Quantcast
Channel: The Buffalo News - Obituaries
Viewing all 2826 articles
Browse latest View live
↧

Carol Meyer Ramsey, co-owned Carl Meyer’s Hof

August 23, 2013, 2:41 pm
$
0
0
Oct. 18, 1931 – Aug. 14, 2013

Carol Meyer Ramsey, managing partner in her family’s Carl Meyer’s Hof restaurant, died Aug. 14 in ElderWood Health Care at Wedgewood, Amherst, surrounded by loved ones. She was 81.

Mrs. Ramsey was a granddaughter of Carl Meyer, who opened the German restaurant at 45 Court St. in 1933.

She owned and operated the popular downtown restaurant with her brother, the late Charles L. Meyer, for more than 20 years.

The former Carol Eleanor Meyer, a native of Buffalo, was educated at St. Vincent, Mount St. Joseph’s and Canisius College.

She was the widow of Charles Knight Ramsey Jr.

Her daughter Margaret K. Hey died in 2012.

She is survived by another daughter, Elisabeth Ramsey.

She is also survived by her partner, Richard Gliem. They retired together in the Florida Keys, sharing a love for the tropical lifestyle with extended family and friends.

Mrs. Ramsey returned to the Buffalo area last year.

A celebration of life for family and friends will be at 5 p.m. Saturday at Templeton Landing, Buffalo.
↧
Search

Thomas J. Dolan, longtime News reporter known for investigative skills

August 23, 2013, 4:26 pm
$
0
0
Nov. 25, 1942 – Aug. 22, 2013

Thomas J. Dolan, a longtime reporter at The Buffalo News known for his investigative skills and tenacity, died Thursday at the Weinberg Campus in Getzville after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. He was 70.

Mr. Dolan worked at The News for more than 26 years, starting as a financial reporter and then moving to the city desk and suburban coverage. At the time of his retirement in 2008, he was covering the Town of Amherst.

He won a first-place award from the New York State Associated Press Association in 1992 for his series of stories about Anthony J. Franjoine, the former comptroller who embezzled $1.5 million from the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo. Mr. Dolan also drew public attention to a major development issue in Amherst with his stories about its “sinking homes,” built on unstable soil.

He also was on the award-winning team of reporters that uncovered the 1990 city Parks Department scandal.

“He was a bulldog of a reporter. Once he was onto something he knew was right, he never let up,” said Edward Cuddihy, former managing editor at The News. “But he was always fair. Even with those he was investigating, he was always fair.”

Mr. Dolan was born in Joliet, Ill., and joined the U.S. Navy after high school, serving as a quartermaster in navigation and communications. He was a 1966 graduate of Indiana University and received a Nieman journalism fellowship to study at Harvard University in 1974-75.

He started his news career as a copy editor at the South Bend Tribune before coming to The Buffalo Evening News in the 1960s. After a few years, he took a job in his home area of Chicago, where he was an investigative reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times and then a television news producer for WBBM-TV, which won an Emmy during his tenure for its reports on loopholes in federal gun laws.

In 1982, Mr. Dolan returned to Buffalo and The News.

“Working with Tom was inspiring,” said reporter Susan Schulman. “During the years he worked in the Buffalo News suburban bureau with me, young reporters would learn just by listening to Tom talk to sources on the phone. He could be both charming and aggressive, depending on the circumstances. Either way, he succeeded in getting the information needed for a story.”

Mr. Dolan was a member of St. Joseph University Catholic Church and its contemporary music ensemble, and he was a supporter of the Western New York Parkinson’s Association and the housing organization HOME.

Although journalism was his passion, in his free time he also enjoyed woodworking and, in earlier years, sailing his boat, the O’Dublian.

His second wife, Marion G. Dolan, died in 2011.

He is survived by a daughter, Kathleen Lipsitz, and son, Terrence, from his first marriage to Judith Fitzgerald, and by stepsons Eric and Evan Groat; a sister, Patricia Davis; and his brothers, Terrence and Robert.

Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday at Amigone Funeral Home, 5200 Sheridan Drive. A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 11 a.m. Monday in Joseph University Church, 3269 Main St.
↧
↧

Lorraine H. Sole, store manager, family matriarch

August 23, 2013, 5:10 pm
$
0
0
Nov. 12, 1937 – Aug. 23, 2013

Lorraine H. Sole, longtime manager of the D&K Store on Grant Street and the matriarch of a Buffalo family with a long tradition of service to the city, died Friday in the Skilled Nursing Facility of DeGraff Memorial Hospital, North Tonawanda, where she had been a resident for several months. She was 75.

She was married to a former Niagara District Council member, the late Patrick Sole Sr. Her son, Patrick “Pat” Sole Jr., is director of permits and inspection services for the city. Her daughter, Mary Jane Savage, works for the Buffalo Board of Education. A grandson, Peter J. Savage III, is the city’s deputy corporation counsel.

When Mrs. Sole moved, in recent years, to the Timon Towers Apartments on Delaware Avenue, she became “a minor celebrity,” according to her daughter-in-law, Denice Sole.

“She loved it when her friends in the building informed her that they saw Pat or young Peter on the newscasts representing the city at a meeting or an event,” Denice Sole said. “She was really proud of them and all of her family.”

Before moving to Timon Towers, Mrs. Sole, who was born Lorraine Helen DeWitt in Buffalo, lived all her life on Buffalo’s West Side, where she was the first student to register at the then-new School 18. She was a graduate of Grover Cleveland High School and a lifelong active parishioner and founding member of the folk choir at Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church on Herkimer Street.

“Almost everyone in the choir was family,” said her son-in-law, Peter J. Savage Jr. “They were good. They were asked to appear on local TV. There’s a history of music in the family. ”

Mrs. Sole managed the D&K Store, selling quality goods at a discount, throughout the 1970s and 1980s, her son-in-law noted.

“But everything else with her was family,” he said. “Over the years, she took care of her parents, her children and their children. Her best friends were her cousins who got together regularly as a club. Lately the focus was on her four great-granddaughters.”

In addition to her daughter, Mary Jane, and son, Patrick, she is survived by a brother, Burton F. De Witt.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 10 a.m. Tuesday in Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, 1035 Delaware Ave.
↧

Nathan Kornmehl, 97, owned kosher meat market

August 23, 2013, 5:20 pm
$
0
0
April 28, 1916 – Aug. 22, 2013

Nathan Kornmehl, former owner of Kornmehl’s Kosher Meat Market, died Thursday. He was 97.

Mr. Kornmehl was born in Cologne, Germany, and moved to Buffalo in 1947.

He came to the United States after fleeing Nazi Germany and surviving a harrowing experience in Siberia. Later, at his mother’s urging, he followed a sister to the United States. His mother and one of his sisters died in a concentration camp.

Mr. Kornmehl owned Kornmehl’s Kosher Meat Market, on Hertel Avenue, for 44 years, retiring in 1990.

He was a member of Temple Beth Tzedek and the Hebrew Benevolent Society, where he was past president and honored as a life member.

Mr. Kornmehl’s wife, Frances, died in 1991.

Survivors include two daughters, Edie Frieman and Sharona Fae Kornmehl, and three sons, Bernard, Marvin and Ernest.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Sunday in Amherst Memorial Chapel, 281 Dodge Road, Getzville.
↧

Agnes H. Benfanti, longtime Ken-Ton teacher’s aide

August 23, 2013, 5:26 pm
$
0
0
Dec. 1, 1925 – Aug. 19, 2013

Agnes H. Benfanti, a longtime teacher’s aide in the Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda School District, died Monday in her East Amherst home after a long illness. She was 87.

Born Agnes Hutton in Edinburgh, Scotland, Mrs. Benfanti left home and moved to Toronto by herself at age 16. She spent 10 years there, during which time she took a job as a waitress and befriended a woman with Buffalo connections.

It was through that friend that she first met her husband, the late Louis R. Benfanti, who lived on the West Side of Buffalo. The two were married after dating for five years, and Mr. Benfanti brought his bride to Western New York.

Mrs. Benfanti had a 26-year career as a teacher’s aide in the district’s physical education department, where she stressed to her students the importance of a healthy lifestyle. Twenty-two of those years were spent at Kenmore Middle School. She retired in 1990.

Not one to ignore her own advice, Mrs. Benfanti maintained an active lifestyle throughout her lifetime. In Orlando, Fla., where she spent her winters, she took up golf in her 60s and competed against her fellow snowbirds. She also led an exercise class and volunteered often at Walt Disney World.

A Kenmore resident for 51 years, Mrs. Benfanti became involved in local synchronized swimming after her daughters took it up as members of the Town of Tonawanda Aquettes. She and her husband served as officials for 25 years and were among the first officials to work the Empire State Games after the games’ inception in 1978.

Survivors include two daughters, Angela Hoyes and LuAnn Ostanski, and a son, Louis.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 10:30 a.m. today in St. Gregory the Great Church, 200 St. Gregory Court at Maple Road, Amherst.
↧
↧

Pasquale V. Bucci, ‘Mayor of Pine Avenue’ in Niagara Falls

August 23, 2013, 5:27 pm
$
0
0
May 20, 1934 – Aug. 21, 2013

NIAGARA FALLS – Pasquale V. Bucci, known as the “Mayor of Pine Avenue,” died in his sleep Wednesday in his Hyde Park Boulevard home. He was 79.

Born in Gagliano Aterno, Abruzzo, Italy, Mr. Bucci came to the Falls in 1947 at age 13.

After attending local schools, he worked as a crane operator for Union Carbide and a pallet maker for Forgione Lumber Co. until he retired in the mid-1990s. He also worked in maintenance for Spallino-Amigone Funeral Home from 1999 to 2002.

Mr. Bucci was a member of the Christoforo Colombo Society, where he served as sergeant-at-arms from 2000 to 2003. He was also a volunteer for the Pine Avenue Business Association.

He was dubbed the “Mayor of Pine Avenue” because he was known for sitting on his Rollator walker at various corners on Pine Avenue and socializing with everyone who passed.

He is survived by two sons, Peter and Vincent.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 11 a.m. today in Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph Parish at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church, 27th Street and Independence Avenue.
↧

Carl N. Wenger, retired banker, yacht club commodore

August 23, 2013, 6:20 pm
$
0
0
Feb. 10, 1929 – Aug. 14, 2013

Carl N. Wenger, a retired banker and former commodore of the Buffalo Yacht Club, died Aug. 14 in the state Veterans Home in Batavia after a long illness. He was 84.

Born in Buffalo, Mr. Wenger was a 1946 graduate of Bennett High School. He also graduated from the University of Buffalo’s School of Business and earned a master’s degree from the University of Virginia.

An Army lieutenant during the Korean War, Mr. Wenger also was stationed in Germany for a time.

During his banking career, which began in 1950s, Mr. Wenger was involved in consumer and commercial lending. He was an assistant vice president at Marine Midland Trust Co., then a vice president of the Bank of Buffalo, Bank of New York and KeyBank of Western New York, from which he retired in 1990.

A sailing enthusiast, Mr. Wenger served as commodore of Buffalo Yacht Club in 1988.

He lived for more than 30 years in Orchard Park, where he was a member of Hickory Hill Swim and Tennis Club and St. Mark’s Episcopal Church. He also was a past president of the Downtown YMCA.

Mr. Wenger moved to Florida after retiring, living in Sarasota and Siesta Key before returning to this area in 2005.

His wife, Gladys Legros Wenger, died in 1983.

Survivors include two sons, Mark and Timothy, and two daughters, Kristen Kelly and Nancy Pestinger.

A memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday in St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 6595 E. Quaker St., Orchard Park.
↧

Bruce E. Sitzman, municipal leader in Alden

August 24, 2013, 2:54 pm
$
0
0
Sept. 1, 1939 – Aug. 21, 2013

Bruce E. Sitzman, a lifetime Alden resident who served the village in a variety of roles, including superintendent of public works, died Wednesday in Hospice Buffalo, Cheektowaga, after a long illness. He was 73.

Born in Buffalo, Mr. Sitzman attended training school at General Motors after high school. His true passion and singular focus throughout his career, however, was the Village of Alden, where he held a variety of municipal leadership positions, most notably superintendent of public works. He served as superintendent for nearly 30 years before retiring in 2002.

He also was a village trustee and a chairman for both the village centennial in 1969 and town sesquicentennial four years later.

Mr. Sitzman’s commitment to his work as public servant was exemplified by his near-constant presence at events held by the New York State Conference of Mayors and Municipal Officials, of which he was a member. He attended organization events for 35 years.

He also led the Bennington/Cowlesville Water District from September 2011 until his resignation in July.

Beyond the workplace, Mr. Sitzman was engaged in his community in a variety of ways, including as a leader of a Boy Scout troop and church youth group.

He also was active in the Alden Fire Department, where he helped with many carnivals and barbecues.

Survivors include his wife, the former Betty Lombard; two daughters, Bonny Berry and Jenny Pawelski; a son, Brett; and a brother, Alan.

Services were held Saturday.
↧
Search

Jacob Frederick Schoellkopf V, Marine veteran, civic activist, businessman

August 24, 2013, 5:06 pm
$
0
0
Jan. 29, 1938 – Aug. 23, 2013

Jacob Frederick Schoellkopf V, Marine Corps veteran, civic activist and businessman, died Friday in his Hamburg home after a battle with cancer. He was 75.

Born in Buffalo, Mr. Schoellkopf was a member of the Buffalo industrial family that pioneered hydropower at Niagara Falls. He graduated from the Berkshire School in Sheffield, Mass., and studied at Cornell University in Ithaca. Mr. Schoellkopf was a sergeant in the 3rd Marine Division from 1957 to 1960 and completed his tour in Okinawa. He served in the Marine Corps Reserves until 1963.

In the mid-1960s, Mr. Schoellkopf was appointed by Gov. Nelson A. Rockefeller as the youngest commissioner on the board of the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority. He also was president of Buffalo Columbus Hospital during its period of revitalization, and he worked as a teller at Marine Midland Bank and as a salesman for the family-owned Crescent Tool Co. From 1967 to 1992, he was a director of Niagara Share Corp.

In the 1970s, Mr. Schoellkopf founded Innovative Building Systems, which developed some of the first “green” and solar-powered homes in Western New York. Innovative Building developed several subdivisions in the Southtowns.

He retired in 2008 after working as vice president of construction with Sovran Self Storage Inc. for 10 years.

Mr. Schoellkopf loved the Buffalo community and was active in fundraising and sports. He also was a key player in Republican politics and was partially responsible for the ascendancy of Jack Kemp as a congressman.

Mr. Schoellkopf was proud of his five grandchildren, who all live in Buffalo and who knew him as “Papa Jake.”

He and his wife of 39 years, the former Nancy Luczak, enjoyed travel and riding motorcycles.

Survivors in addition to his wife include three daughters, Susan S. Mele, Kristin S. Borowiak and Olive “Abby” Abbott Schoellkopf; one son, J. Frederick Schoellkopf VI; and four sisters, Marion S. Meyer, Sandra S. Plowden, Phoebe S. White and Spring Schoellkopf.

A memorial service will be held at a date to be determined in Wayside Presbyterian Church, 5017 Lake Shore Road, Hamburg.
↧
↧

Broadway star Julie Harris dies; won six Tony awards

August 24, 2013, 7:16 pm
$
0
0
NEW YORK (AP) – Julie Harris, one of Broadway’s most honored performers, whose roles ranged from the flamboyant Sally Bowles in “I Am a Camera” to the reclusive Emily Dickinson in “The Belle of Amherst,” died Saturday at her home in West Chatham, Mass., of congestive heart failure. She was 87.

Harris won a record five Tony Awards for best actress in a play, displaying a virtuosity that enabled her to portray an astonishing gallery of women during a theater career that spanned almost 60 years and included such plays as “The Member of the Wedding” (1950), “The Lark” (1955), “Forty Carats” (1968) and “The Last of Mrs. Lincoln” (1972).

She was honored again with a sixth Tony, a special lifetime achievement award in 2002.

Television viewers knew Harris as the free-spirited Lilimae Clements on the prime-time soap opera “Knots Landing.” In the movies, she was James Dean’s romantic co-star in “East of Eden” (1955) and had roles in such films as “Requiem for a Heavyweight” (1962), “The Haunting” (1963) and “Reflections in a Golden Eye” (1967).

The 5-foot-4 Harris made her Broadway debut in 1945 in a short-lived play called “It’s a Gift.” Five years later, at the age of 24, she was cast as Frankie, a lonely 12-year-old tomboy on the brink of adolescence, in “The Member of the Wedding,” Carson McCullers’ stage version of her wistful novel.

The critics raved about Harris, with Brooks Atkinson in the New York Times calling her performance “extraordinary – vibrant, full of anguish and elation.”

The actress appeared in the 1952 film version, too, with her original Broadway co-stars, Ethel Waters and Brandon De Wilde, and received an Academy Award nomination.

Harris won her first Tony Award for playing Sally Bowles, the confirmed hedonist in “I Am a Camera,” adapted by John van Druten from Christopher Isherwood’s “Berlin Stories.” The play later became the stage and screen musical “Cabaret.”

In her second Tony-winning performance, Harris played a much more spiritual character, Joan of Arc in Lillian Hellman’s adaptation of Jean Anouilh’s “The Lark.” The play had a six-month run, primarily because of the notices for Harris.

Her third Tony came for her work in “Forty Carats,” a frothy French comedy about an older woman and a younger man. It was a big hit, running nearly two years.

Harris won her last two Tonys for playing historical figures – Mary Todd Lincoln in “The Last of Mrs. Lincoln” and poet Emily Dickinson in “The Belle of Amherst” by William Luce. The latter, a one-woman show, became something of an annuity for Harris, a play she would take around the country at various times in her career.

Harris’ last Broadway appearances were in revivals, playing the domineering mother in a Roundabout Theatre Company production of “The Glass Menagerie” (1994) and then “The Gin Game” with Charles Durning for the National Actors Theatre in 1997.

In 2005, she was one of five performers to receive Kennedy Center honors.
↧

Kenneth N. Holmes, operated auto parts store

August 25, 2013, 6:43 pm
$
0
0
May 3, 1929 – Aug. 22, 2013

Kenneth N. Holmes, who owned and operated an auto parts store in East Aurora, died Thursday in Mercy Hospital. He was 84.

A lifelong resident of East Aurora, he was a 1947 graduate of East Aurora High School. He served in the Army in the Korean War and attended the Army Aircraft and Engine School in San Marcos, Texas.

Returning from service, he helped operate the family Hudson and Rambler dealership, Nelson A. Holmes & Sons Inc. In 1977, he purchased the Logan & Youngers Auto Parts store and operated it until the late 1990s.

In retirement, he wintered in the South and West and traveled extensively in his recreation vehicle. An expert mechanic, he was always ready to help with a car problem.

He had a passion for the Hudson Essex Terraplane Co. and could always be found tinkering with or driving through the village in one of his Hudsons. He was a past director of the National Hudson-Essex-Terraplane Club.

He also was an East Aurora volunteer firefighter and a past president of the East Aurora Fish & Game Club. He was the New York State 28-gauge skeet champion in 1961.

He was a 53-year member of the East Aurora Country Club, a 53-year member of the East Aurora Moose Lodge and a 63-year member of Blazing Star Lodge 694, Free & Accepted Masons. He also was active in the Ismalia Shrine and was a Royal Arch Mason.

Survivors include his wife of 50 years, the former Marcia Wright; a son, Ken Jr.; and two daughters, Margaret and Paula Zagrobelny; and two sisters, Shirley Wagner and Mary Heitzman.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday in Baker Memorial United Methodist Church, 345 Main St., East Aurora.
↧

Sarah E. ‘Sadie’ Kumiega, WNY’s first war bride from WWII

August 25, 2013, 6:50 pm
$
0
0
July 12, 1924 – Aug. 23, 2013

Sarah E. “Sadie” Kumiega, of Hamburg, Western New York’s first World War II war bride, died Friday in Autumn View Nursing Home, Hamburg. She was 89.

Born Sarah McWilliams in Belfast, Northern Ireland, she was a homemaker and president of the Ladies Auxiliary of Matthew Glab Post 1477, American Legion.

Her husband, Stanley, died in 1973.

Survivors include two sons, Michael and Philip.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 10 a.m. Tuesday in Queen of Angels Catholic Church, Warsaw Street and Electric Avenue, Lackawanna.
↧

Florence M. Poley, 92, first teacher’s aide in city schools

August 26, 2013, 2:57 pm
$
0
0
Aug. 20, 1921 – Aug. 24, 2013

Florence M. Poley died Saturday at her Amherst home, four days after her 92nd birthday.

Born in Forestville, she was one of 13 children. She attended Buffalo public schools and graduated from East High School.

Mrs. Poley earned her bachelor’s degree from the University at Buffalo in 1977 at age 56. She was the first teacher’s aide in the Buffalo school district, where she worked for 23 years.

She had an adventurous spirit, becoming a world traveler and exploring 16 countries. In addition to being an accomplished seamstress, she enjoyed music and competed in Sweet Adeline national competitions for more than 30 years.

She was known throughout Buffalo for her baked goods and candies, which she carefully prepared and sold at Christmas. The holiday season was particularly special to Mrs. Poley, whose heirloom Christmas village was featured in The Buffalo News in 1976.

She was the widow of H. Robert Poley.

Survivors include two sons, Carl and James; two daughters, Linda Amico and Katie McWilliam; and two sisters, Alice Suor and Ruth Meier.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday in Dietrich Funeral Home, 2480 Kensington Ave., Amherst.
↧
↧

Dr. John D. Malfa, practiced internal medicine

August 26, 2013, 3:05 pm
$
0
0
Sept. 20, 1932 – Aug. 23, 2013

Dr. John D. Malfa, of Orchard Park, died Friday in Mercy Hospital, where he had practiced internal medicine for many years. He was 80.

Born in Auburn, he was a 1954 graduate of the University of Notre Dame and earned his medical degree from Georgetown University in 1958.

Dr. Malfa completed his residency at Mercy Hospital and went on to serve as a lieutenant colonel in the Army Medical Corps in the late 1960s.

In addition to his long tenure at Mercy Hospital, Dr. Malfa operated a private medical practice with his wife of 50 years, Dr. Sonia M. Malfa, the former Sonia Cortes.

He was a member of the Notre Dame Monogram Club. In 1954, he took part in National Collegiate Athletic Association fencing competitions.

He was a longtime usher at Nativity of Our Lord Catholic Church in Orchard Park. He also was a member of the Catholic Physicians Guild, the Erie County Medical Society, the Baccelli Medical Society and the parents’ guilds of both Nardin Academy and Canisius High School.

Dr. Malfa was a member of Orchard Park Country Club.

He also had a great affection for the Sisters of Mercy religious order and was an early supporter of its retirement fund drive, which was started in the Buffalo Diocese in 1988.

In addition to his wife, Dr. Malfa is survived by two daughters, Lisa and Sonia; two sons, John Michael and Robert; and a sister, Marge Salva.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 10 a.m. Wednesday in Nativity of Our Lord Church, 26 Thorn Ave., Orchard Park.
↧

Pasquale Tarquini, pizzeria owner, realty agent

August 26, 2013, 5:16 pm
$
0
0
Aug. 2, 1926 – Aug. 24, 2013

Pasquale “Pat” Tarquini, a pizzeria owner and real estate agent known for his devotion to family, died Saturday in Kenmore Mercy Hospital, Town of Tonawanda, after a short illness. He was 87.

“He was larger than life. He was an unforgettable presence. He was loud, and he was charming,” said his daughter Mary Lou Tarquini de la Plante. “He was the caregiver of the family. People turned to him for advice and support and direction.”

A native of Buffalo, Mr. Tarquini left Emerson Vocational High School in 1943 to enlist in the Navy at age 17. He served in the Pacific, a stint that led to a mermaid tattoo on each arm after he crossed the equator and lung trouble from his work desalinating water in the intense heat.

He received an honorable discharge and military honors that included bronze stars and a World War II Victory Medal.

In Buffalo, he and his wife, Alfreda “Jackie,” ran Pat’s Tailor Shop on Paderewski Drive and Tarquini’s Pizzeria, which had locations in Buffalo, Cheektowaga and Depew.

Mr. Tarquini got into real estate to help his late brother, Eduardo, also a restaurateur, sell some of his restaurant property. Later, when young cousins lost their parents, he took charge of finding them a home.

He was a broker with two Amherst businesses, Royal Homes and Metro Royal. At 87, he was one of the oldest licensed real estate brokers in the state. The Amherst Town Board intends to adjourn its Sept. 9 meeting in his memory.

Survivors, besides his daughter, include a son, Pat David; a brother, Anthony; and a sister, Lucy Cuevas.

Another son, Bernard Robert “Ben,” died in a car accident in 1973.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 11 a.m. Thursday in St. Joseph University Catholic Church, 3269 Main St.
↧
Search

William P. Keane, state trooper, Navy veteran

August 26, 2013, 5:48 pm
$
0
0
May 30, 1957 – Aug. 23, 2013

William P. Keane, of Lake View, who had a 26-year career with the State Police, died unexpectedly Friday in Salt Lake City after suffering a heart attack while taking part in an inspectors competition sponsored by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance. He was 56.

Born in Buffalo, he was a 1975 graduate of Bishop Timon High School and served for four years in the Navy. Returning from service, he worked for several years for General Mills.

Mr. Keane joined the State Police in 1987 and was first assigned to the Fredonia station. He had been a member of the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit since 1995, working in Troop A headquartered in Batavia.

He was chosen to represent New York State in the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s North American Inspectors Competition in 2008 and again this year. At this year’s event, he received the John Youngblood Award of Excellence, given by his fellow contestants to “the inspector who exemplifies the high standards and unwavering dedication to the profession.”

He was a member of the State Troopers Police Benevolent Association and enjoyed sailing and auto racing. He served in pit crews for friends who raced at Holland Speedway.

Survivors include his wife, the former Sharon Bugenhagen; a son, Brian Rothermel; six daughters, Julie Rothermel, Carolyn, Melissa Pallini, Kelsey Lynn Gabriel, Allison and Kelsey Beth; five brothers, Daniel, Patrick, Joseph, John and James; and three sisters, Elizabeth Jones, Karen Curtis and Anne Marie.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 10 a.m. Friday in SS. Peter & Paul Catholic Church, 66 E. Main St., Hamburg.
↧

Area Deaths

August 26, 2013, 8:20 pm
$
0
0
Ruth C. (Meoges) Beiring, of Grand Island, died Aug. 23.

Joseph F. Bolas, formerly of Buffalo, died Aug. 20.

George C. Dovey, of Cheektowaga, Air Force Reserve veteran, died Aug. 24.

Arlene B. (Tower) Duncan, 92, died Aug. 24.

John Geberl, of Hamburg, 38-year employee of Ford Motor Co., died Aug. 25.

Jack R. Geidel, 86, of Angola, died 23.

Alice R. (Blaszkiewicz) Golata, of West Seneca, died Aug. 25.

Joan (Moyle) Groth, of Lake View, died Aug. 24.

Anna Mae (Sanner) Guarino, 77, died Aug. 24.

William P. Keane, of Lake View, died Aug. 23.

Mark Konwicki, 55, of Hamburg, died Aug. 24.

Alfred J. Kubicki, 92, WW II veteran, died Aug. 22.

Diane Madding, 70, died Aug. 24.

Dr. John D. Malfa, died Aug. 23.

Brian J. McCluskey, of Blasdell, died Aug. 24.

Barbara J. (Pike) Menth, died Aug. 23.

Michael O’Donnell, died Aug. 23.

Florence M. (Miga) Poley, died Aug. 24.

Carol M. (Kujawa) Stepien, 70, of Elma, died Aug. 24.

Jerry Stoneman, 58, died Aug. 20.

Rita A. (Byrne) Vingoe, 89, WW II Navy veteran, died Aug. 24.

Ronald John Zimmerman, 72, formerly of Buffalo, died Aug. 12.
↧
↧

Vincent Illos, prominent in piano restoration

August 27, 2013, 4:34 pm
$
0
0
Jan. 10, 1943 – Aug. 26, 2013

Vincent Illos, a pioneer in professional piano restoration, died Monday at his home in Eggertsville. He was 70.

Mr. Illos, who also went by Jim, was born in Buffalo, where he attended Holy Angels Grammar School and Grover Cleveland High School. From 1964 to 1970, he served as a medic in the Army National Guard’s 243rd Medical Unit.

He began his career working in a piano store, where he learned to tune the instruments. He later would say, “I saw the opportunity, and the opportunity created the interest,” and in 1961 he started his own business, Illos Piano Restorations and Music Center, which is now on Main Street and managed by his son, Joseph.

“He wanted to be known as a friend to musicians. Everybody knows him,” said Buffalo pianist Joe Brancato, who teaches piano lessons in space at Mr. Illos’ shop. “They either bought a piano from him, or he tuned their pianos or repaired them. He was a friend, a great guy, and a helluva tuner – he could talk to you while he was tuning.”

Mr. Illos went on to service and repair the pianos for the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra at Kleinhans Music Hall and for the University at Buffalo, and prepared instruments for such visiting artists as Arthur Rubinstein, Glenn Gould, Aaron Copland, Vladimir Horowitz and Leonard Bernstein.

He was called upon to restore pianos for display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Shea’s Performing Arts Center, the Roycroft Inn and the Darwin Martin House, along with working for dozens of school districts, churches, organizations and individuals in Western New York and around the country.

He also shared his knowledge, teaching courses in the music department of UB and leading a seminar for the Boston Symphony’s technical staff. He was known for running a close-knit business, with employees staying with him for years.

While he had an incredible work ethic, his son said, he also enjoyed skiing and playing golf, and recently took up sailing, restoring a 32-foot sailboat earlier this year. His interest in world history informed his many travels, particularly to Europe.

Mr. Illos was a longtime advocate for women’s rights and an avid reader of immense curiosity.

In addition to his son, Mr. Illos is survived by his wife of 31 years, the former Mary Cusimano; four daughters, Andrea Brant, Jennifer Goetz, Elizabeth Tomasello and Tess Tomasello; a brother, Anthony; and two sisters, Theresa “Tootsie” Hutchens and Philomena DiPasquale.

A celebration of his life will be at 7 p.m. today in Amigone Funeral Home, 1132 Delaware Ave.
↧

Michael W. Vincent, business executive, Navy veteran

August 27, 2013, 5:25 pm
$
0
0
July 29, 1939 – Aug. 25, 2013

Michael Wallace Vincent, of Buffalo, a business executive, died Sunday in Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital, Amherst, after a short battle with lung cancer. He was 74.

Born in San Francisco, he was a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley and was a lieutenant in the Navy during the Vietnam War, serving two tours as an American adviser to the Vietnamese navy.

Following his discharge in 1966, he came to Buffalo to work for Bell Aerospace, where he was program manager for Bell’s Air Cushion Division for the U.S. Department of Defense.

Later, he was vice president and general manager of Leavers and Frank Inc., a janitorial and maintenance firm; owner of a Minuteman Press printing and copying franchise in Cheektowaga; and human resources director for Frontier Lumber.

Mr. Vincent was a member of the board of trustees of the Elmwood Franklin School and a former president of the Buffalo Skating Club. An accomplished sailor, he was a member of the North Shore Yacht Club. He also was an avid tennis player.

Survivors include his wife of 45 years, the former Sally Spitzmiller; two daughters, Margot and Kate Peterson; a brother, Kevin; and a sister, Patsy.

The family will receive friends from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday in the Buffalo Tennis and Squash Club, 314 Elmwood Ave.
↧

Area Deaths

August 27, 2013, 10:31 pm
$
0
0
Edith P. (Pepe) Bailey, of Amherst, died Aug. 26.

Antonia M. (Scolese) Baker, of West Seneca, died Aug. 26.

David C. Boulange, of Ocala, Fla., formerly of North Tonawanda, died Aug. 24.

Eleanor I. Cole (McKinney/Carr), 75, of North Tonawanda, died Aug. 23.

Tish Cotter, died Aug. 17.

Sarah (San Pasquale) DeRosa, of Niagara Falls, died Aug. 24.

Joshua Deschamps, died Aug. 23.

Vincent “Jim” Illos, 70, died Aug. 26.

Joseph L. Jemison, of Buffalo, Army veteran of the Vietnam War, died Aug. 25.

Dorothy J. (Royce) Lessle, died Aug. 25.

Diane H. Maiichle, of Greece, formerly of Buffalo, died Aug. 25.

Dorothy A. (Brown) Miller, 89, of North Tonawanda, formerly of Lockport, died Aug. 25.

Edith (Ranalli) Pavone, of Lackawanna, died Aug. 26.

Donna Mae (Frey) Pignatora, 70, of Tonawanda, died Aug. 24.

Mary B. (Parysek) Ptak, of Eden, died Aug. 25.

Regina A. (Jakubowski) Rawluszki, of Wheatfield, died Aug. 26.

Thomas L. Reding, of Collins Center, died Aug. 23.

Thomas R. Richards, 63, a retired port security chief for the Coast Guard and retired special clerk for the FBI, died Aug. 25.

Patrick J. Roche, of South Buffalo, died Aug. 25.

Irene P. (White) Sheffield, of Eden, died Aug. 25.

Barbara J. Skinner, died Aug. 26.

Shirley (Goldring) Snyder, 93, of Boca Raton, Fla., formerly of Niagara Falls, died Aug. 22.

Michael Vincent, died Aug. 25.

Russell G. “Rusty” Weyand, 66, of Land O’ Lakes, Fla., formerly of Buffalo, died Aug. 24.
↧
Viewing all 2826 articles
Browse latest View live
Search
<script src="https://jsc.adskeeper.com/r/s/rssing.com.1596347.js" async> </script>