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Obituraries Archives — The Altamont Enterprise, November 2, 2006


Bonnie R. Hagadone

EAST BERNE — Bonnie R. Hagadone, a mother and grandmother who owned a craft business, died on Friday, Oct. 27, 2006, at St. Peter’s Hospice Inn in Albany. She was 51.
She owned and operated Country Stuff for the last 10 years. She also worked for Price-Greenleaf in Delmar.

"She loved going with her husband on long motorcycle rides in the country and had a special place in her heart for her three grandchildren," her family wrote in a tribute.

She is survived by her husband of almost 35 years, Rick Hagadone; two daughters, Dawn M. Hagadone of East Berne and Wendy Hagadone of Clarksville; three grandchildren, Richie Hagadone, Joseph Staubach, and T.J. Seror; her mother, Ruth Bates, of Dormansville; and one sister, Robin Bashwinger, of Preston Hollow.

She is also survived by many nieces, nephews, cousins, and her crafting friends.

Her father, Alfred Bates, and a brother, Randy Bates, died before her.

A gathering to celebrate her life will be held at a later date. Arrangements are by Fredendall Funeral Home in Albany.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance, 910 17th St. N.W. Suite 1190, Washington, D.C. 20006.


Jean R. Harlan

ALTAMONT — Jean R. Harlan, an engineering technician and mother of two, was a sure shot. She died on Oct. 27, 2006 at St. Peter’s Hospice Inn in Albany. She was 84.

"She was very family oriented," said her daughter, Anne Harlan DeVito. What she remembers most about her mother, though, is that "she was a good shot with a pistol."

Mrs. Harlan shot the center out of a penny from 30 feet away, Ms. DeVito said. Her husband, the late Robert W. Harlan, who taught her to shoot, was so proud of her that he hung the hollow penny from his car’s rearview mirror.

She was born in Geneva, N.Y. on Feb. 16, 1922, the daughter of the late George and Esther Roberts. She graduated from Geneva High School and attended Hobart-William Smith College. She worked for the General Electric Company in Schenectady during World War II.

"When she moved to Schenectady, my Aunt Grace introduced them," Ms. DeVito said of how her mother and father met. They rode their bicycles to the circus for their first date but they didn’t have enough money to get in so they sneaked under the tent. The two were engaged when Mr. Harlan returned from overseas after the Second World War and they moved to Hattiesburg, Miss. where he was stationed.

"They hooked a trailer on the back of the car and toured the U.S.," Ms. DeVito said of her parents’ trek back to Schenectady after Mr. Harlan finished his military service. After returning to New York, the couple soon bought a farm on Settles Hill in Altamont, where their son, John G. Harlan, still lives.

"The whole place is still in the family," said Ms. DeVito of the roughly 130-acre farm that also houses the Harlan Manufacturing building.

The family-owned business made prototypes for Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory among others and Mrs. Harlan served on the board of directors for years. When she retired, after 25 years, from her job as a senior engineering technician at the state’s Department of Transportation, she began crafting greeting cards. "She used to send cards for every occasion," her daughter remembered.

****
Mrs. Harlan is survived by a daughter, Anne Harlan DeVito, and her fiancée, Daniel Krajewski, both of Rotterdam; a son, John G. Harlan, and his wife, Linda, of Altamont.

She is also survived by five grandchildren, John J. Corvinelli; Robert W. Harlan and his significant other, Jessica; Gloria Raymond and her husband, Charles; Theresa Maltz and her husband, David; and Stacy Sowalski and her husband, Mark.

Mrs. Harlan is also survived by 10 great-grandchildren, Kim Edmonds, Greg Winnie, Renee Muir, Cheryl Raymond, Jonathan Csontos, James DiSalvo II, Ashley Weatherwax, Christopher Csontos, John W. Harlan, and Sarah Maltz.

She is also survived by one sister-in-law, Alice Sloan, of Rochester, and many nieces and nephews.

Her husband, Robert W. Harlan, died before her, as did her granddaughter, Michele Corvinelli, and three great-grandchildren, Jess James Weatherwax, Sarah Corvinelli, and John Corvinelli.

A graveside service will be held on Saturday, Nov. 11, at 11 a.m. at Evergreen Memorial Park in Schenectady. Arrangements are by Fredendall Funeral Home in Altamont.

Memorial contributions may be made to a charity of choice.

—Saranac Hale Spencer


Barbara H. Larche

GUILDERLAND — Barbara H. Larche, died as she had lived — surrounded by her loving family.

"Barb was first of all an excellent wife and mother. She lived the Gospel by helping others," her family wrote in a tribute.

She died on Oct. 28, 2006 at the Teresian House Nursing Home. She was 88.

Born in Albany, she was the daughter of Captain Harold C. Herrick and Mary E. Egan. She graduated from Franklin Academy in Malone, N.Y. in 1926 and married her high school sweetheart, L. Herve Larche, in the summer of 1942 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany.
"Barbara and Herve were a lovely couple," her family wrote. Mr. Larche died in November of 2005.

In high school, she was a member of the National Honor Society and a cheerleader. She attended business college and was employed as an accountant with the New York Telephone Company.

She belonged to a number of organizations among them the Catholic Womens Service League; the Ladies of Charity; the Albany Association of the Blind; the La Salle School for Boys; the Mothers of Priests; and the Guilderland Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary as member, recording secretary, and president.

She was a founding member of the Altamont and Guilderland Elementary School PTAs, a volunteer school librarian, and a den mother in Cub Scouting.

She was a foster mother to "Betsy" and each summer would take in children from the Fresh Air Fund program in New York City and treat them as her own.

She and her husband were founding members of St. Madeleine Sophie Church in Guilderland. Later, when Christ the King Church was built, she was a member of the Altar Rosary Society; in later years she was a Eucharistic Minister as well as a Minister to the Sick. She also volunteered at St. Peter’s Hospital in Albany for more than 30 years.

She enjoyed music and was a pianist. Previously, she sang in the Cathedral Choir under the direction of Robert Sheehan. Among her many interests were making ceramics and flower gardening; she canned vegetables from her garden and gave them to others. She was a gourmet cook and loved to read cookbooks and implement new ideas for her table.

Together with her family, she enjoyed summers camping in the Adirondacks and spending time in Maine and Cape Cod.

She and her husband were also extensive world travelers.

She is survived by her three children: James W. Larche of Guilderland; Linda L. Ford of Guilderland; and Rev. Jeffrey L’Arche, M.S. of Altamont; and by her granddaughter Eric C. Ford of Guilderland; and several nieces and nephews.

Her brother, Warren Herrick, and her sister, Betty Kusewick, died before her.

The funeral will be held on All Souls Day, today (Thursday), Nov. 2, at 10:30 a.m. Calling hours will commence after 8:30 a.m. at Christ the King Church, 20 Sumpter Ave. in Westmere.

Burial will be in the family plot at Prospect Hill Cemetery in Guilderland.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Teresian House, the La Salette Shrine in Altamont, or to the Guilderland Fire Department.


James M. Lewis

EAST BERNE — James M. Lewis, an assistant dean at the state university, lived a full life.

"He had a great sense of humor, and was interested in a lot of things," said his wife, Margaret Lewis.

Mr. Lewis died on Oct. 21. He was 80 years old.

Mr. Lewis earned his bachelor’s and his graduate degrees in public address speaking from Ohio State University.

From 1958 to 1978, he worked as the assistant dean of the College of General Studies at the University at Albany. He retired in 1978.

"I met him at Ohio State. We met in graduate school. Well, actually, we met at church," Mrs. Lewis said.

Mr. Lewis, she said, was fond of conversation.

"He liked to talk to people," Mrs. Lewis said, "whether he knew them or not. He’d strike up conversations."

Mr. Lewis was also creative, and spent his time sketching, writing poems, and whittling and carving. He was also an avid motorcyclist.

"Back in the ’70’s, we did a lot of wood-cutting," Mrs. Lewis said.

Mr. Lewis explored the countryside, and he enjoyed flea markets, garage sales, and libraries.

He served in the Navy, joining as soon as he was 18, Mrs. Lewis said.

Mr. Lewis served in the South Pacific on Landing Ship Mediums (LSMs), amphibious assault ships made for the Navy, which transported troops, equipment, tanks, and trucks.

After the war, Mr. Lewis attended LSM Association meetings with fellow former shipmates.

"He was stationed in Okinawa, waiting for the invasion, when the bomb was dropped"He saw the devastation at Nagasaki. He said everything was just flattened."

The past few years, Mrs. Lewis said, the couple spent their winters in Florida.

"We spent time at libraries," Mrs. Lewis added. "He was quite interested in the library."

***
Mr. Lewis is survived by his wife, Margaret Stahly Lewis, of East Berne; his son, Thomas Lewis, and his wife, Carol, of Amherst, N.H.; his daughter, Mary Nicotera, of Amsterdam, N.Y.; brother, George R. Lewis, and his wife, Ruth, of Dayton, Ohio; grandchildren, Andrew and Nicole Lewis. Mr. Lewis is also survived by several nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Berne Library Building Fund, Helderberg Trail, Berne, NY 12023; to Westerlo Rescue Squad, Route 143, Westerlo, NY 12193; or to Helderberg Ambulance, Cole Hill Road, East Berne, NY 12059.

— Tyler Schuling


Frank Philip Pezze Jr.

GUILDERLAND – Frank Philip Pezze Jr., owner of Pega Risk Managers, Incorporated, died Sunday, Oct. 29, 2006, at his home, after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s disease. He was 80.
Mr. Pezze was born on Jan. 3, 1926 to the late Frank and Christine (Edgecomb) Pezze Sr. He was the president of his class at Searles High School in Sheffield, Mass., where he graduated in 1944.

He served in the Army during World War II, in Europe as a captain of an artillery division. He later joined the 109th Division of the United States Air Force, and retired as a lieutenant colonel. He also worked as an Air Force Academy liaison officer.

When he returned from the war, Mr. Pezze continued his education, graduating from Albany Business College. In 1951, he married Dorothy Ruth Haskell of Pittsfield, Mass.

In 1954, he graduated from Siena College with a degree in finance, and he was listed in Who’s Who of American Colleges.

He began his career working for Ter Bush & Powell in Schenectady. He started his own business – Pega Risk Managers, Incorporated – in 1974. He was honored in Who’s Who Among Top Executives in 1998.

He retired in 2000. His sons, Dan and Kevin Pezze, took over his insurance business.

Mr. Pezze owned Pega Plaza in Guilderland, and he was a past president of the Independent Insurance Agents Association.

"He was a self-made man," said his son, Frank Pezze III.

There was a drastic difference between where he started out, and where he ended up, he said.

Mr. Pezze and his wife had six children – three boys and three girls.

"He was always keeping things moving and shaking," said his son Dan of the "busy lifestyle" he had growing up.

He enjoyed skiing, playing tennis at his winter home in Florida, racquetball at the Court Club, and golfing at Pinehaven Golf Course in Guilderland. He was also a longtime member of St. Madeleine Sophie’s Church.

Mr. Pezze was a family man. He always made sure that everyone got together for the holidays and special occasions, his son Dan said.

"He was the glue that kept it all together," he said.

He remembered that his father was an English buff. He would make sure that his children spelled things correctly, and that they spoke with proper grammar, he said.

Mr. Pezze would sometimes teach his children new words, and then later quiz them, he said.

Mr. Pezze’s son said that the family has been supplied with stories and memories about his father from friends and acquaintances.

"People are surprising me with all sorts of things he did, and he did them all effortlessly," his son said.

Mr. Pezze was cared for by his wife, Dorothy, throughout his battle with Alzheimer’s disease. They were married for 55 years.

"She deserves a medal at this point," said their son, Dan.

"We just have to take what he gave us, and multiply it," he said.

***
Mr. Pezze is survived by his wife, Dorothy; his twin sisters, Anna Buckley, and her husband, Tom, of Sheffield, Mass.; and Norma Cullivan, and her husband, Larry, of Weymouth, Mass.; and a brother, Francis Pezze, and his wife, Carol, of Latham.

He is also survived by his children, Frank P. Pezze III, and his wife, Susan Avellino, of Guilderland; Kevin Pezze, and his wife, Carol Rappaport, of Delmar; Dan Pezze, and his wife, Carol Ryan, of Slingerlands; Mary Ellen Kokoletsos, and her husband, John, of Clifton Park; Eileen Humes, and her husband, Steve, of Delaware; and Kathleen Jackson, and her husband, Dale, of Guilderland.

He is also survived by his 16 grandchildren: Jennifer, Meghan, Ashley, Francesca, McKenzie, Madison, Tara, Brian, Kristin, Michael, Ian, Cole, Danielle, Erin, Brandon, and Leah.

Also, he is survived by several nieces and nephews.

His sister Marion Miraglia died before him.

Calling hours were held Wednesday at DeMarco-Stone Funeral Home in Guilderland. A funeral will be held today (Thursday) at 9:15 a.m. at the funeral home, with a mass following at 10 a.m. at St. Madeleine Sophie Church on Carman Road in Guilderland. Interment will be in Niskayuna at the Most Holy Redeemer Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association of New York State.

— Rachel Dutil


Marion C. Quackenbush

GUILDERLAND — Marion Clark Quackenbush, beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, and friend, died peacefully on Sunday, Oct. 29, 2006. She was 92.

"She was very devoted to her family and friends and will be greatly missed," her family wrote in a tribute.

Born in Burlington (Otsego County), she was the daughter of the late William and Anna (Parker) Clark. She lived in Niskayuna for 21 years before moving to Guilderland in 1989.

Mrs. Quackenbush graduated from Milford High School, in Otsego County.

She married Eugene Quackenbush on May 9, 1934. He died in November of 1987.

Mrs. Quackenbush worked for General Electric Company for 26 years in the general accounting department. She was a member of the General Electric Quarter Century Club, Guilderland Senior Citizens, and the Olde Heldeberg Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution.

She was very interested in sewing, many crafts, crocheting, and quilting.

Her family extends "a heartfelt thank you to the Community Hospice of Rensselaer, especially Tammi Seabridge, RN and Chaplain Tony Green, Eddy Ford Nursing Home Unit 1 and Community Hospice of Albany for all the care and support given to both Marion and her family."

She is survived by her daughter, Joanne Hait, and her husband, Ronald, of Waterford; her two sons, G. Robert Quackenbush and his wife, Carol, of Athens, N.Y. and Roger Quackenbush and his wife, Cathy, of Florida; seven grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Three sisters, Dorothy Kinney Ingalls, Hazel Roberts, and Janette McLaury died before her, as did her brother, Leroy Clark.

Funeral services will be held on Friday at 11 a.m. at New Comer-Cannon Family Funeral Home, 343 New Karner Rd., Colonie. Calling hours will be held today (Thursday) from 4 to 7 p.m. at the funeral home. Interment will be in Memory’s Garden in Colonie.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Community Hospice of Rensselaer County, 295 Valley View Blvd., Rensselaer, NY 12144 or the charity of one’s choice.


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