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William S. Reynolds, longtime Buffalo trial attorney

August 2, 2013, 1:26 pm
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June 26, 1929 – July 30, 2013

William S. Reynolds, a retired Buffalo attorney, died Tuesday at Erie County Medical Center after a brief illness. He was 84.

Mr. Reynolds was born in Watertown, where he attended Watertown High and was a star athlete in football, basketball and baseball. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and his law degree from Cornell Law School. He participated in the ROTC Program and went on to become a lieutenant in the Air Force.

He met his wife of 58 years, the late Marcia Pottle Reynolds, while attending Cornell.

Mr. Reynolds was a practicing trial lawyer for more than 50 years. He was the senior partner at O’Shea, Reynolds & Cummings when he retired in 2006.

He was inducted into the American College of Trial Lawyers and was named Lawyer of the Year in 2004 by the Western New York Defense Trial Lawyers. He was a member of the Erie County Bar Association.

He was mentor to numerous young attorneys and always available to assist aspiring legal associates.

Mr. Reynolds was an accomplished golfer. As a member of the Cherry Hill Club in Ridgeway, Ont., for more than 50 years, he served as president, was honored as a distinguished member and won the club championship and men’s senior championship on numerous occasions. He traveled frequently to Ireland and Scotland to play golf in the International Four Ball, Best Ball Competition.

He spent summers at his family’s cottage in Silver Bay, Ont., on the Canadian lakeshore.

He is survived by a daughter, Elizabeth Schwartz, and two sons, Jonathan and Michael.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Aug. 10 in Westminster Presbyterian Church, 724 Delaware Ave.
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Area Deaths

August 2, 2013, 4:50 pm
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Dino E. Bargnesi, 86, died Aug. 1.

Patricia J. (Gunsher) Blaszczak, of North Tonawanda, formerly of Buffalo, died Aug. 1.

Russell D. Brandel, 97, died July 30.

Donald W. Charvat, 80, veteran of the Korean War, died July 31.

Jane Elias, died July 26.

Thomas F. Filipski, of Cheektowaga, a retiree of Western Electric and Navy veteran of the Korean War, died Aug. 1.

Carlton S. Frost, died July 30.

Chester J. Gordon, of Hamburg, died July 31.

Wilbert A. Grad, formerly of West Seneca, died July 30.

Richard W. Hirsch, of Etobicoke, Ont., died Aug. 1.

Beverly (Rosten) Holcomb, 62, of Eden, died Aug. 1.

Barbara E. (Menihan) Karnath, of West Seneca, a registered nurse with the Erie County Department of Health, died July 28.

Charles Meadows, died July 6.

Betty H. Michel, 83, of Tonawanda, died Aug. 1.

Kim M. Monachino, of Buffalo, died Aug. 1.

John M. Posch, died July 30.

William C.H. Prentice, 97, of Westport, Mass., and Vero Beach, Fla., professor, academic department chairman and dean of Swarthmore College, president of Wheaton College in Massachusetts, and president and co-chairman of Bryant & Stratton schools of Buffalo, died July 28.

Holly D. Richards, 65, died July 31.

James Robinson, died July 14.

Peter M. Romanchuk, 36, died July 31.

Roslyn D. (Constantino) Sireci, died July 30.

Robert Spooner, died July 17.

Thomas R. Thrasher, 88, of Gowanda, a retired administrator for National Fuel, died Aug. 1.

John S. Vecchio, 86, died July 29.

Trudy E. (Elliott) Whitney, died July 31.

Robert E. Williams, of Eden, died July 30.

Lorenzo Zaccaro, of Cheektowaga, died July 31.
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Margaret E. Bugaj, AMVETS Auxiliary president

August 2, 2013, 6:16 pm
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April 29, 1938 – July 29, 2013

Margaret E. Bugaj, who served two terms as president of the New York State AMVETS Auxiliary, died Monday in her Town of Tonawanda home. She was 75.

Born in Buffalo, the former Margaret McCrory attended Buffalo schools and worked in facilities support for the City of Buffalo in Memorial Auditorium, Pilot Field and City Hall from 1985 until she retired in 2005.

A South Buffalo resident, she served several terms as auxiliary president at Buddy Knaus Post 14, AMVETS, where her former husband, Robert, served three terms as commander. He and her son Martin are the only father and son to serve as AMVETS state commanders.

Mrs. Bugaj was Department of New York AMVETS Auxiliary president in 1982-83 and again in 1996-97 and served as chairwoman of the state auxiliary convention for many years. She also was an officer of the Erie County AMVETS Council Auxiliary.

A former bakery shop manager for Tops Markets, she made hundreds of wedding cakes as a freelance confectioner. She also won awards as a cake decorator at the Erie County Fair, where her entries included a cake that looked like a circus wagon, and in a national contest.

Survivors include two daughters, Kathleen Velasquez and Susan Grentzinger; two sons, Martin and Brian; and two sisters, Patricia Stresing and Sandra Dorsey.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 10:30 a.m. Monday in St. Teresa Catholic Church, 1974 Seneca St.
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Francis J. Offermann Jr., lawyer, son of Frank J. Offermann

August 3, 2013, 2:01 pm
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Aug. 11, 1926 – July 18, 2013

Francis J. Offermann Jr., an attorney and son of former Buffalo Bisons owner and Erie County Sheriff Frank J. Offermann, died July 18 while visiting the Chautauqua Institution. He was 86.

Born in Buffalo, he attended the Stella Niagara Cadet School. His father owned the Bisons until his death in 1935, and the team’s home on Michigan Avenue was renamed Offermann Stadium.

After graduating high school in 1943 from LaSalle Military Academy on Long Island, Mr. Offermann enlisted in the Navy and served in the Pacific as a ensign until his discharge in 1946.

In 1949, after receiving a bachelor’s degree from Canisius College, he married the former Anne Kinney in Buffalo. They moved to Washington, D.C., where he received a juris doctorate from Georgetown University Law School in 1951 and served as a law clerk to the U.S. Court of Appeals.

Mr. Offermann returned to Buffalo in 1953 and joined the Phillips Lytle law firm.

In 1956, he formed the law firm Offermann, Fallon, Mahoney et al, which was located in the Statler Towers for more than 50 years. His focus was on corporate and civil litigation.

Mr. Offermann was a member of the American Bar Association, the New York State Bar Association and Bar Association of Erie County. In addition to leading numerous committees, he served as a delegate on the state bar’s House of Delegates and as vice president representing the Eighth Judicial District.

For the county bar, he served as director, vice president and president, and he was currently serving as chairman of its Senior Lawyers Committee.

Mr. Offermann received the New York State Bar Association Pro Bono Service award in 2007 for his work on behalf of the Volunteer Lawyers Project. He represented two elderly women who were victims of predatory lending, allowing them to save their homes.

He was a past member of the Canisius College Association’s Board of Governors, former chairman of the United Way’s Professional Division and Lawyer’s Section, past member of the Sisters of St. Joseph Lay Advisory Board and past board member of the Buffalo & Erie County Botanical Gardens.

At the time of his death, he was active in the legal field, engaged in pro bono work as well as serving as counsel to the Sisters of St. Francis of Stella Niagara and Buffalo Academy of the Sacred Heart. He was a lector at St. Joseph-University Catholic Church.

Survivors include his wife of 63 years; two sons, Francis III and Geoffrey; a daughter, Barbara; a sister, Jeanne M. Lawless; and a brother, Paul.

A memorial Mass will be offered 2 p.m. Aug. 10 in St. Joseph-University Catholic Church, 3269 Main St.
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Elizabeth Sheffield Webb, public relations director for Deaconess Hospital

August 3, 2013, 2:07 pm
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Sept. 15, 1922 – July 28, 2013

Elizabeth Sheffield Webb of East Aurora, an active churchwoman and public relations director at Deaconess Hospital, died Sunday in Aurora Park Nursing Home. She was 90.

Mrs. Webb was born in Rochester, where she graduated from local schools. She then attended Mills College in Oakland, Calif., where she studied English and drama.

In 1943, she left Mills to join the war effort, working at Douglas Aircraft in Santa Monica, Calif., assembling bomb noses for munitions used aboard the A-26 bomber. After the war, she returned to upstate New York, where she worked in Schenectady and met her future husband, Harry C. Webb. They were married in 1946.

She was an antiques dealer, buying furniture “in the rough” and refinishing the pieces. She and her husband also bred golden retrievers during the 1960s, and some of the descendants of their “Torchlight Teddy” remain in the East Aurora area today.

In the 1960s, she also was a Girl Scout leader. She was a member of First Presbyterian Church in East Aurora, where she became a deaconess and an elder.

In the early 1970s, Mrs. Webb was hired as director of public relations at Deaconess Hospital in Buffalo, working with employees, management and patients.

Her husband died in 2001.

She is survived by three daughters, Melanie Gustin, Diane Turner and Wendy; and two sons, Chandler and Sheffield.

A memorial service will be held in First Presbyterian Church at a date to be determined.
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Neal Crescenzo, 92, craftsman and hospital plumber

August 3, 2013, 7:00 pm
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Oct. 15, 1920 – July 28, 2013

Neal Crescenzo, a longtime plumber at Buffalo General Hospital, died last Sunday in Williamsville Suburban Nursing Home. He was 92.

Born in Buffalo, Mr. Crescenzo attended School 50 and, as a young adult, worked at Westinghouse in Cheektowaga.

During the 1960s, he worked for a short time at Boeing in California. After returning to Buffalo, he went to work as a plumber at Buffalo General Hospital in 1975 and retired there after 29 years in 2004.

During his working years, Mr. Crescenzo was a member of Operating Engineers Local 17 in Lake View, and was associated with Laborers Local 210 in Buffalo.

Though never formally educated in the building trades, he became a highly skilled craftsman who regularly worked on houses on the East Side during the 1940s and 1950s, to earn money in addition to his regular job.

Mr. Crescenzo was known as “Uncle Neal” for his fatherly relationship to the Dobbins family, the 12 children of his youngest sister, Maria. He was known for introducing children in the neighborhood to pizza and other Italian delights, and gave odd jobs to many unemployed men and teenagers while working on homes on the East Side.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 10 a.m. Monday in SS. Columba-Brigid Catholic Church, 418 N. Division St.
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Lynn A. Zankl, county corrections officer, pastor

August 5, 2013, 6:21 am
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June 15, 1947 - Aug. 2, 2013

Lynn A. Zankl, a corrections officer with the Erie County Sheriff’s Office and a church pastor, died Friday in his home in Depew after a long illness. He was 66.

Mr. Zankl was born in Buffalo and graduated from Depew High School. He served in the Army.

He worked for the Sheriff’s Office from 1989 to 2007 and was a lieutenant at Alden Correctional Facility.

Mr. Zankl also was a minister for Christian ministries, starting in 1974.

He was a pastor at Church in the Wind at Clinton Street and Bailey Avenue, Buffalo.

Mr. Zankl played guitar and was a member of the worship team at Church in the Wind.

He also was active in several Christian motorcycle organizations, including the Righteous Riders and the Sons of God.

Mr. Zankl was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2009.

Survivors include his wife of 32 years, the former Patricia Pech; a son, Shawn; and his sister, Donna Gaudaur.

A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday in Full Gospel Tabernacle, 3210 Southwestern Blvd., Orchard Park.
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Joseph J. Schoellkopf, 96, Postal Service retiree

August 4, 2013, 4:18 pm
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Oct. 2, 1916 – Aug. 3, 2013

Joseph J. Schoellkopf, a U.S. Army captain who served in World War II and worked for the U.S. Postal Service, died Saturday in hospice care at Mercy Hospital. He was 96.

Mr. Schoellkopf grew up in South Buffalo and graduated from South Park High School in 1934. He received a full scholarship to Canisius College but chose instead to take a job at the post office, where he eventually became an inspector and supervisor. He retired 38 years ago.

He enlisted in the U.S. Army following the attack on Pearl Harbor and served as a lieutenant in the 87th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Division during the Battle of the Bulge.

He was promoted to captain before the end of the war.

In addition to working at the post office, Mr. Schoellkopf was an usher at Buffalo Bills, Sabres and Bisons games and served as a vice president of the Building Services Employees Union.

He also worked for several years as a supervisor for Western New York Regional Off-Track Betting.

His wife, Elizabeth “Betty” Reilly Schoellkopf, died in 2004.

Survivors include three sons, Joseph Jr., William and Thomas, and three daughters, Carol Connors, Mary Schoellkopf and Patricia St. James.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday in St. John Vianney Catholic Church, 2950 Southwestern Blvd., Orchard Park.
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John “Jack” Kennedy, car salesman noted for his sense of humor

August 5, 2013, 8:09 pm
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Dec. 19, 1953 – Aug. 3, 2013

John F. “Jack” Kennedy, a car salesman known for his devotion to family and his deadpan sense of humor, will be remembered at a Mass of Christian Burial at 9:30 a.m. Thursday in St. Christopher Catholic Church, 2660 Niagara Falls Blvd., Town of Tonawanda.

Friends and family are heartbroken that he will not be with them at the church two days later, when one of his two sons will be married.

Mr. Kennedy died Saturday after he became ill outside his Town of Tonawanda home. He was 59.

He was a highly successful car salesman at Zeigler Honda in Amherst, formerly known as Don Davis Honda, and he was active in volunteer activities at St. Christopher’s Church, Carly’s Club and Roswell Park Cancer Institute.

Born in Buffalo, Mr. Kennedy was raised in Amherst and the Town of Tonawanda, where he attended Sweet Home schools. Fellow members of the Sweet Home High School class of 1972 elected him their class vice president, largely on the strength of the comedy routines he performed at school events with his friend and classmate, Rick Johnston.

A talented artist, Mr. Kennedy also put his deadpan sense of humor to work in cards and posters he drew for friends and family members throughout his life.

He spent two years working in an automobile factory and about 20 years working at an auto-detailing company run by his family before finding his true niche selling cars.

His sales figures won him both local and national awards.

Mr. Kennedy was an avid fan of classic cars, the Buffalo Bills, Notre Dame football and “anything Irish,” according to his brother Joseph. Mr. Kennedy was married for 33 years to his high school sweetheart, the former Erin McGinty.

“One of his sons, Jimmy, will be married Saturday at St. Christopher’s,” Joseph Kennedy said. “Jack will be buried two days before that.”

In addition to his wife, his son James and his brother Joseph, Mr. Kennedy is survived by two daughters, Megan Cudzilo and Heather Paolucci; another son, Patrick; a sister, Kathleen Leonard; and two other brothers, Thomas and Michael.
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Wayne M. Whitted, business owner, civic leader

August 5, 2013, 8:10 pm
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July 30, 1922 – Aug. 4, 2013

At age 69, longtime Hamburg resident Wayne W. Whitted walked into the town supervisor’s office to ask how the town could mark the 50th anniversary of Pearl Harbor Day. The resulting observance, on Dec. 7, 1991, drew more than 300 residents.

Mr. Whitted also drove the Hamburg senior citizens van for many years, long past his 80th birthday.

“Wayne served his country, the business community and our senior population well into his late 80s,” former Town of Hamburg Supervisor Patrick H. Hoak recalled. “Wayne Whitted was one of many from the Greatest Generation. He will be missed.”

Mr. Whitted, a longtime village resident, World War II veteran and business owner, died Sunday, nine days after he was stricken in his Hamburg home. He was 91.

Mr. Whitted served with the Army Air Forces in World War II, when he flew many missions in the Burma-China conflict.

After the war, he worked for Bethlehem Steel Corp. as a millwright and owned Wayne Business Machines.

He was past commander of Post 527, American Legion; a 32nd-degree Mason; and a member of Post 519, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Loyal Order of Moose in Hamburg. His efforts with those organizations and driving the senior van earned him several awards, including Legionnaire of the Year, the Character Council Award from the town and the Western Star Lodge award from the Masonic Temple. He also owned harness-racing horses.

His wife of 37 years, Geraldine DeVinney Whitted, died in 1985.

Survivors include a son, Dennis, and three daughters, Linda Shea, Shirley Spaulding and Laurie Scully.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday in Loomis, Offers & Loomis, 207 Main St., Hamburg.
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William P. Ackendorf, Niagara Mohawk area manager

August 5, 2013, 8:10 pm
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March 28, 1924 – Aug. 4, 2013

William P. Ackendorf, of Williamsville, who served as Buffalo-area general manager for Niagara Mohawk Power Corp., died Sunday in Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital, Amherst. He was 89.

Born in Buffalo, he studied electrical engineering and drafting at Buffalo Technical High School and began his career at Niagara Mohawk as a draftsman in 1942.

Mr. Ackendorf was named manager of the Tonawanda district in 1967, Buffalo area manager in 1968 and general manager in 1972. He was appointed manager of system consumer services in Syracuse in 1982 and retired in 1984.

He served on the board of directors of Kenmore Mercy Hospital, was chairman of the Community Advisory Council of the University at Buffalo and was division chairman for United Way drives in Dunkirk-Fredonia, the Tonawandas and Buffalo. He also was very active with the Lutheran Church.

A longtime member of the Rotary Club in several communities, he was a former president of the Rotary Club of Buffalo and a Paul Harris Fellow.

In retirement, he lived in Fairfield Glade, Tenn., for nearly 20 years.

He returned to the Buffalo area following the death of his wife of 51 years, Mary Elizabeth “Betty” Hoehn Ackendorf, in 2004.

Survivors include three sons, William F., Paul M. and John M.; and a sister, Ruth H. Grundon.

Services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday in St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, 68 Eagle St., Williamsville.
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Eugene A. Pickert, 99, had key roles at Worthington

August 5, 2013, 8:10 pm
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July 13, 1914 – Aug. 3, 2013

Eugene A. Pickert played a behind-the-scenes role in the effort to defeat the Germans in World War II, serving as a Worthington Pump and Machinery Corp. executive closely assisting the U.S. government in helping the Russian allies.

Mr. Pickert transferred from New York City to Washington, D.C., in the early 1940s and arranged for the Russians to receive massive turbines and other heavy equipment built by Worthington. Those machines, shipped under the “lend-lease” program, built up the then-Soviet Union’s infrastructure and allowed it to continue fighting the Germans.

The 99-year-old Hamburg resident died Saturday after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

A native of Detroit who graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan, he was quickly hired by Worthington and soon sent to Washington, where he remained for the balance of World War II. Then he was transferred to Canada and worked for John Inglis Corp., a licensee of Worthington.

In the mid-1950s, he returned to the United States for a short stint before relocating as sales manager of Worthington’s overseas operations headquartered in Madrid, Spain. He and his wife, the former Louise Manning, raised two daughters.

The family later moved to New Jersey and then to Orchard Park, where Mr. Pickert finished out his career with Worthington. He retired as a financial analyst in 1979.

Relatives said he kept busy throughout his long life with a number of hobbies, which included painting, repairing watches and old clocks, and woodworking. Even in the fiercest of winters, he and his wife, who died 1993, could be seen going out for evening walks during their time in East Aurora.

“My father was a true Renaissance man. Everything interested him. When he was 80 years old, he used three different computers. He was a devout Catholic and up until he was 95 years old, he went to Mass every Sunday,” Susan Yeskoot said.

Mr. Pickert is also survived by another daughter, Mary Mannion.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 10 a.m. Friday in SS. Peter & Paul Catholic Church, 66 E. Main St., Hamburg. Prayers will be said at 7 p.m. Thursday in Donald M. Demmerley Funeral Home, 21 Pierce Ave., Hamburg.
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Barbara A. Sasiadek, active in church, community

August 6, 2013, 3:45 pm
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Sept. 19, 1935 – July 3, 2013

Barbara A. Sasiadek, of Orchard Park, active in church, school and community affairs, died July 3. She was 77.

Born Barbara Thomas in Buffalo, she was a 1953 graduate of Orchard Park High School and led the planning of class reunions every five years until 2003, when she suffered a stroke.

She also was an elections inspector in Orchard Park for 40 years, retiring in 2008.

Active in Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Mrs. Sasiadek headed the fundraising and designing of the church chapel. She started and led many seven-day missions at the church with her husband and managed the Eucharistic Ministers Group.

She served as president of the Mothers’ Guild, president of the Altar and Rosary Society, president of the Immaculata Academy Parents’ Guild and as an officer in the St. Francis High School Parents’ Guild.

She also planned and facilitated family reunions, neighborhood picnics, Home Bureau projects, activities for youth groups and Cub Scouts, and parish dances and parties.

Survivors include her husband of 57 years, Joseph; three daughters, Linda Oesterle, Mary Healy and Dianne Curry; a son, Paul; and three sisters, Elizabeth Pilger, Audrey Sambrotto and Judith Thomas.

A Mass of Christian Burial was offered July 6 in Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church.
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Mary Anne Haney, longtime nursery school executive director

August 6, 2013, 4:11 pm
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Jan. 18, 1947 - Aug. 3, 2013

Mary Anne “Mini” Haney, the longtime executive director of the East Aurora Community Nursery, died Saturday in her East Aurora home after a long illness. She was 66.

Born in Buffalo, she graduated from East Aurora High School and went on to Buffalo State College, where she earned a degree in early childhood education.

She married her high school sweetheart, John T. Haney, on Aug. 14, 1965.

Mrs. Haney started as a teacher’s assistant at the East Aurora Community Nursery in 1978 and was appointed executive director soon afterward.

She was the catalyst that led the nursery to change locations in 1992, from Parkdale Elementary School to a new facility at Fisher-Price.

Under her direction, the nursery school achieved national accreditation in 1996, one of only three child care centers to do so at the time. In 2005, she was awarded the Dorothy B. Millard Award by the Child Care Resource Network for her leadership in the field of early child care and education.

Mrs. Haney retired in 2008.

A peace activist and strong supporter of such issues as quality child care, working families and worthy wages for child care workers, Mrs. Haney traveled to Albany several times to advocate for these causes.

She also was a member and officer of The Child Care Association and Directors as Leaders.

Survivors, besides her husband, include two daughters, Margaret Willick and Barbara; and two sisters, Kathleen Taylor and Barbara Carr.

Mrs. Haney’s other sister, Patricia Moll, died Sunday, the day after Mrs. Haney’s death.

A memorial service for Mrs. Haney will be at 6 p.m. Aug. 16 in East Aurora Post 362, American Legion, 1 Legion Drive.
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Robert F. Lepore, optician and popular entertainer

August 6, 2013, 4:16 pm
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Nov. 16, 1935 – July 31, 2013

Robert F. Lepore, an optician and entertainer known for his impersonations, died last Wednesday while under hospice care at Buffalo General Medical Center after a short illness. He was 77.

Born in Buffalo, Mr. Lepore graduated from Grover Cleveland High School and Erie County Technical Institute, where he completed the optical program. He also studied chemistry at the University of Buffalo.

He owned and operated Lepore Optical at Elmwood Avenue and Utica Street for more than 35 years, fitting customers for eyeglasses and contact lenses.

As a member of the Buffalo Rat Pack, he sang songs from the Frank Sinatra era and performed comedy at various festivals. He could impersonate more than 300 celebrities, including Bob Hope, Rodney Dangerfield, Jack Benny, and cartoon characters, including Rocky and Bullwinkle.

“He was the life of the party,” said his brother, Joseph.

His talents took him on the road in the late 1990s when he was booked to perform at hotels in Las Vegas, Miami and Toronto.

But he found life on the road to be tough and lonely.

“He always came back to Buffalo, where his friends and family were,” said Mr. Lepore’s brother.

Mr. Lepore was also an avid weight lifter and body builder, and won many trophies at local contests.

Survivors, besides his brother, include two daughters, Dawn, and Renee Cooper.

A memorial gathering will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday in Joseph Spano and Sons Funeral Home, 885 Niagara Falls Blvd., Amherst.
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Joseph R. Rank, longtime Buffalo News printer

August 6, 2013, 6:10 pm
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May 25, 1931 – Aug. 3, 2013

Joseph R. “Rick” Rank, of the City of Tonawanda, a printer at the Tonawanda News and The Buffalo News, died Saturday in Beechwood Manor, Getzville. He was 82.

Born in Buffalo, he was a 1949 graduate of Tonawanda High School and served in the Navy during the Korean War.

Mr. Rank worked for the Tonawanda News from 1951 to 1961, then was with The Buffalo News for 30 years, retiring in 1991.

He served as 1st Ward alderman in the City of Tonawanda in 1976 and 1977.

He was a life member of Tonawandas Post 264, American Legion, and Frontiersmen Post 7545, Veterans of Foreign Wars.

He was a member of Tonawanda Union Hook and Ladder Company No. 1 and the Volunteer Firemen’s Benevolent Association, the Buffalo-Niagara Typographical Union and the Tin Can Sailors Association. He also was a member of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church.

Survivors include his wife of 58 years, the former Mary K. Chelikowsky; three sons, Douglas, Kevin and Patrick; and a sister, Joanne Urtel.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 10 a.m. Saturday in St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, 150 Broad St., City of Tonawanda.
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Virgil J. Austin, 93, auto dealer, WWII veteran

August 6, 2013, 6:30 pm
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Feb. 4, 1920 – Aug. 4, 2013

Virgil J. Austin, a retired auto dealer, died Sunday in his East Aurora home after a short illness. He was 93.

Born in Charleroi, Pa., near Pittsburgh, he served in the Army during World War II in Dutch Guiana (Surinam), guarding the bauxite mines. Returning from service, he attended Duquesne University on the G.I. Bill and graduated with a business degree.

Mr. Austin first worked as an insurance agent with the Travelers, then in 1952 joined the Don Allen Chevrolet dealership in Pittsburgh, starting as a salesman and becoming general sales manager.

He purchased Phil Amigone Pontiac in South Buffalo in 1966 and opened new showrooms for Austin Pontiac at Union and Orchard Park roads in Orchard Park in 1969. He sold the dealership to Jim Ball and retired in 1993 but could not abandon the auto business.

In 1994, he joined his son-in-law as a partner in Ken Barrett Chevrolet in Batavia and served as vice president, continuing to work until three months ago.

He was a former president of the Niagara Frontier Auto Dealers Association.

A fisherman and an avid golfer, he was a member of East Aurora Country Club. He also was devoted to crossword puzzles and was a lifetime Pittsburgh Pirates fan.

Survivors include his wife of 57 years, the former Veronica “Dolly” Kelly; three daughters, Susan Barrett, Mary, and Kelly Abrahamson; a brother, Frank Preite; and a sister, Carmella Podolinski.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 9:30 a.m. Thursday in Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, 520 Oakwood Ave., East Aurora.
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James G. Vaughn, 90, former FBI agent, WWII veteran

August 6, 2013, 10:05 pm
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April 27, 1923 – Aug. 2, 2013

James G. Vaughn, of Perrysburg, a World War II veteran and former FBI agent, died Friday in Buffalo General Medical Center after a short illness. He was 90.

A Buffalo native, Mr. Vaughn grew up in Perrysburg and graduated from Gowanda High School in 1940.

He graduated from the University of Buffalo in 1950.

Mr. Vaughn served in the Marine Corps from 1941 to 1946 with the Marine detachment on the USS Hornet (CV12) aircraft carrier in the Pacific Fleet. He served aboard the Hornet from the time it was first commissioned in 1943 until the war ended in 1945.

Mr. Vaughn was recalled to active service during the Korean War and served from 1950 to 1951 on recruiting duty in Buffalo and Lockport as a staff sergeant.

In 1951, he became a special agent for the FBI and was assigned to FBI field offices in Springfield, Ill., Chicago, New York and Detroit.

He worked on a variety of criminal cases and security matters.

In 1962, he was appointed to the U.S. Department of Labor in Buffalo.

Seven years later, he transferred to Washington, D.C., where he was a special investigator assigned to the Organized Crime Program. He worked on labor racketeering in many areas of the country, retiring in 1980.

Mr. Vaughn then lived in Silver Spring, Md., until 1988, when he returned to Perrysburg.

In recent years, he divided his time between Perrysburg and Lighthouse Point, Fla., where he had a winter home.

He was a member of the Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI; the National Association of Retired Federal Employees; Post 409, American Legion; and Post 5007, Veterans of Foreign Wars.

For his military service, Mr. Vaughn was awarded the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with seven battle stars, the Presidential Unit Citation and the Philippines Liberation Medal with two stars for the invasion of the Marianas, the Philippines, Iwo Jima and Okinawa.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 11 a.m. Friday in St. Joseph Catholic Church, 26 Erie Ave., Gowanda.
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Robert W. Thompson, greenhouse operator

August 7, 2013, 1:41 pm
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Sept. 4, 1932 – Aug. 6, 2013

Robert W. Thompson, of Hamburg, a greenhouse operator, died Tuesday in ElderWood Health Care at Lakewood, Hamburg, after a long illness. He was 80.

Born in Williamsville, he was a graduate of Williamsville High School and served in the Navy during the Korean War.

Mr. Thompson first worked in his father’s greenhouse in Williamsville, then in 1959 opened Wanakah Greenhouses on Sterling Road in Hamburg with his brother, Bruce. They grew geraniums for individuals, businesses and florists throughout Western New York.

The Thompsons were known for having one of the friendliest business atmospheres in the area. Customers who stopped for flowers often stayed to chat and share a beverage or two. They closed the greenhouse in 2007.

He was an active member of Lake Shore Volunteer Fire Company for 53 years.

His wife of 43 years, Erla Kittle Tompson, died in 2002.

Survivors include a son, Kenny.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Friday in Wayside Presbyterian Church, 5017 Lake Shore Road, Hamburg.
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Joyce E. Vana, research scientist, health official

August 7, 2013, 6:27 pm
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Aug. 5, 1930 – Aug. 6, 2013

Joyce Elaine Vana, Ph.D., a research scientist and public health official, died Tuesday in her Williamsville home under hospice care after a long illness. She had just turned 83.

Born in Little Falls, Minn., she was the daughter of Dr. Herman E. Hilleboe, New York State commissioner of health from 1946 to 1962. She was a 1952 graduate of Barnard College with a degree in philosophy and followed her father into a career in public health.

She later earned a master’s degree in health administration from the University of North Carolina and a doctorate in medical sociology from the University at Buffalo.

Early in her career, she worked for the World Health Organization in Copenhagen, Denmark, in the Epidemiology, Statistics and Mental Health divisions and the Tuberculosis Research Office.

She left Copenhagen in 1972, lived in Prague, Czechoslovakia, for two years, and moved to Williamsville in 1974 with her second husband, Dr. Joseph Vana, who came here to become director of the epidemiology department at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, then became chief psychiatrist at Erie County Medical Center. He died in 2004.

She worked with the Erie County Health Department, where she was program director of the High Blood Pressure Risk Reduction Program and director of the Planning, Development and Evaluation Unit.

From 1993 to 1995, she was a research scientist in the state Health Department’s Cancer Control Program, then became a research scientist and project director with UB’s Research Institute on Addictions.

After her retirement in 1998, Dr. Vana continued to consult part time with the state Healthy Heart Program.

An avid bird watcher, she was a member of the Buffalo Ornithological Society and many other local birding and nature groups.

She also was a strong supporter of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and traveled extensively.

Her first marriage, to Torben Kiaer, ended in divorce. She married Dr. Vana in 1973.

Survivors include a daughter, Christina “Tina” Kiaer; a sister, Theresa McUmber; and a brother, Herman Hilleboe Jr.

A memorial service will be at 4 p.m. Friday in Amigone Funeral Home, 5200 Sheridan Drive, Amherst.
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