Archive » December 2013 » Obituaries

Ellen M. Potter

PRESTON HOLLOW — The tiny Helderberg hamlet of Preston Hollow was a lifelong home to Ellen M. Hillicoss Potter who served her community as a mother and grandmother, a farmer and letter carrier, and a leader for the local park.

Rocco "Rocky" Fallone

ALTAMONT — A devoted family man, Rocco “Rocky” Fallone knew how to fix just about anything.

“His strongest characteristic was a sense of persistence,” said his son, John Fallone. “In the dictionary, there should be a picture of Rocky next to the word ‘persistence.’”

Margaret M. Stewart

GUILDERLAND — A devoted mother and grandmother, Margaret M. Stewart worked in the Corporate Component Procurement Department of IBM in Poughkeepsie for 25 years, retiring in 1991.

She died on Sunday, Dec. 15, 2013, at St. Peter’s Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Albany. She was 77.

Marie Heiser Murray

GUILDERLAND — Marie Heiser Murray, who defined herself as a wife and mother, was active in the Guilderland community.

She died on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2013 at Ellis Hospital. She was 83.

John Robert Dover

BERNE — A trader in commodities with a wide range of interests, John Robert Dover was a perfectionist.

“Everything he did, he did really well,” said his daughter, Laurie Searl, of Berne.

Anne Rouget Connolly

ALTAMONT — While blazing a career path as an accountant, Anne Rouget Connolly lived by the Golden Rule.

Bessie Argiris

FEURA BUSH — Bessie Argiris was close to her family, doting over her niece and nephew and caring for her aging parents.

“She just was a very loving aunt,” said her nephew, Raymond Vadney.

Bessie Argiris died on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2013. She was 84.

Bernard J. Stempel

VOORHEESVILLE — A carpenter, Bernard J. Stempel, built a home for his family with his own hands.

He died in that home on Friday, Nov. 29, 2013, surrounded by his beloved wife of 59 years, Catherine Stempel, and his three daughters — Christine Stempel, Cynthia Bunk, and Karen Beach. He was 84.

Carl E. Slater

WRIGHT — Carl E. Slater, a veteran and a farmer, died of cardiac arrest on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2013, at Ellis Hospital after having pneumonia for a long time. He was 84.

Virginia Lorraine Schwenk

Virginia Lorraine Schwenk, the one-time Knox postmaster whose family owned the Knox Country Store, died on Thursday, Nov. 28, 2013, at the Visiting Nurse Association Hospice House in Vero Beach, Fla. She was 93.

Willard "Skip" B. Hellwig

KNOX — Willard “Skip” B. Hellwig, a man of few words who loved woodworking and electricity, died on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2013, at Albany Medical Center, following a sudden illness. He was 70.

Mr. Hellwig was born on Nov. 24, 1943, in Albany, the son of Willard B. and Ella Marjorie (née Kelley) Hellwig, Sr.