Robert P. Mathew (1936 -2019)
LEHIGH ACRES, FL—Robert “Bob” Peter Mathew, age 83, son of Alexander Mathew and Francis Scutt, was born January 9, 1936 passed away peacefully while sleeping Saturday, November 16, 2019.
He was a graduate of Hudson High School and joined the Navy in 1952. During his military service in the Korean War on the destroyer Callahan, he learned the machinist craft. After returning from Navy he married a “young and swooning” nursing student from Hunter, Brenda Ann Goodrich.
He went to work at the Match Factory in Hudson until he started his own business called the West Ghent Machine Shop on Route 9H. He successfully ran his shop for more than 45 years helping local businesses and farmers. Mr. Mathew was a master machinist and inventor who built his own house and machine shop in Omi. He was known for his sarcastic wit, unfailing work ethic, impeccable steel workmanship and industrious inventing skills.
He also told many wildly entertaining stories, which were hard to determine if fact or fiction.
In his later years he developed Alzheimer’s, which progressed and robbed him of of short term memory. For a long time he somehow remembered family and beloved “Goodrich”.
His memory will be kept alive by his “eternal” wife of 56 years and patient caretaker, Brenda; his two sons, Brian and Brett (wife Heather and their daughters Skylar and Alyssa Mathew). He is also survived by his sister, Patricia Rooney, and was predeceased by sisters, Susan Taylor and Frances Kennedy.
The family will have a memorial service and celebration in the spring of 2020.
Robert E. Dwyer, Sr. (1933 – 2019)
CANAAN—Robert E. Dwyer, Sr., 86, owner of Dwyer Funeral Home and Dwyer-Wellington Funeral Homes, passed away Christmas Day at home on Queechy Lake, surrounded by his loving family.
Born in Pittsfield, MA, December 18, 1933 the son of F. Emmett and Helen Tracy Dwyer, he was a 1952 graduate of St. Joseph High School and a 1956 graduate of the New England Institute of Anatomy, Sanitary Science and Embalming in Boston and Berkshire Business School in Pittsfield.
Mr. Dwyer was a Korean War veteran, having proudly served as a corporal in the United States Marine Corps. He was a member of the Marine Corps League.
Growing up, he and his family lived above the funeral home and he started helping out his father at a young age. He took great pride in the service he provided to people. He had the ability to be kind and compassionate as well as making sure every minor detail was carried out with extreme professionalism and precision. His Marine Corps training would always show through.
His two sons joined him in the family business and recently his grandson joined the business to become the fifth generation of Dwyers to work at the funeral home. His son, Dan, moved to Michigan and now has his own funeral home.
He was a lifelong communicant of St. Charles Church and a longtime communicate of Immaculate Conception Church in New Lebanon. He was a member of Msgr. Eugene F.
Marshall Knights of Columbus Council 103 for 63 years and a member of Bishop Conaty Assembly 395 Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus.
Mr. Dwyer enjoyed antique cars and collected many over the years. He especially liked his Broncos, Packards and Tbirds. He was still driving his white 1964 Thunderbird convertible to work almost every day right up until he put it away for the winter this year. He was so happy to have just finished restoring a 1957 Tbird and enjoyed showing it to anyone who would take the time to look. He would spend hours reading Hemmings Motor News and liked to watch the car auctions on TV.
Mr. Dwyer was also an avid Patriots and Red Sox fan and would often add colorful commentary during the games.
His favorite place to be, when he was not at work, was Queechy Lake where he served as past president and longtime member of the Queechy Lake Club. He liked to work around the yard and spend time on the pontoon boat. He loved having his children and grandchildren around him and watching them enjoy the lake.
In 1959, he met the love of his life, the former Deborah Pender, while she was visiting her grandparents who owned the former Pillars Restaurant. They married September 29, 1962 at St. Charles Church after she graduated from St. Luke’s Hospital School of Nursing. They enjoyed 57 wonderful married years together.
Over the years Mr. Dwyer purchased the Blonarz Funeral Home on Wahconah Street, the Zoph Funeral Home on Bradford Street and the Newton and Barnfather Funeral Home on East Housatonic Street eventually consolidating them all into the North Street Funeral Home. He also purchased numerous apartment buildings surrounding his North Street Funeral Home.
Besides his wife, he leaves: his four children, Kathleen O’Brien (Frank) of Easton, CT, Julie Lloyd (Tom) of Bennington, VT, Dan Dwyer (Kelly) of New Boston, MI, and Robert Dwyer, Jr. (Whitney) of Richmond, MA, who has worked side by side with his father for the past 35 years; two sisters, Elizabeth “Betty” Kasuba (Don) and Marmie McKeever (Vinnie); two brothers-in- law, Dick Dunham of Dalton and Bill Pender of New Mexico; 12 grandchildren, Steven Dwyer, Shealagh, Egan, Kaitlyn, Kiernan and Erin O’Brien, Alexandra, Danielle and Quinn Dwyer, Emily Lloyd Cole (Larry), Nicholas and Sean Lloyd and two great granddaughters; many nieces, nephews and extended family. Besides his parents and stepmother, Eleanor Rita Dwyer, he was predeceased by his two sisters, Helen Callahan and her husband Maurice and Mary Ellen “Bee” Dunham and a brother Bernard “Bib” Dwyer.
Mr. Dwyer will be deeply missed by his family, friends and all the people whose lives he had touched throughout the years. His professional commitment to serving those in need will be carried on for generations. “Semper Fi”
Funeral services for Mr. Dwyer will be Saturday, January 4, 2020 with a Liturgy of Christian Burial at 11 a.m. at St. Charles Church celebrated by (at his request) Rev. A. Peter
Gregory, Pastor Emeritus and concelebrated by Rev. John Tuohey, Administrator. A private entombment will take place in St. Michael the Archangel Mausoleum, St. Joseph’s Cemetery.
Calling hours at the funeral home will be Friday, January 3, 2019 from 3 to 7 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Luke’s Hospital School of Nursing Alumni Association or St. Charles Church, c/o the Dwyer Funeral Home, 776 North Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201 in his memory. Visit www.dwyerfuneral.com to leave condolences and remembrances.
Laurence V.O. DuBois (1933 – 2019)
HUDSON—Laurence “Larry” Van Orden DuBois passed away Thursday, December 26, 2019 at the age of 86, surrounded by family at Columbia Memorial Hospital.
He was a great man, a devoted father and the cherished husband of Jeanne (Perkins), his wife of 61 years.
In addition to his wife, he leaves behind: sons, David and Kevin (Kathi); daughters, Catherine and Debra; brothers, Alan and his twin, Raymond; grandchildren, Michael (Diane), Nicole (Greg), Hailey, Dana, and Alex as well as many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by sisters, Laurel (Paul), Carol (Stan), and Jeanne.
He was born in 1933 in New Paltz to parents Raymond and Florence (Beekman) DuBois. He graduated from New Paltz Normal School and with a BS degree in dairy husbandry from Cornell University in 1958. He met his wife at Cornell and they were married in Cayuga, August 9, 1958.
Mr. DuBois was a veteran of the Korean War. He began farming on a rented farm in Mendon. He, his wife and the two eldest children moved to Valatie in 1960 and created the successful dairy farm known as Glenrest. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Orville L. Freeman visited the farm in 1966. In 1970, after selling the dairy farm, the entire family toured Europe in a red Volvo station wagon and a six-person tent.
He and his wife owned and operated The Milk House, initially a Stewart’s Ice Cream franchise on Church Street in Chatham from 1970 to 1984. After that he was a rural mail carrier for the Ghent Post Office. He also sold real estate for Bob Howard and The Kinderhook Group. Mr. and Mrs. DuBois were long-time subscribers and supporters of the Mac-Hadyn Theatre, hosting dozens of cast and crew members during the summer months.
He was active in many farm groups including Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity, Monroe County Young Farmers, a Columbia County Young Farmers group, the New York State Farm Bureau, the Young Farmers and Ranchers, and the Cooperative Extension. He was a Cub Scout leader, instrumental in the creation of Crellin Park in Chatham, a member and past president of the Chatham Lions Club, the Chatham High Booster Club, the Ghent/Chatham Area Senior Citizens Club, the “Dirty Dozen”, the DuBois Family Association, and the American Philatelic Society. He and his wife hosted several foreign exchange students during the years on the farm.
He played first base for many years on the Milk House softball team, enjoyed golf on courses in Columbia County and the Myrtle Beach, SC area. He was an avid sports buff and stamp collector.
Calling hours at 10 a.m. to noon and a memorial service immediately following will be held Saturday, January 11, 2020 at St. James Roman Catholic Church in Chatham. Burial will be at the St. James Cemetery, Route 66 in Ghent.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to the Chatham Lions Foundation, Inc. or Chatham Area Recreation Program (CARP) at the same address: P.O. Box 216, Chatham 12037.
Julia Shuman (1922 – 2019)
OSWEGO—Julia Shuman, 97, of Oswego died peacefully at Oswego Hospital December 22, 2019. A native of Hudson, she lived in the Syracuse area for 65 years.
Born July 6, 1922 in Hudson, she was the daughter of Hungarian immigrants, the late Joseph and Mary (Hersko) Wassie.
Raised in a loving family, she and her five inseparable sisters were taught the benefits and pride of an honest day’s work, a lesson that served her well throughout her life. She spoke fluent Hungarian and took great pride in her rich Hungarian (Magyar) heritage. She was a graduate of Hudson area schools. On December 22, 1945 in Hudson, she married Charles J. Shuman, who died May 12, 2007.
Mrs. Shuman was an excellent homemaker who also managed 12-unit apartment building close to the Syracuse University campus.
In November 2012, Mrs. Shuman went to live with her loving son, Robert in Oswego. She attended the Seneca Hill Manor Adult Day Program for seven years where she would actively partake, enjoy a variety of activities and made many new friends. While in Oswego, she enjoyed a variety of music, singing, dancing and telling enthralling stories of life in the Hudson River Valley. She loved to relax, watch and sing-along to classic Broadway musicals. Every Saturday she looked forward to the weekly live broadcast of “A Prairie Home Companion” radio show, accompanied by trusty cat Bentley, always at her side.
She always looked forward to Oswego’s annual Fourth of July Parade. In her bright blue sun hat and sparkling tierra, marchers and dignitaries alike would break rank to have their picture taken with her—the queen of the parade.
Mrs. Shuman is survived by: her sons, Ronald (Susan) of Collierville, TN, Mark of DeWitt and Robert of Oswego; three grandsons, Michael, Steven and Zachary; her sister, Margaret Peduzzi of Kinderhook; several nieces and nephews.
In addition to her parents and husband Charles, she was predeceased by her four sisters, Elizabeth (Betty) Pyndus, Anna Tkatz, Mary Yegella and Helen Hoysradt.
Mrs. Shuman will return to her beloved Hudson for burial at Cedar Park Cemetery. Funeral services will be held Friday, January 3, 2020, 11 a.m. at the Sacco Funeral Home, 700 Town Hall Drive, Greenport. Committal prayers will follow at noon at the funeral home with Father Anthony Barratt officiating. Burial will follow at Cedar Park Cemetery, Hudson, NY. There will be no calling hours.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: The Adult Day Program at Seneca Hill Manor, Attn: Director Kathy Cocciole, 20 Manor Drive, Oswego 13126.
Marilyn Geraghty (1929 – 2019)
NORTH CHATHAM—Marilyn A. Geraghty, 90, passed away at home December 20, 2019 after a short illness.
She was born in Bronx to Joseph and Alice Craig Hogan, July 12, 1929.
In the Bronx she met the love of her life, Robert “Bob” Geraghty, her husband for 66 years. They started a family in the Bronx and in 1961 moved to Montrose, where their neighbors were like family and became lifelong friends.
In 1988, they retired to North Chatham, where Mrs. Geraghty enjoyed her dream house.
First and foremost, she loved being a wife and mother, cherishing her four daughters and their families. She also enjoyed the part-time jobs she held throughout her life including clerical positions at Rogers and Alexander’s department stores in the Bronx, Abercrombie & Fitch in Manhattan, Reader’s Digest in Pleasantville and as a bank teller in Croton.
Mrs. Geraghty was a loving and giving person who cared for many of her elderly relatives in her lifetime. She loved hosting family holidays and dinner parties with friends and vacationing in Wildwood and Long Beach Island, NJ. She enjoyed remodeling, decorating and redecorating her home, gardening, shopping, going out to breakfast and getting dressed up for Sunday Mass at St. Mary’s Church in Nassau, where she had a special devotion to St. Anthony.
She was predeceased by her parents; her brother, Joseph “Joey” Hogan, Jr.; and her husband.
She is survived by: her daughters, Patricia (David) Renaud of Schodack, Jean Geraghty (Thomas Bailly) of Valatie, Lori (James) Cameron of Valatie and Lisa (John) McHugh of Hopewell Junction; her 11 grandchildren, Daniel (Molly) Renaud, Kevin (Erica) Renaud, Terence Renaud, Dan (Meghan) Taney, Tim Taney, Patrick (Yana) Taney, Kate Tritto, Robert Tritto, Keith (Ramses) Crisi-Tritto, Erin McHugh and Melissa McHugh; seven great-grandchildren; her uncle, Lawrence (Mamie) Craig of Danbury, CT; her brother-in-law, Thomas Geraghty of Sunset Beach, NC; cousins, nieces, nephews and friends.
The family thanks Columbia Greene Hospice for their exceptional assistance, care and comfort they provided to Mrs. Geraghty and her family in her final weeks of life.
A Mass of Christian Burial was conducted Friday, December 27, 2019 at St. Mary’s Church in Nassau, followed by interment in St. Mary’s Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Mary’s Church, P.O. Box 435, Nassau 12123.
George E. Henderson (1939 – 2019)
ALBANY—George E. Henderson, 80, of Niverville passed away at Albany Medical Center December 28, 2019 after a short battle with cancer.
Born in Troy he was the son of the late James K. and Elizabeth G. (Koch) Henderson and was a longtime resident of Nassau.
Mr. Henderson was an avid racer and race fan at Lebanon Valley Speedway having started at the age of 19. He raced for more than 35 years. He worked as a truck driver and equipment operator for several local companies before starting his own business, Henderson’s Tree Removal.
He is survived by: his loving wife, Susan Henderson; son, Howard (Glenna) Henderson; daughters, Cheryl (Michael) Griffin and Sandra Henderson; brother, Richard J. Henderson; sister, Judy Fink; five granddaughters and two great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his sister, Dorothy Morris. A graveside service will be held Saturday, January 4, 11 a.m. in the Nassau Cemetery, Route 203, Nassau. Relatives and friends are invited to call at the Thomas P. Mooney Funeral Home, 11 Elm Street, Nassau, Friday, January 3 from 4 to 8 p.m. In lieu of flowers donations in Mr. Henderson’s memory may be made to Nassau Hose Co. #1, P.O. Box 42, Nassau 12123.
