s. She also earned a great reputation for directing entertaining school plays, leading the yearbook staff and throwing successful chicken parmigian dinners to raise money for the school. Mary Alice was a caring wife to Lyle Macdonald Scott for over 52 years until his passing in July of 2012.
Survivors include her daughter, Heather Ann Peters of Hoosick Falls, her son, Jay Lyle Scott of Brooklyn, NY, her granddaughter, Jessica Case, and her two brothers, John Nealon of Vero Beach, FL, and James Nealon of Hoosick Falls.
A Memorial Service will be held at the Immaculate Conception Church on Main Street in Hoosick Falls on April 12 starting at 12 noon. Memorabilia and reflection will be in the back of the Church from 11:30 to 12. Arrangements are under the direction of the Thomas M. Barber Funeral Home of Petersburgh, NY.