Ellen Sauca, 84, farmer’s wife, raised 7 children
ALBANY—Ellen Sauca, 84, of Stockport died peacefully Friday, February 24, at St. Peter’s Hospice Inn in Albany surrounded by her loving family.
Born March 29, 1927, in Easton, Maryland, she was the daughter of the late William and Emma (Naber) Spence.
She married Carmelo Sauca in 1951 in Maryland. In 1961, they moved their family to New York and settled down in Stockport, where they owned and operated a dairy farm.
She was predeceased by her husband in 1995. Mrs. Sauca was the consummate farmer’s wife, homemaker, cook and devoted mother, raising seven children while helping to run the family farm.
Mrs. Sauca is survived by: her seven children, Richard (Linda) Thomas, Tonnie (Linda) Sauca, Kay (Paul) Knott, all of Stockport, JoAnn Rand of Texas, Carla (Karl) Kuhnen of Stuyvesant, Carmelo, Jake (Jody) Sauca of Ghent and Emma Sauca of Albany; 21 grandchildren; 25 great grandchildren; two sisters, Edith Roe and Kathleen Wendt and a brother, Richard Spence of Maryland.
Calling hours will be from 3 to 5 p.m., Saturday March 3 at the M. Grimaldi Funeral Home, 25 Railroad Avenue in Chatham, with a memorial service at 4:30 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to The Community Hospice at 295 Valley View Boulevard, Rensselaer 12144 or to a charity of one’s choice.
Interment will be at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Nassau in the spring.
Rose Celello, 95, sewing machine operator, loved to cook
ALBANY—Rose Sangiorgi Celello, 95, of Hudson, passed away Sunday, February 26, 2012 at St. Peter’s Hospital.
Born February 27, 1916 in New York City, she was the daughter of the late Angelo and Francesca Sangiorgi.
Mrs. Celello worked as a sewing machine operator at the pocketbook factory for many years. She loved cooking, baking, sewing and crocheting and enjoyed sharing everything she made with her family and friends. She was a member of St. Mary’s Church in Hudson.
Mrs. Celello was predeceased by her husband, Anthony Celello and her siblings, Benny Sangiorgi, Mary Cotte, Tessie Salamone and Sam, Dominic and Joseph Grippi.
Surviving are: her son, Michael (Alice) Celello of Kinderhook; four grandchildren, Michael and Joseph of Florida, Paul (Michele) of East Greenbush and Michele (Juan) Arista of New Hampshire; five great-grandchildren, Paul, Michael, Christina, Felicia and Angelica; two sisters-in-law, Mary Secovnie of Valatie and Rose Chelelli of Hudson, and several nieces and nephews.
Visiting hours are 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, March 1 at the Bates & Anderson-Redmond & Keeler Funeral Home.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 9 a.m. Friday, March 2 at St. Mary’s Church in Hudson. Burial will be in Cedar Park Cemetery.
To leave a message for the family go to www.batesanderson.com.
Minnie Gauggel, 96, bookkeeper, always had a smile
GHENT—Minnie Gauggel, 96, of Astoria, Queens, passed away Monday, February 27, 2012 in Ghent.
She was born October 10, 1915 in New York City to the late Domenico and Marie Rocco.
Mrs. Gauggel was a former bookkeeper with the Valley Stream School District. She enjoyed reading and was devoted to her family. She always had a smile on her face.
Surviving are: her niece, Margaret Stanwise of Astoria and many great-nieces and great-nephews, including Maryann, Michael and Michelle Dufficy, all of Ghent. She was predeceased by her husband, Charles Gauggel, and all of her brothers and sisters.
Services will be held in Astoria and burial will be in Calvary Cemetery. Arrangements are with the Bates & Anderson-Redmond & Keeler Funeral Home.
To leave a message for the family go to www.batesanderson.com.
Paul S. Rappaport, 87, educator and activist
VALATIE—Paul S. Rappaport, 87, died February 23, 2012 at Barnwell Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.
Born June 6, 1924 in New York City, he was the son of Samuel and Augusta Rappaport. He was predeceased by his sisters Sylvia Grumet and Daisy Gelb.
Mr. Rappaport entered Brooklyn College in 1942. After his first term he volunteered for the U.S. Army Air Corps, where he served for four years with special training as a bombardier-navigator. Upon his discharge in 1946, he returned to Brooklyn College and went on to get a master’s degree in education at Columbia University.
Mr. Rappaport taught English and speech in New York City high schools for eight years. He spent the greatest part of his professional career, 23 years, at West Hempstead High School in Nassau County. There he led the teachers’ union, until he was appointed principal, a post he held for 10 years.
Mr. Rappaport moved to Columbia County in 1985 and became active in community organizations. He was a dispute resolution mediator for Common Ground and worked for Columbia Opportunities. An ardent political activist, he was local chairman for Michael Dukakis’s 1988 presidential campaign and treasurer of Columbia County PREVENT. He served on the board of directors of Coarc for 15 years, including three years as president.
Mr. Rappaport was known for the clever poems he wrote to mark special occasions and people in his life. He was an avid reader, especially of the New York Times. He enjoyed travel, especially to National Parks and Civil War battlefields; films, particularly those directed by Woody Allen, and folk music, especially anything involving Pete Seeger.
Mr. Rappaport is survived by: his wife, Linda Mattis of Valatie; sister-in-law, Nancy Mattis of Manhattan; nephew, Jack Gelb and family of California; special friends Margret Utech, Hilton Garcia and Marcus Nucci; and many friends and colleagues who delighted in his wit, erudition and magnetic smile.
Following Mr. Rappaport’s wishes, his remains were cremated and there were no formal services. Contributions in his memory may be made to Coarc, P.O. Box 2, Mellenville 12544. Arrangements were under the direction of the Raymond E. Bond Funeral Home.
