By BARBARA SLATE
Students build a toolbox… and for some, a futureby Marlene McTigue / May 30, 2024Related Posts
OBITUARIES: Van Keuren, Bower, Meyer, Mauro, Greenhouse, Turk, Gruber, Nastke
Elizabeth A. Van Keuren (1962 – 2023)
CLAVERACK—Elizabeth Anne “Liz” Van Keuren, 61, passed away, Sunday, August 13, 2023, surrounded by her family at her home in Claverack.
She was a lifelong area resident. She was raised in Rhinecliff and graduated from Rhinebeck High School in 1980. She also graduated from Albany Business College and immediately began her 37-year career working in accounts payable, employee benefits, junior account clerk and payroll clerk at the district office of the Rhinebeck Central School District.
Family and friends were very important to her. She dedicated her life to putting others before herself. She is survived by: her husband, Timothy, whom she married September 13, 1989; her two sons, Sean, and his fiancée Victoria Revene and Nicholas, and his wife Renee, and their son Asher; her brothers, Thomas (Madeline) and Robert (Eileen); her sister, Carolyn (George) Weber; several nieces and nephews, and her lifelong friend, Debbie (Paul) Kane.
She was born February 28, 1962 in New York City, the daughter of Robert O’Malley and Caroline (Plaag) O’Malley.
Calling hours take place Friday, August 18, 4 to 7 p.m. at the Dapson-Chestney Funeral Home, 51 West Market Street, Rhinebeck. Funeral services are Saturday, August 19 at 10:30 a.m. at the funeral home. The Rev. Thomas Hartley, pastor of the Clinton Alliance Church, will officiate. Interment will follow at the Rhinebeck Cemetery.
Memorial donations may be made to the Columbia-Greene Humane Society/SPCA, 111 Humane Society Road, Hudson 12534. To sign the online register visit dapsonchestney.com
Philip R. Bower (1950 – 2023)
CHATHAM—Philip R. Bower, Jr., 73, of Chatham or (Ghent) died peacefully at home in the company of his loving family, Monday, August 14, 2023.
Born in Hudson on January 28, 1950, he was the son of the late Philip and Thelma (Snyder) Bower. After high school, he served his country in both the U.S. Marine Corps and later the U.S. Army. He was a truck driver for many years with Knight Transportation of Phoenix, AZ, and was an avid motorcyclist. He leaves behind to cherish his memory: his loving partner, Debbie Wheeler; sons, Shane (Miranda) Bower, Bryan (Kristin) Brazie, Justin (Tina) Bower; daughter, Sara (Mike) Wagner; brothers, Larry Bower and Leo Bower; one sister, Vera Bedell; 11 grandchildren; one great-grandchild; lifelong friends, Terry and Jane Boyles; his western buddy, Gigi; many nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by brother-in-law, Frank Bedell and his best friend, Jimmy Ressler.
Calling hours and funeral services will be held Thursday, August 17, 2023 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Sacco Funeral Home, 700 Town Hall Drive, Greenport with Deacon Rick Washburn officiating.
Dawn H. Meyer (1970 – 2023)
CHATHAM—Dawn Hannay Meyer passed away peacefully at her home in Chatham, August 14, 2023.
Born January 3, 1970 in Albany, she attended Maple Hill Schools, then graduated Chatham High School in 1988. She attended Columbia-Greene Community College and graduated from the College of Saint Rose with her master’s degree.
She worked for years with Head Start programs and with the state working independently to assess pre-school children. In 2015 she worked part-time with Child Care Connections and made some lifelong friends that she cherished dearly.
She married Steven Meyer June 7, 1997 and together they raised their family. Her family was everything to her. She loved dance, celebrations, animals and Mac-Haydn Theatre shows with her daughters; loved family vacations and parties, was a sucker for cows, puppies and kittens. She could light up a room with her glowing smile. She was enthusiastic, fun, bubbly, stubborn, resilient, caring, loving, compassionate, and empathetic.
Even through all her struggles, she was a fighter with great strength, she always put all others before herself.
She is survived by: her parents, Marilyn (George) Schermerhorn and Dorance (Eileen) Hannay; her beloved husband of 26 years, Steven Meyer; her loving children, Kaylin and Hannah Meyer; siblings, Linda (Matthew) Borton, Heather (Ben) Kincel, Toni (Jason) Rogers, Erica (Rich) Gilcoine and Scott (Caitlin) Hannay; many aunts, uncles, cousins, nephew and nieces.
A time for sharing memories and offering condolences will be held Thursday, August 17, 2023 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the French, Gifford, Preiter and Blasl Funeral Home, Chatham. A celebration of life will follow at the Ghent VFW Post #5933.
In lieu of flowers, send donations to Columbia-Greene Humane Society and St. Peter’s Cancer Center. Condolences may be conveyed at frenchblasl.com.
Ralph L. Mauro (1970 – 2023)
HUDSON—Ralph Louis Mauro, 53, of Hudson, passed away peacefully Thursday, August 3, 2023. He was preceded in death by: his father, Ralph Louis Mauro and grandparents, Howard and Charlotte Frey.
He was born July 28, 1970 in Mount Vernon. He attended Germantown Central School. His hobbies included classic cars and custom motorcycles. He enjoyed spending time with family and friends and riding down the open road on “Fatty,” his Harley.
He is survived by: his wife, Yolanda (Davis) Mauro of Hudson; son, Alexander (Jasmine) Mauro of Walthourville, GA; mother and stepfather, Louise Nostrand and Wayne Celello of Hudson; his sister, Tina (Mike) Mauro-Sacchetti of Gulfport, MS, and niece, Megan Mauro of Gulfport, MS.
His family thanks Community Hospice of Albany and Hospice/6th Floor Staff at Columbia Memorial Health.
A private memorial will be held. Arrangements were with Bates and Anderson – Redmond and Keeler Funeral Home, Hudson.
Michael P. Greenhouse (1961 -2023)
HUDSON—Michael P. Greenhouse, 62, of Hudson passed away August 8, 2023. Born in Hudson, May 19, 1961, he was the son of Henry “Hank” and Elaine Greenhouse.
“Mike” graduated from Hudson High School and University of Miami. He enjoyed listening to music, collecting baseball cards, and visiting with employees and customers of businesses around Greenport.
He is survived by: his brother, Kenneth (Brooke) Greenhouse and his companion of more than 20 years, Joan Holodook. In addition, he leaves behind many loving relatives. He was predeceased by his parents.
A private memorial service will be held at Cedar Park Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the American Kidney Association or the charity of their choice. Arrangements were with Bates and Anderson – Redmond and Keeler Funeral Home, Hudson.
Robert Turk (1939 – 2023)
HUDSON—Robert “Bob” Turk, 84, of Hudson passed away Friday, August 11, 2023. Born March 21, 1939 in Hudson, he was the son of Charles and Evelyn (Kaminski) Turk.
He retired from the V & O Press after 25 years of dedicated machinery work. He then was best known as a City of Hudson bus driver for more than 10 years. He was an avid outdoorsman enjoying fishing, hunting and camping and especially duck hunting on the Hudson River. He was a life member of the Federation of Polish Sportsmen and the Roe Jan Boat Club. He was also a lifelong New York Yankees fan, and a dog lover. He will be remembered for walking his dogs “around the block” from Union Turnpike around Aitken Avenue. He also took great pride in, and loved decorating his home for Christmas.
He will be forever remembered and loved by: his wife, Dorothy (Miller) Turk; daughter and son-in-law, Lisa and Donald “DJ” Kappes; brother-in-law, Frank Preston; nieces Sandra Wildenstein and Jill Preston. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his sister, Beverly Preston.
Funeral services were held August 16 from the Bates & Anderson- Redmond & Keeler Funeral Home, Hudson.
Mary E. Gruber (1935 – 2023)
HUDSON—Mary Eileen Pendergast Gruber, 88, passed away at Columbia Memorial Hospital after a brief illness August 12, 2023. She was born July 2, 1935 in Hudson, the daughter of Charles Pendergast and Eileen Moore Pendergast. She was predeceased by her parents; a sister, Jayne Finn and a son, Michael Edward Soule.
She was educated in the Hudson School District graduating from Hudson High School in 1953. She started her career with the New York Telephone Company in 1954 as an operator in Hudson. She went on to hold several positions with the company including the office union representative. She was active as a member of the Telephone Pioneers of America, serving as secretary 1977-1978, vice president 1979-1980 for the Kingston Club, which included the Hudson, Catskill, Kingston, Monticello areas and also served as president of the Mid-Hudson Council of the Pioneers.
She retired in 1985 and moved to Florida with her husband, Kurt. They resided in Florida for 30 years before returning to Hudson in 2015. On her return, she became involved with the Adult Learning Institute at C-GCC.
She will be remembered for her infectious smile and great sense of humor. Left to cherish her memory is: her son, David Paul Soule and his wife, Sally of Longmont, CO; a daughter, Renee Marie Soule Dinardi and her husband, James of Hudson; a brother and sister-in-law, Robert and Janice Pendergast of Hudson; five grandchildren, Michael Dinardi and Witney Wagner of Buford, GA, Mark Dinardi of East Greenbush, Charles Soule and Kyle of Denver, CO, Michelle
Soule and Jason Dickerson of Longmont, CO, and John Soule and Mary of Longmont, CO; seven great-grandchildren, Wya, Lennox, Atlas, Ender, Hunter, Brynn and Kadence, all of Colorado; a nephew and several nieces.
There will be no visitation hours to honor her request. A private funeral will be held at the family’s convenience. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Columbia Memorial Hospital Foundation. As a CMH patient, she received great care and kindness during her final days. Arrangements are with the Bates & Anderson- Redmond & Keeler Funeral Home, Hudson.
Joseph A. Nastke (1952 – 2023)
VALATIE—Joseph Alfred Nastke, age 70, of Valatie, sportsman, conservationist, traditionalist, a man of indomitable spirit; passed away at home May 23, 2023, surrounded by his loving family after a long and difficult battle with Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus.
Born in Cohoes, he was the son of the late Paul W. Nastke and Helen (Murphy-Shidal) Nastke. He graduated from Phillip Schuyler HS, attended SUNY Delhi (Kappa Sigma Epsilon), and earned a degree in business from SUNY Albany.
He is survived by: his loving wife of 49 years, Rosanne; sons, Jason J. Nastke (Dennis R. Brown, Jr.) of Kinderhook, Christopher E. Nastke (the late Tracey Hoolihan) of Valatie; grandson, Remington Joseph Nastke of Valatie; brothers, John Nastke (Sharyl) of Ballston Spa, Richard Nastke (Wendy) of Schenectady; sisters-in-law, Susan Thorpe (Robert) of Averill Park, Joanne Garrison (Paul LaMalfa) of Schenectady, and Diane Casella of Albany; nieces Jade Casella of Rensselaer and Sage VandeBogart of Albany; nephews, Jeffery Nastke (Nikki) of Lake George and Brian Nastke (Cesar Guerra) of Troy and great-nephews, Jivonte Banks, Keegan and Aiden Nastke.
He was predeceased by: his brother, Robert Nastke of Albany.
Per his request to celebrate his life in the fields of Columbia County, calling hours were held at the Locust Hill Barn, 5 Stockport Road, Ghent, August 16.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to STRIDE Adaptive Sports, www.stride.org, or by check to Mary Ellen Whitney, STRIDE Adaptive Sports, 4482 NY Highway 150, West Sand Lake 12196, or to The Community Hospice Foundation, 310 Manning Boulevard, Albany 12208.
Mr. Nastke was first misdiagnosed with Alzheimer’s dementia. His family encourages everyone to be aware of the potential neurological disorders caused by tick-borne diseases including Lyme, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Powassan Virus; and to challenge health care and insurance providers to undertake more exhaustive testing when bitten by a tick or experiencing any symptoms caused by tick-borne diseases.
Mr. Nastke’s obituary in its entirety may be viewed at https://raymondbondfh.com/
Lunch with Santa brings out a crowd
By Melanie Lekocevic
Capital Region Independent Media
COEYMANS HOLLOW — With Christmas just a couple of weeks away, Santa Claus was able to take time out from his busy schedule to pay a visit to the Coeymans Hollow firehouse.
More than 30 kids turned out for the annual Lunch with Santa event Dec. 2, where they enjoyed chicken nuggets, macaroni and cheese, and Christmas cookies. They also did holiday-themed arts and crafts, and wrote letters to the Jolly Ol’ Elf, which were delivered to the North Pole, of course.
After lunch the magician Kapt. Kraw entertained the kids before Santa arrived for photos and to hand out gifts.
“We have been doing Lunch with Santa for 15 or 16 years,” said Jack Dennis from the Coeymans Hollow Volunteer Fire Corp. “It’s for the community. It feels great — kids are a big part of this community and they love this time of the year.”
Members of the fire company’s Auxiliary prepared the food, and the event was paid for with donated funds.
“It is paid for through donations to the calendar drive,” Dennis said. “We use that money to do community events like this.”
The fire company did not do a calendar drive this year due to a shortage of volunteers, and instead sent out a letter to community residents asking for donations and to recruit new volunteers.
But Lunch with Santa was all for the children, Auxiliary member Mary Ann Dennis said.
“The kids love this,” she said. “This is all for them.”
The event was open to kids ages 10 and under who live in the Coeymans Hollow Fire District. Each child received a gift and a visit with The Big Guy, whose arrival was heralded by one of his trusty elves.
“The kids get to pick what they want,” Mary Ann Dennis said. “Santa has four sacks of toys arranged by age, and the elf will empty the sacks onto the floor and the kids can pick what they want.”
Jameson Parker brought his two kids to Lunch with Santa and said the whole family had a good time.
“This is nice,” Parker said. “Getting a photo with Santa at the mall costs more than $100.”
Caitlyn Cordero’s three kids also enjoyed the day.
“I love this event, and the kids are having a lot of fun,” Cordero said.
Autumn Wells said her kids were having a great time and it beats going to a busy mall to visit with St. Nick.
“This is so much easier than going to the mall to see Santa,” Wells said. “The kids like the food and doing crafts, and they are looking forward to seeing Santa.”
