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James J. Haberman, 95, championship bowler

March 3, 2014, 2:16 pm
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Feb. 17, 1919 – Feb. 26, 2014

James J. Haberman, a championship bowler, died Wednesday. He was 95.

Mr. Haberman, of Buffalo, grew up in the Kensington-Bailey neighborhood and attended St. James Church and School.

He graduated from St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute and Bryant & Stratton Business Institute.

Bypassing a career in baseball, Mr. Haberman joined his family business as a partner in N.J. Haberman Fuel and Oil Co., which was founded by his father, Nicholas, and continued as a family business until it was sold in 1968.

Mr. Haberman was an Army veteran who served in Atlantic City, Germany and France. He was awarded the Purple Heart for his service in World War II.

Although he was a noted baseball player who went by the nickname “Babe,” Mr. Haberman will likely be remembered as a championship bowler.

His passion for the sport spanned more than 75 years, from his first brothers-and- father team in the Buffalo Bowling Association tournaments to his presidency of the Seniors League.

Mr. Haberman also was a noted storyteller, sharing family history and reminiscing about “the neighborhood.”

A memorial service will be scheduled in April.
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James R. How, retired president of roofing business

March 3, 2014, 3:06 pm
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March 1, 1926 – Feb. 28, 2014

James R. How, of Buffalo, a retired business owner, died Friday in Sisters Hospital. He was 87.

Born in Buffalo, he was a graduate of Lafayette High School and Earlham College in Indiana.

During World War II, Mr. How served stateside in the Army Air Forces. In 1951, he began working for his family’s business, G.H. Peters Co., an industrial roofing business in Buffalo, which was founded in 1825. He became president of the company in the 1960s and retired in 2004.

He was a past board member and president of the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site at the Wilcox Mansion. He also was on the board of the Elmwood Franklin School, a life member of the Buffalo Canoe Club and member of the Saturn Club.

Other organizations of which Mr. How was member include the Romeo Men’s Luncheon Club, American Chestnut Foundation, the University Club and the Sitzmarker Ski Club.

Mr. How collected antiques, including antique cars, and was an active outdoorsman.

He is survived by his wife of 61 years, the former Martha Johnson, and three daughters, Elizabeth Bartolone, Gretchen How-Said and Jennifer.

A celebration of his life will be at 4 p.m. March 15 in the Saturn Club, 977 Delaware Ave.
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Barbara Jakiela, senior social welfare examiner

March 3, 2014, 3:13 pm
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May 19, 1948 – Feb. 28, 2014

Barbara Jakiela, of East Aurora, a longtime Erie County social services employee, died Friday. She was 65.

Born Barbara Anguish in Buffalo, she graduated from Empire State College in 1993 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.

She received supplemental training and certificates in basic personal computing, and drug- and alcohol-related issues.

She worked for the county for more than 35 years, starting as a clerk-typist in 1972.

In 1990, she became a senior social services team worker, supervising 20 other employees. And in 1995, she became a social welfare examiner, in which she successfully maintained a caseload of more than 200 clients.

From 2001 to 2005, Mrs. Jakiela worked as a senior social welfare examiner, with a specialized caseload of 100 clients with such challenging issues as drug and alcohol use, and mental health disorders. She retired in 2005.

She also was a volunteer at St. Valentine’s Church, where she directed bingo for 35 years.

Other volunteer work included the Ten Lives Club, a cat adoption group, for which she helped care for more than 40 feral cats.

Mrs. Jakiela enjoyed playing bingo, reading, and knitting and crocheting.

Survivors include three daughters, Nancy Morgan, Suzanne Victor and Patricia Tanyi; five grandchildren; and a great-grandchild.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday in Our Lady of Charity Parish, 65 Ridgewood Road.
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John P. Morse, Newfane teacher, WWII veteran

March 3, 2014, 3:34 pm
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March 21, 1923 – Feb. 21, 2014

John P. Morse, a retired industrial arts teacher in the Newfane Central School District, died Feb. 21 in Las Vegas, after a lengthy illness. He was 90.

Born in Auburn, Mr. Morse was a graduate of Lockport High School and earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from Buffalo State College.

He was an aerial photographer in search and rescue with the Army Air Forces, flying over the “Hump” in China-Burma-India Theater during World War II. He was a member of the Hump Pilots Association.

Mr. Morse also was an avid tennis player and photographer, as well as a radio-control airplane enthusiast.

He was integral in organizing what is now known as the Day Road model airplane field in Lockport.

He joined the Newfane district in 1962, retiring in 1978.

Survivors include his wife, Phyllis; four sons, Mark, Wayne, John and Paul; and five daughters, Susan Weiss, Loretta, Diane, Judy Little and Dawn Jay.

Services were private.
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Sal DeRosa, Buffalo Stallions’ coach, general manager

March 4, 2014, 2:54 pm
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Aug. 10, 1931 – March 2, 2014

When people think of the long-defunct Buffalo Stallions indoor professional soccer team, they immediately recall many of its star players, including Jim May, Eddie Azevedo, Dennis Mepham, Ernie Buriano and Oscar Pisano.

But the person who brought all those players to Buffalo – and earlier helped bring the Major Indoor Soccer League franchise to town – was Sal DeRosa, the team’s first coach and later its general manager.

Mr. DeRosa, the man behind the bench at Memorial Auditorium, died Sunday night in Weinberg Campus after a long illness. He was 82.

A native of Italy who came to the United States at age 36, Mr. DeRosa, along with Stallions owner Michael C. Geraci, was credited with landing the Buffalo franchise in 1979.

He coached the team for its first 1½ seasons, compiling a 22-25 record, before moving into the general manager’s role in late December 1980. Mr. DeRosa left the team in the spring of 1982, and the team folded in 1984.

During his three seasons with the team, Mr. DeRosa, with his vast soccer contacts in both Europe and the U.S., was responsible for acquiring many of the Stallions’ best players. He was considered a players’ coach, often referring to them as “my boys.”

“As a coach, Mr. DeRosa at times possessed a Casey Stengel-like aura about him,” former Buffalo News sports reporter Tony Violanti wrote in 1982. “He could regale reporters or associates with stories about his experiences in soccer. DeRosa always stuck up for his players and was rarely, if ever, critical of them in print.”

He also had a flair for the dramatic, signing aging or controversial international superstars Eusebio and Paolo Rossi for brief stints and putting fans in the Aud seats. The team claimed an average attendance of 8,600 its first year and 9,600 the second season.

After leaving the Stallions and settling in Amherst with his family, Mr. DeRosa worked to develop soccer at all levels, including the development of youth soccer clinics throughout the area.

“It wasn’t only about the Stallions,” said his son, George. “He would do anything to promote soccer, and he was passionate about developing the sport at the youth level.”

Mr. DeRosa later served as attaché for the Italian delegation to the World University Games here in 1993. Later that year, the local Federation of Italian-American Societies named him its Man of the Year.

He came to Buffalo with the Stallions in 1979 after having emigrated from Italy to Syracuse and then Rochester, coaching professional soccer in both cities.

While in Syracuse, he persuaded the state Motor Vehicles Department to allow Italians who couldn’t speak English to take their driver’s test with the help of an interpreter.

Surviving are his wife of 47 years, the former Carmela DiPeso; his son, George; two daughters, Philana Martin and Tracy Witman; a sister, Carmela Peluso; a brother, Gaetano; and six grandchildren.

A memorial Mass will be offered at 10:30 a.m. Saturday in St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church, 200 St. Gregory Court, Amherst.

– Gene Warner
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Christina M. Sonne, ECMC rehabilitation counselor

March 4, 2014, 4:19 pm
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Aug. 23, 1947 – March 3, 2014

Christina M. Sonne, a retired rehabilitation counselor at Erie County Medical Center, died Monday in Beechwood Continuing Care, Getzville. She was 66.

Ms. Sonne was born in Buffalo and graduated from the University of Rochester. She obtained a master’s degree from the University at Buffalo. She resided in Kenmore and Williamsville.

Ms. Sonne worked as a rehab counselor at Erie County Medical Center and held various positions in discharge planning there, retiring in May 2006. She was also an associate professor at the University at Buffalo in the department of rehab counseling.

Ms. Sonne was an avid bridge player, especially in her retirement. She was chairwoman of bridge clubs for UB Women, Suburban Women and Twentieth Century Club. In addition, she was a bridge player at the Amherst Senior Center and Brookfield Country Club.

She was affiliated with St. Joseph University Catholic Church.

She is survived by her husband, Philip C. Noe.

A memorial Mass will be offered at 11 a.m. April 5 in St. Joseph Church, 3269 Main St.
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Dolores O. Jones, active in Catholic Church

March 4, 2014, 6:38 pm
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March 4, 1928 – March 4, 2014

Dolores O. Jones, of Buffalo, a mother of eight who was active in several Catholic churches, died on her 86th birthday Tuesday in Buffalo General Medical Center from injuries suffered in a recent fall.

Born Dolores Osieja in Buffalo, she was a graduate of Mount St. Joseph Academy and attended Canisius College. As a young woman, she worked as a customer service representative for New York Telephone.

Mrs. Jones served on the Parish Council at St. Mark Catholic Church, was a Eucharistic minister at Blessed Sacrament Church in Buffalo and was a volunteer with the Marillac Guild at Sisters Hospital.

In the 1970s, she led an effort through Catholic Charities to sponsor a family of nine refugees from Vietnam.

Living in Oklahoma City from 1981 to 1985, she opened a rental store that included the first off-site UPS shipping store in the nation.

She also was active in the development and construction of a new Catholic church in Oklahoma City.

In recent years, she was a familiar figure in the Larkin Building, where she assisted with her husband’s mechanical engineering consulting company. Her son, William, was one of the building’s developers.

A longtime supporter of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, she met her husband of 59 years, Charles “Gary,” at one of the concerts in 1951.

In addition to her husband, survivors include six sons, Charles Jr. “Chip,” William, Clifford, Brian, Gregory and David; two daughters, Melanie Cummings and Pamela Makofski; two sisters, Joan Kennedy and Melania Peterson; and 13 grandchildren.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 1:30 p.m. Friday in St. Louis Catholic Church, Main and Edward streets.
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Area Deaths

March 4, 2014, 11:15 pm
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Alice B. Bartlo, 89, died Feb. 26.

Evelyn C. (Klein) Bass, of Kenmore, died March 2.

Victoria “Vicki” Grace Halstead, 56, formerly of Elma, substitute teacher at Iroquois High School, died Feb. 26.

Marjorie (Stockwell) Ivanek, 87, died Feb. 15.

Mary “Mar” (Szeluga) Jager, former secretary to Lovejoy District councilman and city public works commissioner, died March 3.

Thomas D. Lewis, 68, died March 1.

Jean (Van Inwegen) Litz, 88, of the City of Tonawanda, retired speech therapist in the Buffalo School District, died March 1.

Victoria I. (Machynski) Miechurski, 90, died March 2.

Mark J. Mikulski, died Feb. 25.

David F. Parker, 62, formerly of South Buffalo, Air Force veteran and owner of Greenwood Design and Consulting, died Feb. 22.

Laura Rhodes, retired seamstress for M. Wile and Co., died March 3.

Gerald M. Sobczyk, retired from RMF Printing, died March 1.

Betty J. Stack, 90, formerly of Orchard Park, died Feb. 28.

Pasqual Tomasula, 87, died March 2.

Eleanor M. (Spoth) Trombley, died March 1.

Deborah Joy Weintraub, died March 2.

Robert N. Woch, of Cheektowaga, Marine Corps veteran, died March 3.
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Dolores O. Jones, active in Catholic Church

March 5, 2014, 1:40 pm
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March 4, 1928 – March 4, 2014

Dolores O. Jones, of Buffalo, a mother of eight who was active in several Catholic churches, died on her 86th birthday Tuesday in Buffalo General Medical Center from injuries suffered in a recent fall.

Born Dolores Osieja in Buffalo, she was a graduate of Mount St. Joseph Academy and attended Canisius College. As a young woman, she worked as a customer service representative for New York Telephone.

Mrs. Jones served on the Parish Council at St. Mark Catholic Church, was a Eucharistic minister at Blessed Sacrament Church in Buffalo and was a volunteer with the Marillac Guild at Sisters Hospital.

In the 1970s, she led an effort through Catholic Charities to sponsor a family of nine refugees from Vietnam.

Living in Oklahoma City from 1981 to 1985, she opened a rental store that included the first off-site UPS shipping store in the nation.

She also was active in the development and construction of a new Catholic church in Oklahoma City.

In recent years, she was a familiar figure in the Larkin Building, where she assisted with her husband’s mechanical engineering consulting company. Her son, William, was one of the building’s developers.

A longtime supporter of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, she met her husband of 59 years, Charles “Gary,” at one of the concerts in 1951.

In addition to her husband, survivors include six sons, Charles Jr. “Chip,” William, Clifford, Brian, Gregory and David; two daughters, Melanie Cummings and Pamela Makofski; two sisters, Joan Kennedy and Melania Peterson; and 13 grandchildren.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 1:30 p.m. Friday in St. Louis Catholic Church, Main and Edward streets.
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Austin F. ‘Mickey’ Finn, supermarket manager

March 5, 2014, 2:07 pm
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Feb. 21, 1925 – March 4, 2014

Austin Francis “Mickey” Finn, a retired supermarket manager, died Tuesday in his Town of Tonawanda home. He was 89.

Born in Lockport, he attended St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute and served in the Navy stateside during World War II.

Mr. Finn had a 42-year career in the grocery business, beginning as a teen at Loblaws.

He went on to become a store manager for Loblaws and a district manager for Nu-Way and Acme markets.

After serving as director of store operations and a district manager for Tops Markets, he opened his own Super Duper market in West Seneca. Returning to Tops, he became director of operations for the company’s B-Kwik Markets. He retired in 1987.

A Town of Tonawanda resident since 1951, he was a founding member of St. Amelia’s Parish, where he served as a parish trustee, president of the Holy Name Society and chairman of the Catholic Charities Appeal and was a member of the St. Vincent de Paul Society.

He received the St. Joseph the Worker Award for his many contributions to the parish.

He also was a past president of the St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute Parents Guild.

Survivors include his wife of 65 years, the former Betty Taylor; three sons, Michael, David and Brian; a daughter, Deborah Allen; two brothers, Joseph and Robert; a sister, Eileen Webster; 12 grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 10:30 a.m. Saturday in St. Amelia Catholic Church, 2999 Eggert Road, Town of Tonawanda.
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Wallace D. Mohn, library system deputy director

March 5, 2014, 2:08 pm
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April 30, 1935 – Feb. 28, 2014

Wallace D. Mohn, of Williamsville, retired deputy director of the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library, died Friday in St. John’s Hospice after a struggle with cancer. He was 78.

Born in Buffalo, he was a graduate of Fosdick-Masten Park High School and received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Buffalo in 1961. He earned his master’s degree in library science from the University of Kentucky in 1963.

Mr. Mohn began his 33-year career with the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library as a junior librarian and advanced to become head of the catalog department, assistant deputy director and deputy director, overseeing the automation of the county library system. He retired in 1996.

As a young man, he worked in veterinary medicine as an animal caretaker at UB and a laboratory assistant at Gaetz Veterinary Hospital.

A former resident of Elma and the Town of Tonawanda, he sang in church choirs for more than 60 years.

Mr. Mohn was a tenor soloist or a member of choirs at St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral, Trinity Episcopal Church, Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo, Calvary Episcopal Church, St. Francis Xavier Church, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church and Central Park Methodist Church.

Survivors include his wife of 57 years, the former Ruth Johnson; and two daughters, Kristin and Nell.

A memorial service will be at 11 a.m. March 14 in Central Park United Methodist Church, 216 Beard Ave.
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Area Deaths

March 5, 2014, 3:51 pm
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Evelyn C. Bass, 88, of Kenmore, former secretary at the NFTA, died March 2.

Marilyn S. (Behrens) Baxter, 86, of Clarence, retired employee benefits manager at Sierra Research, died March 4.

Jackie L. Benson, Korean War veteran, retired from General Motors, died March 3.

Alice D. Blatchford, of Getzville, died March 1.

Margaret M. (Maher) Burns, 96, died March 1.

Anna (Yuzwak) Clarke, died Feb. 26.

Donna Gail Coleman, died March 1.

Virginia Daniels-Chavers, retired nurse at the Erie County Home, died March 5.

Chauncey C. Kennedy Jr., 86, died Feb. 22.

Jane M. (Herb) Krawczyk, died March 3.

Robert L. McClain, died Feb. 27.

Gloria Mae Meyer, 76, formerly of Buffalo, co-founder and operator with her husband of Friar’s Table, died March 1.

Loraine J. (Krug) Mezger, of Orchard Park, died March 2.

Elizabeth V. “Betty” (Heron) Nelson, died March 2.

Doris G. (Smith) Nie, died March 4.

Bessie Pappas, died March 2.

Adele B. (Bujnicki) Pawlowski, 91, died March 3.

Dorothy D. (Toepfer) Sessanna, of the Town of Boston, died March 1.

Andrew Nolan Smith, died March 3.

Sue Ann (Briggs) Smith, died March 1.

L.C. Spender, of Buffalo, died March 3.

Bonnie Mae Szymanski, of Houghton, died March 2.

Erma L. Thompson, 98, of Amherst, died Feb. 26.

Robert G. Vickner Sr., died March 2.

Patricia (Murphy) Wahl, 72, of Buffalo, died March 4.

Stanley L. Whitfield, died March 1.

Michael P. Wierzbowski, of Elma, died March 2.

Mary L. (Green) Willard, of Buffalo, died March 2.

Jenine M. (Cox) Wilson, died March 1.

Robert R. Witek, of Cheektowaga, Army veteran, died March 3.

James R. Young, of West Seneca, died Feb. 28.
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Reginald Williamson, long active in his church

March 6, 2014, 1:37 pm
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March 4, 1954 – March 2, 2014

Reginald Williamson, a noted football player and active church leader, died Sunday in Niagara Falls Memorial Hospital. He was 59.

A resident of Niagara Falls, he was a native of Buffalo and a graduate of South Park High School where he ran track and played football. After attending Canisius College, Mr. Williamson played with semi-professional football teams in Western New York and also tried out for the Los Angeles Raiders. His later sporting passions became bowling and golfing.

Together with his wife, Deborah, he traveled the country in bowling tournaments. He also was an avid golfer and took pride in a hole-in-one at Willowbrook Golf Course in Lockport.

Mr. Williamson was a lifetime member of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Buffalo, where he had attended with his family since childhood. He sang with the church’s Male Chorus and served on the board of trustees.

Much of his time was spent caring for the sick.

Mr. Williamson was employed by the City of Buffalo in a variety of capacities, including as a bail investigator. In the political arena, he served as an assistant to former Assemblyman Arthur O. Eve Sr.

His most recent position was as a machine operator with AllSafe Technologies in Amherst.

He is survived by his wife, the former Deborah Ann Spencer; five sons, Dwon Williamson, Edmond Evans, Richard Clay, Justin Williamson and Rodrique Owens; a brother, Sylvester; and his father, George Brown;

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday in Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, 402 Clinton St.
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Harry Mesches, 92, owned dry-cleaning chain

March 6, 2014, 1:39 pm
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July 12, 1921 – March 4, 2014

Harry Mesches, of Eggertsville, a World War II veteran who owned and operated a chain of dry-cleaning stores, died Tuesday in Buffalo Veterans Affairs Health Care Hospice. He was 92.

Born in Buffalo, he was a graduate of Bennett High School and did odd jobs to help support his family during the Depression.

After graduating, he worked at Bell Aircraft, training production workers.

Mr. Mesches served in World War II with the Army Air Forces, flying 50 missions as a navigator on a B-24 Liberator with the 449th Bomb Group over North Africa, Italy and Eastern Europe. He took part in the second mission over Ploesti, Romania. Returning to the United States, he trained other navigators.

After he was discharged, he earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Buffalo and started a dry-cleaning business, One Hour Veri-Cleaning, which he expanded to 23 locations. He retired in the late 1980s.

An Eggertsville resident since 1959, he was a former member of Temple Beth El and a member of Temple Sinai. He also was a member of the Forum Club and former treasurer of the Neighborhood Dry Cleaning Association.

Survivors include his wife of 63 years, the former Georgia Kolber; two daughters, Susan and Cheryl; a son, Steven; a brother, Arthur; five grandchildren; and a great-grandson.

Services will be at 12:30 p.m. today in Mesnekoff Funeral Home, 8630 Transit Road, East Amherst.
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Andrew N. Smith, retired Buffalo funeral director

March 6, 2014, 2:09 pm
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June 1, 1928 – March 3, 2014

Andrew Nolan Smith, a retired Buffalo funeral director, died Monday in his Williamsville home after a lengthy illness. He was 85.

Born in Buffalo, he was a graduate of St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute and attended Canisius College.

He served for two years in the Army during the Korean War and was stationed in Germany.

After graduating from Simmons School of Mortuary Science in Syracuse, Mr. Smith joined his father in the Andrew C. Smith Funeral Home on Delaware Avenue in North Buffalo and took over the business after his father died in 1962.

He sold the funeral home to Dengler Funeral Homes in 1989 and continued working with Dengler as a funeral director until about 10 years ago.

He was a longtime member of the Erie Niagara Funeral Directors Association and a past president of the North Park Lions Club, the Nativity Home School Association and the Holy Name Society at Holy Spirit Catholic Church.

Mr. Smith was an active volunteer at Sacred Heart Academy and St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute, where he was chairman of the annual fund drive.

He also was a member of Kenmore Council 3076, Knights of Columbus, and the St. Vincent de Paul Society.

A resident of Clarence before moving to Williamsville in 1998, he was an avid traveler who enjoyed cruises and vacationing in Muskoka, Ont. He maintained a winter home in Florida from 1998 to 2012.

Surviving are his wife of 58 years, the former Jacqueline L. Ryan; three sons, Andrew C., Kenneth J. and Patrick V.; five daughters, Patricia L., Jennifer A. Hogan, Sally J. Mitchell, Mary M. and Brigid C. Dzialga; a sister, Jean C. Banigan; 14 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 10 a.m. Saturday in Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church, 8500 Main St., Clarence.

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Peter W. Allen, retired school administrator

March 6, 2014, 5:00 pm
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Nov. 25, 1944 – March 5, 2014

Peter William Allen, of Buffalo, a retired school administrator, died Wednesday in St. John’s Hospice House after a yearlong fight with pancreatic cancer. He was 69.

Born in Buffalo, he received his high school diploma and bachelor’s degree from the Diocesan Preparatory Seminary of New York. He earned master’s degrees from Canisius College and the University at Buffalo.

Mr. Allen spent most of his 32-year career in education in the Williamsville Central School District, where he was assistant principal at Williamsville North and South high schools.

Previously, he worked in the Lake Shore Central, Cheektowaga Central and Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda school districts.

After retiring in 2000, he served as an interim assistant principal at Depew High School in 2001.

Mr. Allen was dedicated to youth soccer and traveled throughout the East many times as a manager and supporter of three of his children’s teams.

Surviving are his wife of 45 years, the former Sandra Kolakowski; a son, Jeremy; three daughters, Jessica Ramsay, Juliet Thomas and Margaret; his mother, Zeta; four brothers, Michael, Steve, Patrick and John; two sisters, Kristine Gazzo and Mary Lou Francoforte; and six grandchildren.

A memorial Mass will be offered at 1 p.m. Saturday in St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, 1088 Englewood Ave., Town of Tonawanda.
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James J. ‘JJ’ Flury, owner of lumber company

March 7, 2014, 5:46 am
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May 7, 1931 – Feb. 11, 2014

James J. “JJ” Flury, a lifelong resident of West Seneca who owned a lumber company, died Feb. 11 under hospice care. He was 82.

He was born in Buffalo and was a graduate of Gardenville High School in West Seneca.

At age 21, Mr. Flury opened Quality Lumber & Buffalo Millwork in West Seneca.

During his professional career, he was a past president of the West Seneca Rotary Club, from which he received the Paul Harris Fellow Award, and also a past president of the Northeastern Retail Lumberman’s Association.

He also was named the Western New York Lumber Dealers Association Lumber Person of the Year.

He retired in 1997.

Before becoming ill, Mr. Flury was an avid boater, fisherman and golfer.

He and his late wife of 52 years, Margaret M. “Peggy” Fitzgerald Flury, loved to travel. They spent winters in Naples, Fla.

While vacationing in California, Mr. Flury realized a lifelong dream by golfing at the famous Pebble Beach Golf Course and was thrilled to play the Irish Open course during a trip to Ireland with his wife. He had three holes in one in his lifetime.

Survivors include six sons, Michael J., James R., William, Timothy P., Mark and John; a daughter, Mary Ellen Dingwall; 16 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

A memorial Mass will be offered at 9 a.m. Saturday in Fourteen Holy Helpers Catholic Church, 1350 Indian Church Road, West Seneca.
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Robert A. Marafino, Kenmore East baseball coach

March 7, 2014, 2:03 pm
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Jan. 3, 1926 – March 5, 2014

Robert A. Marafino, , who coached Kenmore East High School baseball teams to 25 straight winning seasons, died Wednesday in Buffalo General Medical Center. The Town of Tonawanda resident was 88.

Born in Buffalo, he began playing baseball in Front Park for Holy Angels Elementary School and in The Buffalo News Midget Leagues.

After his family moved to the Town of Tonawanda, he attended Kenmore High School, which had no baseball program. He played on championship municipal league and American Legion league teams instead.

He was scheduled to start training with the Olean Oilers of the PONY League but enlisted instead in the Army Air Forces during World War II. Returning from service, he earned a degree from the University of Buffalo and played on UB’s first baseball team in 1949.

After three seasons at UB, he joined the Simon Pure team as a catcher and helped win Class AA championships in 1952, 1953 and 1954. He became manager of the team in 1955 and led it to four Class AA titles from 1956 to 1959.

Mr. Marafino, who had become a physical education teacher at Thomas Edison Elementary School in the Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda School District, left the Simons after nine seasons to become the first varsity baseball coach at Kenmore East High School.

In 25 years, his teams won seven Niagara Frontier League titles and six Section VI championships.

He also coached Kenmore East varsity basketball in the 1960s. He retired in 1990.

He served as a baseball and softball umpire with the Ken-Ton and Grand Island umpires associations and was active for 26 years as a high school basketball official, for 37 years as an official for high school and Division 3 college football and for eight years as a high school soccer official.

He was a member of the Kenmore East Athletic Hall of Fame, the Western New York Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame and the Western New York Board 53 Basketball Officials Hall of Fame.

Survivors include his wife of 52 years, the former Judith Armstrong; a son, John; five daughters, Mary Castiglia, Anne Hoar, Cathy Hyzy, Beth O’Donnell and Julie Buda; and nine grandchildren.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 9:30 a.m. Monday in St. Christopher Catholic Church, 2600 Niagara Falls Blvd., Town of Tonawanda.
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Mark Kolkowicz, Williams Poultry Farms president

March 7, 2014, 2:11 pm
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May 2, 1935 – March 4, 2014

Mark Kolkowicz of Williamsville, former president of Williams Poultry Farms, died Tuesday in Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital, Amherst, after a short illness. He was 78.

Born in Warsaw, Poland, Mr. Kolkowicz was a Holocaust survivor. He came to the United States in 1949 at age 14 with his parents and brother.

He later graduated from Corfu Central High School and received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Buffalo in 1958 and a master’s degree from Canisius College in 1963. He served in the Army from 1958 to 1960.

Fluent in many languages, including Polish, German and Yiddish, Mr. Kolkowicz taught English, social studies and German at Lancaster Junior High from 1960 to 1967.

Mr. Kolkowicz’s family in 1950 started Williams Poultry Farms, an egg distributor to local grocery stores and restaurants including Tops Markets and Perkins Restaurants.

He worked in the business throughout high school and college years and his teaching career. He became president of the family business in 1972. The business closed in 2000.

A member of Transit Valley Country Club since 1976, he had four recorded holes-in-one. He enjoyed skiing and playing racquetball and tennis.

Survivors include his wife of 55 years, the former Theresa Judea Miklinski; two daughters, Deborah Santora and Dawn Lewis; a brother, Roman; and nine grandchildren.



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Gerald E. Winkler, food brokerage executive

March 7, 2014, 6:24 pm
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Feb. 10, 1952 – March 4, 2014

Gerald E. Winkler, executive vice president of the Great Lakes region for ESM Ferolie, died Tuesday at his Alden home following a brief illness. He was 62.

A graduate of Canisius High School and Canisius College, he worked at ESM Ferolie, a food brokerage, for 13 years.

Before that, he served as president of Pezrow, another food brokerage, for about 10 years.

He was a member of the Grocery Manufacturers Representatives Associates.

Born and raised in Buffalo, he was an avid Philadelphia Phillies fan.

Survivors include his wife, Sharon; a daughter, Stephanie Schultz; two sons, Gregory and Christopher; his parents, Floyd and Edna, and a brother, Robert.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 10 a.m. today in Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church, 7580 Clinton St., Elma.
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