Virginia Plasky, 95, match packer, church member
SARATOGA—Virginia A. Plasky, 95, of Gansevoort, formerly of Union Street, Hudson died Thursday, March 22 at Saratoga Hospital.
Born in Stuyvesant Falls, January 3, 1917, she was the daughter of the late Alexander and Stephania (Helnaoski) Bessman.
Mrs. Plasky was a packer for the Universal Match Company in Hudson for more than 30 years and was a communicant of St. Mary’s Church in Hudson.
She is survived by: her son, James (Charlene) Plasky of Stockport; her daughter, Joanne F. Morgan of Gansevoort; her brother, John (Ruth) Bessman of Lake Katrine; her sister, Sophie Pryshlak of Hudson; her grandchildren, Amy Doyle, Christopher Dill, Eric Dill and his fiancée Dee; also great-granddaughter, Autumn Rose.
A Mass of Christian Burial was offered Saturday, March 24 at St. Mary’s Church, 429 East Allen Street, Hudson. Burial followed in Cedar Park Cemetery, Hudson. Her kindness, compassion and fun loving spirit will be missed. The family thanks the third floor nurses at Saratoga Hospital for their excellent care.
Arrangements were with the Sacco-McDonald-Valenti Funeral Home, 700 Town Hall Drive, Greenport.
Joseph Moskaluk, 70, farm manager, former town supervisor
GALLATIN—Joseph B. Moskaluk, 70, of Gallatin died suddenly Wednesday March 21, 2012 at his home.
Born August 27, 1941 in Hudson, he was the son of the late Joseph and Florence (Brown) Moskaluk.
Mr. Moskaluk was a member of the United Methodist Church of Elizaville, was the church groundskeeper and sextant of the church cemetery. He was widely known as Santa Claus and provided Christmas for many children at the United Methodist Church, individual homes and several area pre-schools.
In 1959, he graduated from the Germantown Central School and served two years in the United States Army. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, he served as a member of the Germantown Central School District Board of Education.
Mr. Moskaluk had worked as a butcher in his own shop in Kinderhook as well as in Great Barrington, MA, and was the manager of the Arnow Farm in Gallatin from 1976 until his death. He ran for New York State Assembly in 1992, and served two terms as supervisor of the Town of Gallatin and on the Columbia County Board of Supervisors.
An avid outdoorsman, he was president of the Columbia County Trappers Association and their chef and auctioneer. He raised homing pigeons and was a member of Stamptrotters Club. He also trained in boxing with Cus Dimato and “knocked out Dave Melendez in the second round.”
Mr. Moskaluk recently celebrated 40 years of sobriety on March 13 of this year.
Poppa Joe, as he was known to many, is survived by: his wife Isabelle (DeGraw), whom he married June 2, 1985; three sons, Erick Edmonds and Stephen Edmonds both of Elizaville, Joseph Connelly of Rhinebeck; four daughters: Karyn Edmonds of Myrtle Beach, SC, Susann Rae Kropp of East Durham, Nancy Newkirk of Johnstown and Jean Benkert of Rhinebeck; two brothers Harry of Elizaville and John of Columbiaville; a sister, Cissy Dykeman of Elizaville; 17 grandchildren; 8 great grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
Funeral services were Saturday, March 24 at the Yadack-Fox Funeral Home in Germantown. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Elizaville Methodist Church, P.O. Box 3, Elizaville 12523.
Harold Denegar, 90, pharmacy college administrator, WWII vet
MANSFIELD CENTER, CT—Harold R. (Russ) Denegar, 90, of Mansfield Center, CT, died March 18, 2012 at his home.
He was born May 12, 1921 in Hudson, the son of the late Harold O. and Lila (Rockefeller) Denegar.
He grew up on a farm in Germantown, was Valedictorian of his 1939 graduating class at Germantown Central High School. He earned a BS in pharmacy from the Albany College of Pharmacy in January 1943 and an MS from the State University at Albany in 1952.
He received an honorary doctorate from the Albany College of Pharmacy on his retirement as associate dean in 1981, after 35 years as a teacher and administrator at the college. He frequently remarked that association with students was the fun part of his years at the college and remained in touch with many of them long after his retirement.
He was a veteran of World War II, serving in the Army, first with the coast artillery and later as a pharmacist at the Fort Scott Dispensary in San Francisco.
He was a life member of the American Legion Blanchard Post 1040 in Delmar. In retirement, he was interested in history, especially in the preservation of Civil War battlefields. He was a member of a number of organizations including the Capital District Civil War Round Table, Friends of Gettysburg, The Brandy Station Foundation and The Civil War Preservation Trust, Friends of Saratoga, Friends of Grant’s Cottage and a charter member of the Saratoga Military Heritage Museum. He was a collector of bronzes by nationally known sculptor Ron Tunison.
He was interested in genealogy, local and family history, was a member of the Capital District Genealogy Society, The Palatines to America, The Columbia County Historical Society and the New York State Archives Trust.
He was also interested in the performing arts, particularly musicals and was a supporter of Proctor’s Theatre in Schenectady. For many years he was devoted to the Mac-Haydn Theatre in Chatham, having seen over 180 of their productions.
He was predeceased by his first wife, Johanna Eckert; his brother, Vernon and his second wife, Katherine Bradley Denegar. He is survived by: his son, Craig, daughter-in-law, Susan, two grandsons, Charlie and Cody, all of Mansfield Center, CT; a brother, Howard and his wife Lila and family of Talala, OK; a step-daughter, Patricia Hartnett and her husband Jerome and two grandchildren, Katie and Jonas of Phoenix, AZ; and a niece, Joan McAuley of Germantown. He was also very fond of his two cats, Eammon and Mosby.
A memorial service celebrating his life will be held at 11 a.m., March 31, 2012 at the Yadack- Fox Funeral Home in Germantown.
Memorial contributions may be sent to the Mac-Haydn Theatre, Box 204, Chatham 12037 or the Albany College of Pharmacy Class of ‘43 Scholarship Fund, 106 New Scotland Avenue, Albany 12208.
