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Robert J. Schnirel, retired Williamsville teacher, coach

December 21, 2013, 2:38 pm
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March 20, 1926 – Nov. 16, 2013

Robert J. Schnirel, a retired Williamsville teacher and coach, died Nov. 16 in Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital, Amherst, after a short illness. He was 87.

A celebration of Mr. Schnirel’s life will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday in the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site, 641 Delaware Ave.

Mr. Schnirel worked from 1950 until his retirement in 1982 in the Williamsville School District as a history teacher, coordinator of social studies, football coach and athletic director at Williamsville North High School.

He was born in Buffalo and lived in Buffalo, the Town of Tonawanda, Waverly Beach, Ont., and Vero Beach, Fla.

He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from the University at Buffalo.

He served in the Navy Seabees from 1944 to 1946.

He served as president of the Williamsville Teachers Association, assistant football coach at Williamsville South High School, head coach of the Green Acres Cardinals, co-founder and president of the Buffalo Bills Junior Football League, president of the Vero Beach Barbershop Chorus, president of the Waverly Beach Community Association, and volunteer docent of the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution.

He enjoyed playing saxophone, listening to Big Band music, landscaping and woodworking.

Mr. Schnirel was elected president of the Amherst Senior High Class of 1944 and co-captain of the 1943 Amherst High football team.

Survivors include his wife of 63 years, Patricia; two sons, Kevin and Michael; nine grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
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Renata Scognamiglio Giacobbe, Italian professor

December 21, 2013, 3:02 pm
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Feb. 13, 1938 – Dec. 19, 2013

Renata Scognamiglio Giacobbe, a professor of Italian at Canisius College and SUNY Buffalo State and the co-founder of an Italian cultural center in North Buffalo, died Thursday in St. John Baptist Hospice House, Buffalo. She was 75.

She was born in Naples, Italy, and earned a doctorate in classic literature from the University of Naples and a master’s degree in humanities from the University at Buffalo.

She taught at Canisius for 25 years and Buffalo State for 13 years.

As she approached retirement, Mrs. Giacobbe and her husband, Dr. Francesco Giacobbe, established a not-for-profit cultural center, Centro Culturale Italiano di Buffalo, located on Hertel Avenue, with the goal of promoting Italian language and culture.

She organized countless events, including lectures, movie nights, Italian classes for children and social gatherings celebrating Italian cuisine.

Mrs. Giacobbe provided the voice for an educational Fisher-Price toy sold in Italy. She also served as an interpreter during the 1993 World University Games.

In addition to her husband, she is survived by three sons, Andrew, Mario and Franco; a daughter, Paola Kersch; and a sister, Olimpia Coppola.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 9 a.m. Monday in St. Margaret’s Catholic Church, 1395 Hertel Ave.
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John Eisenhower, 91, military historian, was Ike’s son

December 21, 2013, 6:42 pm
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Aug. 3, 1922 – Dec. 21, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – The family of President Dwight D. Eisenhower said Saturday his son, John S.D. Eisenhower, has died. He was 91.

The retired brigadier general and military historian had resided on Maryland’s Eastern Shore in the community of Trappe, Md.

No cause was given for his death Saturday.

John Sheldon Doud Eisenhower was born in Denver in 1922 to Dwight D. Eisenhower and his wife, Mamie.

He was an assistant staff secretary in the White House during the last few years of his father’s administration, and later served as U.S. ambassador to Belgium during the Nixon administration.

Eisenhower was the author of numerous books about military history.

He is survived by his second wife, Joanne; a son, David; and three daughters, Anne, Susan and Mary. David is married to Julie Nixon Eisenhower, daughter of President Richard Nixon.
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Ronnie Biggs, notorious for role in Great Train Robbery, prison escape

December 21, 2013, 7:59 pm
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Aug. 8, 1929 – Dec. 18, 2013

LONDON (AP) – Ronnie Biggs, known for his role in the 1963 Great Train Robbery, died Wednesday, his daughter-in-law said. He was 84.

Veronica Biggs did not provide details of the cause of death. Ronnie Biggs had been released from prison four years ago on compassionate grounds because of ill health and had suffered several strokes.

Biggs was notorious for taking part in the 1963 robbery and then escaping from London’s Wandsworth Prison. He eventually made his way to Brazil, where he lived for many years beyond the reach of British justice.

He was free for 35 years before voluntarily returning to England in poor health in 2001. He was immediately arrested and imprisoned.

Biggs was part of a gang of at least 12 men that robbed the Glasgow-to-London Royal Mail Train in the early hours of Aug. 8, 1963, switching the signals and tricking the driver into stopping in the darkness. The robbery netted 125 sacks of bank notes worth $7.3 million at the time, or more than $50 million today – and became known as “the heist of the century.”

Most of the gang was caught and sentenced to long terms in jail. Biggs got 30 years but 15 months into his sentence escaped from Wandsworth Prison by scaling a wall with a rope ladder and jumping into a waiting furniture van. It was the start of a life on the run that would make him a folk hero to some – the cheeky rascal one step ahead of the law.

Biggs fled to France, then to Australia and Panama before arriving in Rio de Janeiro in 1970. By that time, life on the run and plastic surgery to change his appearance had eaten up most of his loot from the train robbery.

He spent more than 30 years in Brazil, making a living from his notoriety. For a fee, he regaled journalists and tourists with the story of the heist and offered T-shirts with the slogan “I went to Rio and met Ronnie Biggs … honest.”

He recorded with punk band the Sex Pistols, wrote a memoir called “Odd Man Out,” and even promoted a home alarm system with the slogan: “Call the thief.”

“It’s been a screwed-up life in many respects, but a different life,” he told the Associated Press in 1997. “I’ve never been much of a 9-to-5er.”

Biggs foiled repeated attempts to force him out by deportation, extradition and even kidnapping. British detectives tracked him down in 1974, but the lack of an extradition treaty with Brazil saved him. When Brazil’s military government tried to deport him, Biggs produced a son by a Brazilian woman, and the law again prevented his expulsion.

In 1981, two men posing as journalists grabbed Biggs at a Rio restaurant, gagged him, stuffed him into a duffel bag and flew him to the Amazon River port of Belem. From there they sailed to Barbados, expecting to turn Biggs in and sell their story to the tabloids. But Barbados also had no extradition treaty with England and sent him back to Rio.

In 1997, Brazil’s Supreme Court rejected an extradition request. At the time, Biggs said he didn’t want to go back to Britain.

“All I have to go back to is a prison cell, after all,” he said. “Only a fool would want to return.”

But within a few years, debilitated by strokes and other ailments, he began to yearn to see England again. Britain’s tabloid Sun newspaper helped arrange his return, even chartering the private jet that flew Biggs home in 2001. Aboard the plane was Detective Superintendent John Coles of Scotland Yard, who took Biggs into custody with the words: “I am now going to formally arrest you.”

Biggs spent less than a decade in prison, although emerging as a frail shadow of the dapper “gentleman thief” of popular image.

Biggs’ lawyers had long argued that he should be released on health grounds, although then-Justice Secretary Jack Straw objected, saying Biggs was “wholly unrepentant.”

Unionized train drivers, mindful that railway man Jack Mills never fully recovered from being hit over the head with an iron bar during the robbery, also lobbied to keep Biggs behind bars.

However, finally convinced that Biggs was a dying man, officials released him Aug. 7, 2009, a day before his 80th birthday. He had been living in a care home since.
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Randolph Larkin Robb Sr., retired businessman

December 23, 2013, 5:44 pm
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April 21, 1930 – Dec. 21, 2013

Randolph Larkin Robb Sr. of East Aurora, a retired businessman, died Saturday in Mercy Hospital. He was 83.

Born in Buffalo, he was a graduate of the Nichols School, where he was captain of the varsity soccer team. Mr. Robb also attended Brown University in Providence, R.I., then served in the Naval Reserve before completing his college education at the University of Buffalo.

A grandson of John D. Larkin, founder of the Larkin Co., Mr. Robb started his business career at the Larkin Warehouse Co. in the late 1940s.

He was later employed at Marine Midland Bank before he and his brother, David, went into business as the owners of Ballou Plumbling Supply Co. He retired in the mid-1980s.

Mr. Robb was a former member of the Tennis and Squash Club and a member of the U.S. squash team that won the Lapham Cup trophy against Canada in the 1960s.

In 1969, he was the 12-gauge World Champion skeet shooter and the Canadian National Champion in the 20-gauge skeet shooting competition.

He also was a two-time New York State 410-gauge champion. In 1970, he was named to the All American Skeet Team by Sports Afield magazine and was a member of the Western New York five-person team that won various skeet shooting titles across the world.

In addition to his brother, he is survived by his wife of 61 years, the former Patricia Forman; two sons, Lawrence F. and Randolph L. Jr.; a daughter, Cynthia Robb Buechler; and four grandchildren.

A memorial service will be at 4 p.m. Friday in Trinity Episcopal Church, 371 Delaware Ave.
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William A. Hack, 80, Depew teacher and coach

December 23, 2013, 5:45 pm
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July 20, 1933 – Dec. 20, 2013

William A. Hack, a retired Depew teacher and coach, died Friday after a long battle with cancer. He was 80.

Mr. Hack was born in Rhinelander, Wis., and served in the Army as a company clerk typist, remaining in the Army Reserve several years afterward.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education at the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire, and master’s at Brockport State College.

Mr. Hack moved to Lancaster to work as a program director at the Lancaster Boys Club in 1964.

He began working in the Depew Union Free School District as a physical education teacher in 1966, remaining there until his retirement in 1995.

A longtime Holland resident, he also coached basketball and tennis at Depew High School.

Mr. Hack worked for a year and summers in his late teenage years as a fireman on the Soo Line Railroad and the Chicago and North Western Railroad, fueling his lifelong love of trains.

He also enjoyed sports and making homemade pizza on Saturday nights for his family.

Mr. Hack was a member of Frank H. Brink Post, American Legion, in Holland, where he served as adjutant for many years.

He was also active in St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Holland.

Survivors include his wife of 47 years, the former Nancy Kramer; a daughter, Julie LoVullo; two sons, Geoffrey and David; and five grandchildren.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 10 a.m. Saturday in St. Joseph’s Church, 46 N. Main St., Holland.
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Gregory J. Stang, teacher, awarding-winning coach

December 24, 2013, 1:45 pm
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May 1, 1950 – Dec. 23, 2013

Gregory J. Stang, of Clarence Center, a teacher and award-winning track coach, died Monday in Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital, Amherst, after suffering a brain hemorrhage. He was 63.

Mr. Stang began teaching English at Williamsville North High School in 1972 and started coaching track and cross country in the mid-1970s. He retired from the classroom in 2005 but continued to serve as a coach.

He twice was selected as Erie County Interscholastic Conference cross country coach of the year, in 2003 and 2005, by other ECIC coaches. He was named Section VI cross country coach of the year in 2005, the year his team won the ECIC Division I championship and the sectional championship in Class AA.

His cross country teams won nine of 10 all-Amherst championships since 2003 and were Class A sectional champions in 2009 and Class AA champions in 2010.

Channel 7 named him indoor track coach of the year in 1990.

He also had proctored Williamsville North’s varsity and junior varsity basketball games since 1972.

Born in Buffalo, he attended high school at Diocesan Preparatory Seminary, attended Canisius College and earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Buffalo State College.

A Civil War buff and poet, he published a book of free verse, “Lifelines: Empowering You to Happiness, Success and Salvation,” which won a Readers’ Favorite Award in 2010. He also was a Eucharistic minister.

He is survived by his wife of 42 years, the former Lydia Skowron; four sons, Michael, Jason, David and Jared; his father, Sylvester; two brothers, Richard and Robert; two sisters, Linda and Joanne Scrimshaw; and seven grandchildren.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 10 a.m. Saturday in St. Pius X Catholic Church, 1700 North French Road, Getzville.
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Margaret M. Schirmann, 102, teacher, active in church

December 24, 2013, 3:02 pm
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Jan. 7, 1911 – Dec. 18, 2013

Margaret M. Schirmann of Getzville, a retired teacher with strong ties to Blessed Trinity Parish, died last Wednesday in Beechwood Nursing Home, Getzville. She was 102.

Born Margaret Foisset in Buffalo, she was a graduate of Bennett High School and Buffalo State College.

Her teaching career began at School 45. She then taught at Blessed Trinity Elementary School for 25 years before retiring in 1975.

Mrs. Schirmann had a long history with Blessed Trinity Parish. Her parents were founding members of the church, which was built in 1906 on a large parcel of farmland in Buffalo’s Fillmore-Leroy neighborhood that was owned by her maternal grandparents.

Until her death, Mrs. Schirmann, who graduated from Blessed Trinity in 1925, had been the oldest living graduate of the school.

She and her husband, Charles W., were married in Blessed Trinity Church in 1940 and sang in the church choir for 50 years. In 1989, they were honored by the parish at an Oktoberfest-themed retirement party.

Mr. and Mrs. Schirmann resided in the Foisset family homestead on Fillmore Avenue near Gesl Street until 1976, when they moved to Cheektowaga.

Mr. Schirmann died in 1990.

She is survived by two daughters, Mary Stoddard and Julie Riffel; a son, Dr. Peter; and four grandchildren.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 10:30 a.m. Saturday in Blessed Trinity Church, 317 Leroy Ave.
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Patricia J. Walter, WNED-TV program host

December 24, 2013, 3:28 pm
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May 25, 1934 – Dec. 21, 2013

Patricia J. Walter, of Lancaster, a program host on WNED-TV in the 1960s, died Saturday in Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital, Amherst, after a short illness. She was 79.

Born Patricia J. Suchan in Buffalo, she was a graduate of Nardin Academy and D’Youville College. She was host of “Community Helpers,” an interview show on WNED-TV, from 1964 to 1966.

Mrs. Walter was the mother of 10 children, inspiring them to careers as educators and entrepreneurs, and was active in Our Lady of Pompeii Catholic Church and the parent organization at Our Lady of Pompeii School.

Her husband of 46 years, John “Mickey” Walter, an All-America runner and athletic director at Lancaster High School, died in 2004.

Survivors include five sons, John, Charles, Matthew, Thomas and Christopher; five daughters, Mary Patricia Stephan, Mary Joanne Loecher, Michelle Arnold, Pauline Zydel and Carolyn Rey; two brothers, the Rev. Robert Suchan and Richard Suchan; and two sisters, Mary Anne Perry and Eleanor Batt.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 11:30 a.m. Saturday in Our Lady of Pompeii Church, 158 Laverack Ave., Lancaster.
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Grammy-winning studio drummer Ricky Lawson dies

December 24, 2013, 7:04 pm
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Died Dec. 23, 2013

LONG BEACH, Calif. (AP) – Studio drummer Ricky Lawson, a collaborator with musicians including Michael Jackson, Eric Clapton, Phil Collins and Whitney Houston, has died at a suburban Los Angeles hospital following a brain aneurism. He was 59.

Lawson’s uncle, Paul Riser of Detroit, said Tuesday that Lawson was removed from life support 10 days after the aneurism diagnosis and died Monday.

Lawson was being treated at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center in Long Beach, Calif., about 25 miles south of Los Angeles.

The Detroit native learned to play drums at age 16 and jumped into the music business even before graduating from Cooley High School, developing into one of the nation’s top studio musicians in the 1980s.

His work appears on Houston’s version of “I Will Always Love You.” He also performed with Al Jarreau, George Benson, Bette Midler, Quincy Jones and many others.

Lawson won a Grammy Award in 1986 for R&B instrumental performance for the song “And You Know That” by his group, Yellowjackets.

He became disoriented during a performance on Dec. 13 and was diagnosed with an aneurism.

Drummer Questlove Jenkins of The Roots called Lawson “the master” on Twitter Dec. 18 in a message saying, “praying for his recovery.”

Drummer Sheila E. tweeted Tuesday: “We lost a great man, drummer, father, brother and son. mr Ricky Lawson. He passed away yesterday. Please pray for his family. we will miss u.”
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Sean Lora-Hetzner, manager at United Way

December 25, 2013, 5:59 pm
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Nov. 26, 1971 – Dec. 24, 2013

Sean Lora-Hetzner, a City Honors School graduate and community advocate who was pursuing a master’s degree in urban planning at the University at Buffalo, died Tuesday of a heart attack at his family’s Buffalo home. He was 42.

Mr. Hetzner was an active member of numerous community organizations and passionate about the environment and housing rehabilitation.

He has been agency relations manager at United Way of Buffalo & Erie County since 2006 and worked to rehab two homes in the Delaware District over the past two years.

He was a member of the Partnership for the Public Good, Buffalo Micro Parks, Erie County Youth Services and the West Side Community Planning Cooperative, among others, according to his father, Donald Hetzner.

His death was believed to be the first from the City Honors Class of 1989, whose members learned of their classmate’s death Tuesday evening. He was also beloved by friends and family, who posted tributes on his Facebook page.

“He was an outgoing, friendly guy, just easygoing,” his father said.

Born in Buffalo, Mr. Hetzner attended School 56 and graduated from City Honors. He earned a bachelor’s in urban and policy studies at UB, held both a National Hispanic Scholarship and an Empire Minority Honors Scholarship, and was on the dean’s list from 1992 to 1995.

From 1998 to 2006, he worked at Grover Cleveland High School as a full-time substitute teacher before joining United Way.

He was completing his master’s degree at UB and attended an intensive summer program at University of Havana in Cuba as part of the degree. His mother, Coralia, is from Cuba.

He is survived by his parents and a brother, Matthew Joseph.
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Wayne Mallory, information systems technician

December 26, 2013, 5:43 am
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Oct. 15, 1956 – Dec. 20, 2013

Wayne Mallory, who worked in information systems for American Axle, died Friday in Atlanta. He was 57.

Mr. Mallory was born in Buffalo and graduated from Kensington High School and DeVry Institute of Technology.

He served in the Air Force from 1982 to 1992 as an information systems technician before joining American Axle.

Mr. Mallory sang in the choir of True Bethel Baptist Church in Buffalo and First Baptist Church in Atlanta, where he moved three years ago.

Survivors include his wife, the former Althea “Vicky” Watson; a son, Wayne Earnest Jr.; two daughters, Asia Denae and Akilah Nicole; a brother, Lance; two sisters, Valerie Wilburn and Elaine Morris; and three grandchildren.

Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday in True Bethel Baptist Church, 907 E. Ferry St., preceded by a wake at 10.
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Francis Vecere, 91, truck driver, WWII veteran

December 26, 2013, 1:32 pm
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Sept. 22, 1922 – Dec. 22, 2013

Francis Vecere, a retired truck driver who served in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II, died Sunday in Brothers of Mercy Nursing Facility, Clarence. He was 91.

Mr. Vecere was raised in Buffalo’s Lovejoy neighborhood and was a longtime resident of Snyder.

He graduated from East High School and attended the University of Buffalo for three years.

During World War II, he served as a radio operator and mechanic. As a truck driver, he was a member of Teamsters Local 449.

Nicknamed “Tapper” in his younger days, he met his wife of nearly 65 years, Marietta Avanzato, at a local dance. They passed on an appreciation for the arts to their children and grandchildren.

In retirement, Mr. Vecere was an avid reader, equally at home discussing the New York Yankees, politics, the benefits of walking, wine or music.

He was a parishioner at SS. Peter & Paul Catholic Church in Williamsville.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by a son, Daniel; two daughters, Theresa Wyatt and Rosemary Schulz; a sister, Anne Lorenzo; and five grandchildren.

Services will be private. A memorial gathering is planned for spring.
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Jeffrey Ian Pollack, TV producer, writer, director

December 26, 2013, 6:29 pm
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Nov. 15, 1959 – Dec. 23, 2013

HERMOSA BEACH, Calif. (AP) – A producer of TV’s “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and writer-director of “Above the Rim” has died.

Police said Jeffrey Ian Pollack was found collapsed early Monday morning in the Greenbelt jogging area of Hermosa Beach, about 20 miles southwest of Los Angeles. Pollack was 54.

Authorities said Thursday they do not suspect foul play. Pollack was wearing jogging clothes and carrying an iPod when a passerby discovered him and contacted police.

Pollack produced several seasons of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” as well as a Jennifer Lopez documentary. Besides “Above the Rim,” Pollack directed the films “Booty Call” and “Lost & Found.”
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Mary L. Jacobbi, owner of Charlesgate restaurant

December 26, 2013, 6:30 pm
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June 30, 1927 – Dec. 21, 2013

Mary L. Jacobbi, of Williamsville, who owned and operated the Charlesgate restaurant in Clarence with her husband, died Saturday in Cambridge, Mass. She was 86.

Born Mary L. Moses in Tuscarora Township, Ont., she was a graduate of Lafayette High School in Buffalo.

She and her husband, Vito M., opened the Charlesgate on Transit Road near Sheridan Drive in 1970 and operated it throughout the 1970s and 1980s.

Mrs. Jacobbi was the hostess and public face of the restaurant.

She was a member of Brookfield Country Club.

Her husband of 55 years died in 2003.

Survivors include three daughters, Patricia Hoyt, Marianne, and Lisa Fertita; a son, Michael; a sister, Patricia Trybus; 11 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday in Amigone Funeral Home, 5200 Sheridan Drive, Amherst.
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Area Deaths

December 26, 2013, 2:12 pm
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Angeline M. (DiRienzo) Aquilina, died Dec. 24.

Irene L. (Skrzypek) Arent, died Dec. 22.

Domonic Joseph Balser, died Dec. 23.

William A. Conti, died Dec. 23.

Pernell D. Cramer, of Buffalo, died Dec. 16.

Catherine M. (Caputo) Custodi, died Dec. 22.

David J. Durham, 57, of West Seneca, an American Axle retiree, died Dec. 25.

Mieczyslaw S. Durewicz, Polish Army veteran, died Dec. 20.

Tessie S. (Jaszczynski) Dzwigal, of Depew, died Dec. 22.

Dorothy E. (Malarkey) Evans, died Dec. 23.

Caroline (Jurek) Fafara, of Buffalo, died Dec. 21.

Mary Ann (Ruppert) Fetes, of the Town of Tonawanda, died Dec. 23.

Sophia Galsick, 91, of the Town of Tonawanda, died Dec. 22.

John J. Gandy Sr., 84, of Buffalo, died Dec. 22.

Christine (DiLorenzo) Gembola, died Dec. 19.

Myrtle M. (Adams) Halligan, of Cheektowaga, died Dec. 23.

Mary L. (Moses) Jacobbi, 86, died Dec. 21.

Alice M. (Sauer) Kaegebein, 77, died Dec. 20.

Esther R. (Rombach) Kieffer, died Dec. 22.

Joan F. (Stachowski) La Copa, of Akron, died Dec. 20.

Mary G. Lagana, who worked at her family’s Miranda Coffee Shop and for Tops Markets, died Dec. 24.

Minerva V. (Reynolds) Legette, of Buffalo, died Dec. 24.

Millicent M. Limeri, 84, of Ballston Spa, died Dec. 23.

Barbara A. (Herec) Lindsay, died Dec. 20.

Sean Lora-Hetzner, 42, died Dec. 24.

Helen “Ellen” (Esis) LoVullo, died Dec. 25.

Madge E. (Kleinmeier) Mansfield, 90, of Cherry Hill, World War II Navy veteran, died Dec. 23.

William Louis Marrow, died Dec. 20.

Patricia A. (Downey) McDonough, of Cheektowaga, died Dec. 24.

William “Pat” McMahon, of Grand Island, died Dec. 22.

Donald A. McMeekin, of North Tonawanda, died Dec. 22.

Mildred M. (Wienke) Motchenbaugh, 99, of North Tonawanda, died Dec. 14.

Joan M. (Rogers) Paolini, of Blasdell, died Dec. 24.

Anne C. Roess, died Dec. 21.

Kim M. (Werner) Rushok, of Akron, died Dec. 22.

Nancy C. (Fagowski) Sobieniak, of Buffalo, died Dec. 24.

Elizabeth A. “Betty” (Stadler) Stuff, of North Tonawanda, died Dec. 23.

Frank H. Szeliga Jr., of Clarence, died Dec. 21.

Margaret (Michelina Ann Bellezza) Tomani, of Orchard Park, died Dec. 24.

Rev. Robert W. Vogt, 76, of South Carolina, formerly of Western New York, died Dec. 15.

Grace A. (Sciascia) Wood, of Buffalo, died Dec. 23.
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Stephen Graczyk, professor, mathematician, computer specialist

December 27, 2013, 4:32 pm
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May 27, 1937 – Dec. 25, 2013

Stephen Graczyk, a professor, mathematician and computer specialist who worked with NASA and had a passion for space study, died Wednesday in his Town of Tonawanda home. He was 76.

He spent 25 years, most of his career, at IBM. He also did some work on classified government projects, which included NASA.

Mr. Graczyk graduated from Amherst High School in 1954 and earned his undergraduate and doctoral degrees at the University of Buffalo. He taught math at his alma mater and the University of Florida.

He played hockey for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where he started his undergraduate studies, before finishing at UB. For the last eight years, he was a baseball and softball umpire for the Niagara Frontier Officials Association of Western New York.

Mr. Graczyk had a keen interest in history, theology and the universe and was known for watching documentaries and reading. “He was kind of like a historian,” said Craig Kanalley, his grandson. His interest in sharing knowledge was a part of his generous nature, said Karen Kanalley, Mr. Graczyk’s daughter and Craig’s mother.

Mr. Graczyk was preceded in death by his wife of 42 years, the former Lois Grundtisch, who died in 2002.

In addition to his daughter, Karen, he is survived by a son, Brian; three sisters, Lucille, Arlene Madigan and Nancy; a brother, Richard; and two grandchildren.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 11:30 a.m. Monday in St. Christopher Catholic Church, 2660 Niagara Falls Blvd., Town of Tonawanda.
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Area Deaths

December 27, 2013, 5:40 pm
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Richard Berger, 78, retired manager of field operations for Traveler’s Financial Services, died Dec. 25.

Dolores M. (Fusco) Boggs, died Dec. 26.

Francis “Bud” Bongiovanni, 77, died Dec. 25.

Robert F. Braun, 77, died Dec. 26.

William M. “Butch” Brinkworth Jr., 71, retired Buffalo firefighter, died Dec. 26.

Walter Bryant Sr., died Dec. 21.

Eunice M. (Ryan) Coakley, of Boston, died Dec. 26.

Mary Ruth Cook, of Lockport, formerly of Buffalo, died Dec. 25.

Gregory Cornell, of Pendleton, died Dec. 27.

Kenneth DeGasper, a Buffalo attorney and developer, died Dec. 24.

Walter H. Eberle, died Dec. 25.

Justin A. Fenske, died Dec. 23.

April L. Freedman, longtime telephone operator at Kaufman’s Bakery, her family’s business, died Dec. 25.

Susan Carol (Harter) Giancola, 65, retired registered nurse for Erie County Medical Center, died Dec. 26.

Laurice A. “Laury” Hanesian, of Lewiston, died Dec. 24.

John J. “Jack” Herb Sr., 80, member of Plumber’s Local 36, died Dec. 26.

Donald C. Hertel, of Akron, Korean War Army veteran and former owner of Ace Specialty Co., died Dec. 23.

Esther R. (Rombach) Kieffer, member of African Violet Society, died Dec. 22.

Mary T. (DeLuca) Krug, retired manager of Off-Track Betting, died Dec. 20.

Frank Krystyniak, of West Seneca, World War II Army veteran, died Dec. 24.

Edwin P. Lane, Navy and Air Force veteran, life member of Pvt. Leonard Post Jr. VFW Post 6251 and retired member of UAW Local 774, died Dec. 26.

Arthur Paul Lingenfelter, 75, of North Tonawanda, Army veteran, former owner and operator of Links Landscaping, died Dec. 23.

Elizabeth A. (Robins) Martin, of North Tonawanda, died Dec. 23.

Kevin J. Martin, Army veteran with 101st Airborne Division, died Dec. 24.

John P. McGowan, 88, of Batavia, died Dec. 27.

Patrick “Pat” McMullen, of Lackawanna, employee of Holy Cross Cemetery, died Dec. 25.

Conrad F. Menclewicz, 74, died Dec. 26.

Fay (Tortora) Mombrea, of Buffalo, died Dec. 26.

Donald C. Nicklas, 69, of Perry, owner/operator of Bells Supermarket in Le Roy, died Dec. 24.

John S. Niedbalski Sr., of Hamburg, died Dec. 25.

Diane M. (Kaminski) Polek, died Dec. 26.

Shakara H. Purks, died Dec. 23.

Shirley S. (Serrianne) Quigliano, died Dec. 25.

Linda Marie (George) Rosati, of Blasdell, died Dec. 25.

Joan Rott, 95, Western Electric retiree, died Dec. 25.

Mary R. (Esposito) Russo, died Dec. 24.

Dorothy F. (Kingswell) Schueler, 88, of Williamsville, formerly of Elma, officer and honorary life member of Western New York African Violet Society, died Dec. 25.

Donald J. Sokol, 84, of North Tonawanda, Korean War Air Force veteran and former Durez Corp. employee, died Dec. 24.

Frank H. Szeliga Jr., of Clarence, died Dec. 21.

Margaret (Michelina Ann Bellezza) Tomani, of Orchard Park, died Dec. 24.

Dorothy E. Uderitz, 95, of Albion, former manager for Stanley Home Products, died Dec. 27.

Esther W. Van Hooser, of Marilla, died Dec. 22.

Nancy A. (Smith) Vanich, died Dec. 23.

Anna Ventura, 98, member of Our Lady of Pompeii Church and its Rosary Society, died Dec. 26.

Mary Belle (Emerick) Walden, of Buffalo, died Dec. 24.

Barbara A. (Page) Waterman, of Lackawanna, died Dec. 24.

Edward B. Watson, University at Buffalo Educational Opportunity Center professor, died Dec. 18.

James W. Whetstone, 33, died Dec. 24.

Ann Colleen Wirth, died Dec. 25.
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Anna Ventura, 98, retired parochial teacher

December 27, 2013, 6:33 pm
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Oct. 30, 1915 – Dec. 26, 2013

Anna Ventura, a retired teacher and longtime parishioner at Our Lady of Pompeii Catholic Church in Lancaster, died Thursday in Sisters Hospital’s St. Joseph Campus after a short illness. She was 98.

A lifelong resident of Depew, Mrs. Ventura graduated from St. Mary’s High School before working in the office at the former Gould’s National Battery on Neoga Street in Depew.

After serving as a first communion teacher for Our Lady of Pompeii School, Mrs. Ventura became a first-grade teacher at the school and eventually became the school’s librarian.

She received several awards and recognitions during her career, including the Religious Educator of the Year Award, Service to School and Community Award and Excellence in Teaching Award.

An active parishioner at Our Lady of Pompeii for more than 90 years, she kept the church’s pamphlet rack stocked with brochures as a child and later served as a collection counter and volunteered at numerous spaghetti dinners and lawn fetes.

Mrs. Ventura sang in the church’s choir for more than 65 years and was a longtime member of the church’s Altar and Rosary Society. She has been inducted into the church’s Wall of Fame.

Mrs. Ventura is survived by two sisters, Millie Catuzzi and Eleanor Olari.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 9:30 a.m. Monday in Our Lady of Pompeii Church, 158 Laverack Ave., Lancaster.
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Francis X. Dinino, owned Masten service station

December 31, 2013, 5:32 pm
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July 24, 1926 – Dec. 28, 2013

Francis Xavier Dinino, a Buffalo native, grandfather of nine, father of six and former owner of a Masten Avenue service station, died Saturday in Newfane. He was 87.

Dinino, most recently of Burt, was the son of Vincent and Catherine Germano Dinino. Born in Buffalo, he served as a U.S. Army military policeman in the South Pacific and Philippines.

For many years, he ran the Masten service station.

He was a member of the Knights of Columbus in Medina and was a Grand Knight and a member of Veterans of Foreign Wars.

He is survived by his wife, the former Rose Marie Glick; two daughters, Christina Hill and Nancy Moore; and four sons, Francis Edward, Augustine, David and Francis Xavier Jr.

A Mass of Christian burial will be offered at noon Saturday in St. Charles Church, Main St., Olcott.
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