Thomas R. McClain (1960 – 2015)
MIDDLETOWN—Thomas R. McClain, 55, passed away December 31, 2015 at Orange Regional Medical Center.
He was born March 24, 1960 to Thomas H. McClain and Martha (Steigleman) Corretti, who both predeceased him. He was raised in a happy home by his mother and step-father, Gesue Corretti, where he lived with his little brother, Shawn in Jefferson Valley.
He graduated from Lakeland High School in Shrub Oak in 1978. Mr. McClain enjoyed a long career in hospitality and was maitre d’ at The Rye Town Hilton for many years.
Mr. McClain married Susan Smyth April 9, 1993. She survives him in Suffern. In addition to his wife, he is survived by: his son, Kyle; his daughter, Kelly; longtime friend, Jane Gordineer Artwich of Beacon; step-father, Gesue Corretti; brother and sister-in-law, Shawn and Patricia McClain of Copake; nephew, Shawn McClain, Jr., of Manhattan; niece, Tara-Anne McClain of Boston; many aunts, uncles and cousins.
Those who knew him best remember his fun-loving spirit, his love of good food (mainly steaks and cheeses), his problem solving abilities and his love of family. He was and is loved, and he will be dearly missed.
Friends may call on Thursday January 7, 2016 from 10 to 11:45 a.m. at the Peck and Peck Funeral Home, 8063 Route 22, Copake.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated also Thursday, noon at the Parish of Our Lady of Hope, 8074 State Route 22 in Copake Falls.
Interment will follow in Cedar Park Cemetery, Hudson.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) in memory of Thomas Robert McClain. To send an online condolence visit www.peckandpeck.net.
Robert Cunningham
VALATIE—Robert L. Cunningham, 82, passed away January 3, 2016 at Barnwell Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.
Born in Hudson, he was the beloved son of the late Roy E. Cunningham, Sr. and Ruth G. (Carney) Cunningham.
He was a crane operator in the capital region and proprietor of the Village Inn in Castleton.
Mr. Cunningham is survived by: his children, Cynthia Phillips and Robert L. Cunningham, Jr.; five grandchildren, Bradley Phillips, Brooke Meltz, Tara Gibeault, Robert L. Cunningham, III, and Mark Cunningham; eight great-grandchildren; several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his siblings, William J. Cunningham and Roy E. Cunningham, Jr. and daughter Terry L. Cunningham.
There will be no calling hours. Private services will be held at the convenience of the family. The family thanks AdaFe, Ruth, Vanessa and Edward Cunningham and their church, St. Thomas Aquinas Roman Catholic Church in Avondale, AZ, for their unending care and support. Arrangements are with the Raymond E. Bond Funeral Home, 1015 Kinderhook Street, Valatie.
Harry A. Kilmer (1926 – 2015)
BOZEMAN, MT—Harry Arthur Kilmer of Belgrade, MT, died December 19, 2015 at Bozeman Deaconess Hospital of natural causes.
He was born March 14, 1926 in Gallatin to Richard Kilmer and Anna Simmons. He attended Roeliff Jansen High School. During the depression school years he picked apples and berries to buy school clothes. Picking up coal along the railroad tracks on the way home to help heat the house.
After high school he joined the Army during World War II, working with the 87th Golden Acorn Division as a machine gunner in the Normandy Invasion. He learned to ski as they marched across Europe during the Battle of the Bulge in the winter of 1944 to ‘45 always hoping that the winter supplies would catch up to them. Glad the war was over Mr. Kilmer re-enlisted to assist in the rebuilding effort in France for the next eight years.
When he returned home after being discharged, he worked on the railroad track on the New York Central run from Albany to Poughkeepsie. He went on to work for Arlington Structural Steel in Poughkepsie, Schweitzer-Mauduit Paper Mill in Ancram, the Gallatin Highway Department, Firestone Tires, and John Deere Tractors in Hudson.
Mr. Kilmer married Beverly Joann Dunn August 18, 1955 and they had four children. In 1961 they moved from Hudson to Bozeman, MT. He was an avid fisherman and game hunter and never regretted the choice to move across country to a state he had never visited. He loved having company come visit at any time of year. He was always ready to be the guide and take them through Yellowstone National Park, Lewis and Clark Caverns or just a jaunt into the beautiful countryside of this state he had come to love.
He worked for Montana Gardiner construction-repair, Williams Texaco and High School Texaco in Bozeman. Mills Repair, and for Don Westra assisting with the daily ranching and repair of heavy farming equipment in Belgrade. Always willing to work and help out where he could he worked for Thrifty Car Rental for several years until his late 70s. After retirement Mr. Kilmer could always be found mowing the lawn on his riding lawnmower, oxygen tank in tow.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Richard and Anna; his sister, Laura and his brother, Ralph. He is survived by: his ex-wife, Beverly Dunn; daughters, Brenda (Mike) Sample of Belgrade, MT, and Christine (Jason) Carr of Sumner, WA; sons, Michael Kilmer of Marion, MT, and Martin (Carolyn) Kilmer of Salma, ND; nine grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren. He will be missed.
There were no services by request. Arrangements were in the care of Dokken-Nelson Funeral Service, Bozeman, MT.
Gloria Briggs (1946 -2016)
HUDSON—Gloria Joan Briggs, 69, of Stockport passed away Friday, January 1, 2016 after a seven-year battle with metastatic breast cancer.
She was a true New Yorker. She was born and raised in Manhattan and was a graduate of Hunter College. She worked in advertising at Sperry and Hutchinson Co., did public relations for Thomas Cook Travel and served 15 years as a financial consultant for Merrill, Lynch. Ms. Briggs traveled the world extensively. In 1987, she moved to Columbia County and became involved in real estate. She did volunteer work for many organizations but the one dearest to her heart was being a mentor in the Hudson Middle School program “Hudson Reads.” Among her favorite quotes was, “You were born with the ability to change someone’s life. Don’t ever waste it”.
Private services will be held at the Bates & Anderson – Redmond & Keeler Funeral Home, 110 Green Street, Hudson.
Visit www.batesanderson.com to leave condolences for the family.
Lucy Pawluk (1936 – 2016)
GHENT—Lucy (Porreca) Pawluck, formerly of Hudson, died Sunday, January 3, 2016 at Whittier Nursing Home.
She was born February 10, 1936 in Hudson, the youngest child of the late Luigi and Maria (Scambata) Porreca.
She was predeceased by her husband, Edward Pawluck. She is survived by: her sister, Mary (George) Stupplebeen of Hudson and by many generations of nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her sisters Caroline (Alfred) Barto, and Columbia (Harold) Blanchard, and brothers Nicholas (Carmella) Porreca, Louis (Grace Mary) Porreca, and Anthony (Ellen) Porreca.
Mrs. Pawluk was a graduate of Hudson High School and Dutchess Community College. Her early career was at the former Hudson School for Girls. She then worked the rest of her career at Brookwood Correctional Center. She loved fishing, was a member of the Red Hatters, was an avid bowler with the Hudson women’s league, and was a huge dog lover, especially her Georgie and Mitsy, and loved gardening. During her time at Whittier, she was involved in many activities there, including cooking, gardening and drawing.
Calling hours for the family are Wednesday, January 6 from 10 to 11 a.m.; public viewing will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Bates and Anderson Funeral Home, 110 Green Street, Hudson. A service of Catholic Burial will follow at 1 pm at the funeral home. Interment will be in Cedar Park Cemetery.
Visit www.batesanderson.com to leave condolences for the family.
Reverend Peter Nabozny (1928 – 2016)
HUDSON—Reverend Peter J. Nabozny, a priest of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany for 61 years, passed away Monday, January 4, 2016.
Father Nabozny was born in Hudson April 3, 1928, he was the 11th child of Lawrence and Maryanne (Kolbuszowski) Nabozny.
He was a graduate of the John Bosco Prep High School, Niagara University and received his master’s in education from Siena College. Upon completion of his studies at Our Lady of Angels Seminary, he was ordained by Bishop Scully in Albany June 12, 1954. His service to the church include assistant pastor at Immaculate Conception Parish in Corinth, assistant at St. Joseph’s in Schenectady and assistant pastor at St. Patrick’s in Troy, where he was on the teaching staff at Catholic Central High School from 1958 to 1960. Fr. Nabozny was later assigned to Sacred Heart Church in Schenectady, where he served as assistant pastor and guidance counselor at Notre Dame High School. After nine years in Schenectady, he served as pastor of St. Francis de Sales in Herkimer for 31 years.
Father Nabozny served on the Diocesan Catholic School Board and was a steady supporter of parochial education. The fact that St. Francis de Sales School has been in existence for over 100 years and is the only Catholic grammar school available in the Deanery attests to his strong support. Wherever he served, Fr. Nabozny took an active interest in the Catholic education of the school children.
He served five consecutive years as chairman of the Interfaith Clergy Council and was a main participant of all of their undertakings. Fr. Nabozny served on the Catholic Charities Board and was a chief promoter of Catholic Charities projects in Herkimer County. Bishop Howard Hubbard named him Dean of the Catholic Clergy for six years while he served in the Herkimer area. During his priesthood, Fr. Nabozny was fortunate to have met with Pope John Paul II twice.
Upon retirement in 2000, Fr. Nabozny assisted at Immaculate Conception in Glenville, Immaculate Conception in Corinth, Holy Infancy in Luzerne, St. Joseph’s in Cohoes and St. Mary’s in Troy. Retirement gave him extra time at his beloved Brant Lake, where he enjoyed cross country skiing and took every opportunity to go fishing with his family and friends.
He is survived by: his sisters-in-law, Cecilia Kent Nabozny, Amelia Krasnoborski Nabozny, Inez De Joy Nabozny and Eunice Fowler Nabozny; 25 nieces and nephews.
Besides his parents, he was predeceased by his brothers, Andrew, Frank, Anthony, John, Joseph and Lawrence and his sisters, Sophie Brown, Sally D’Inguillo, Helen Latimer, and Christine Nabozny.
Visiting hours will be held Thursday, January 7, 4 to 7 p.m. at St. Mary’s Church, 429 East Allen Street, Hudson. A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered Friday, January 8, 11 a.m. at the church.
Donations may be made to St. Mary’s Church, P.O. Box 323, Hudson 12534.
Arrangements are with the Bates and Anderson Funeral Home, 110 Green Street, Hudson.
Visit www.batesanderson.com to leave condolences for the family.
