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Arthur F. Dobson Jr., attorney killed on bike trip

June 12, 2013, 6:02 pm
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May 12, 1947 - June 11, 2013

A Clarence lawyer has died from injuries suffered during an accident while bicycling in Europe.

Arthur F. Dobson Jr., 66, died Tuesday at a hospital in Izola, Slovenia, where the accident occurred a week earlier on June 4.

Mr. Dobson and three friends were on their second day of riding, when he was ejected from his bike while trying to avoid a car that cut in front of him, his daughter, Allison, told The Buffalo News on Wednesday.

The group of friends has been taking an annual bicycling trip to different locations around the world for the past several years, she said.

While friends and family are mourning the death, Allison Dobson said her father died in a beautiful part of the world among friends while doing what he loved.

“We don’t believe he felt any pain,” she said, “and we know he is at peace.”

Mr. Dobson was born in New Jersey and came to the Buffalo area when his parents moved to Orchard Park while he was in college.

In 1969, he graduated from Notre Dame, where he would meet his future wife, Nancy, on a blind date. The couple married on June 20, 1970.

Mr. Dobson graduated from the University at Buffalo Law School in 1972 and worked in private practice over the years, most recently at Michalak & Dobson.

Mr. Dobson was an avid cyclist, but he enjoyed other sports including skiing and golf. He was a Notre Dame fan and had been scorekeeper for the varsity basketball team at Buffalo Academy of the Sacred Heart.

A parishioner at Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Clarence, Mr. Dobson was a longtime Little League coach and served on the board of the town’s senior citizens center.

He had a large vegetable garden and enjoyed cooking in his backyard pizza oven. He was looking forward to the arrival of his first grandchild.

Besides his daughter, Allison, and wife of nearly 43 years, Nancy, executive vice president of Uniland Development Co., Mr. Dobson is survived by a son, Jonathan; and two brothers, Thomas and David.

Funeral arrangements are incomplete.

– Jay Rey
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John A. Cope, National Fuel executive, decorated WWII veteran

June 12, 2013, 6:06 pm
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May 18, 1922 – June 9, 2013

A memorial service for John A. Cope, a retired National Fuel Gas Co. treasurer, will be held at 11 a.m. today in Hamburg United Methodist Church, 116 Union St.

Mr. Cope, of Eden, died Sunday at home. He was 91.

Born in Knox, Pa., he attended Millsaps College in Jackson, Miss., and the U.S. Army Officers Training Program at the University of Pittsburgh.

During World War II, he served in the Army Medical Corps in Europe and was the recipient of the Purple Heart and Bronze Star. He served in the Battle of the Bulge.

In 1985, Mr. Cope retired from National Fuel as treasurer of several of its subsidiaries after more than 35 years.

He was a member of the Hamburg Masonic Lodge and the Ismailia Shrine, with more than 60 years as a Mason in Pennsylvania. He was a member of Hamburg United Methodist Church.

Survivors include his wife of 22 years, the former Delores Madden; four sons, Jack, Dick, Jim and Barry; a daughter, Sandy; two stepdaughters, Susan and Eileen; and a stepson, Joseph.

He was predeceased by his first wife of 41 years, I. Maxine Cope.
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Ernst H. Beutner, renowned dermatology researcher

June 13, 2013, 3:05 pm
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Aug. 27, 1923 – June 10, 2013

Ernst Herman Beutner, renowned for his research in dermatology, died Monday in his Amherst home after a short illness. He was 89.

A professor emeritus of microbiology and dermatology at the University at Buffalo, he founded and directed an independent dermatological research laboratory that bears his name.

Born in Berlin, Germany, the son of a chemist and a pharmacologist, he came to the U.S. with his parents as an infant. Drafted into the Army the year after he began attending Pennsylvania State University, he was assigned as an interpreter for German prisoners of war.

Discharged in 1945, he returned to Penn State and developed an interest in bacteriology. After completing his doctorate in 1951 at the University of Pennsylvania, he took positions with Sias Labs in Brookline, Mass., and the Harvard School of Dental Medicine. He came to UB in 1956.

Working under Ernest Witebsky in the Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, he specialized in the use of immunofluorescence (IF) for studies of autoimmune diseases in animals and humans.

Dr. Beutner and his colleagues led eight international conferences on the standardization of IF, which resulted in mandated proficiency tests for antinuclear antibodies across the U.S.

In 1965, he and his associates discovered the role of autoimmunity in two skin diseases with high mortality rates, pemphigus and pemphigold.

This led to a 25-year collaboration with two Polish researchers, Tadeusz Chorzelski and Stephanie Jablonska, that resulted in 125 publications on autoimmune diseases of the skin and other connective tissues, including studies on Celiac disease, psoriasis and dermatitis herpetiformis, a chronic blistering skin condition.

He founded Beutner Labs in 1992 and served as director until retiring last year. The lab specializes in studies of blistering diseases, lupus and psoriasiform eruptions, and provides the only nationwide proficiency tests for pemphigus and pemphigold.

He received numerous honors, awards and fellowships from schools and medical societies around the world.

Survivors include his wife, Gloria P.; a son, Eric W.; and two daughters, Karen Banach and Jean.

Services will be held at 4 p.m. Saturday in Dietrich Funeral Home, 2480 Kensington Ave., Amherst.
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Area Deaths

June 13, 2013, 10:07 pm
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Betty J. (Eaton) Babcock, of Alden, died June 6.

Jose M. Ballester, 89, of Grand Island, died June 5.

Ernst H. Beutner, died June 10.

Giuseppe Battaglia, died June 12.

Lawrence “Larry” Bowman, of the Tonawandas, died June 12.

Timothy P. Carnrike, died June 12.

Marilyn R. (Heintz) DiFrancesco, of Cheektowaga, died June 11.

Allene B. Easton, died June 12.

Doris A. (Strathman) Gilbert, died June 9.

Florence C. (Schorb) Herberger, 103, of East Amherst, died June 12.

Gloria M. (Kazmierczak) Hobler, 83, of Cheektowaga, died June 12.

Alfred W. Hodgson, of Orchard Park, died June 11.

Frank H. Jeter, died June 10.

Lynn M. (Vicaretto) Johnson, died June 10.

Josephine (Sadowski) Kloch, 93, of North Tonawanda, died June 11.

Thomas W. LaVean, of Tonawanda, died June 12.

Teresa B. (Huber) Lukis, of West Seneca, died June 12.

Anthony L. Moczydlowski, died June 11.

Betty A. Mahony, 80, of Cheektowaga, died June 9.

Eleanor B. (Victor) Mariano, of Orchard Park, died June 11.

Elizabeth “Betty” (DeCarlo) Migliore, died June 10.

Bernard A. Netzel, died June 11.

Robert M. Niedziela, 73, died June 9.

Luba M. Peczonczyk, 67, died June 11.

Zenon T. Pelczynski, died June 10.

Christian Henry Ripstein Jr., died March 28.

Sterling A. Ruhl Jr., of East Aurora, died June 12.

Brownie Stolarski, died June 11.

William H. Slack, died May 20.

Connie Jean Spentz, died June 7.
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Florence C. Herberger, 103, retired schoolteacher

June 13, 2013, 10:07 pm
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May 14, 1910 – June 12, 2013

Florence C. Herberger, of Swormville, a retired teacher, died Wednesday in ElderWood Health Care at Maplewood, Cheektowaga, where she had been a resident for two years. She was 103.

Born in Swormville, the former Florence Schorb was a 1928 graduate of Buffalo Normal School. She began teaching in a one-room schoolhouse in Amherst and later taught in Clarence at School No. 12.

In 1936, she married her high school sweetheart, Aloysius Herberger, and they operated a small grocery and butcher shop in Swormville for 15 years.

After raising six children, Mrs. Herberger returned to the classroom, teaching at St. Mary’s School in Swormville from 1958 until she retired in 1974.

In retirement, she and her husband spent 12 years traveling, sightseeing and fishing. After his death in 1987, she spent the next 20 years volunteering at St. Mary’s Catholic Church and the rectory.

A member of the Swormville Fire Company Ladies Auxiliary, she was an avid reader and enjoyed playing cards.

Survivors include three daughters, Judy Ross, Faith Ball and Joy Jurek; and three sons, Noel, Niles and Melvin.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 10 a.m. Saturday in the chapel of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 6919 Transit Road, Swormville.
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Connie J. Spentz, LPN, nursing instructor

June 14, 2013, 3:27 pm
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March 19, 1947 – June 7, 2013

Connie J. Spentz, of Buffalo, a licensed practical nurse and nursing instructor, died unexpectedly June 7. She was 66.

Born in Coalwood, W.Va., the former Connie Williams came to Buffalo with her family as a child and was a 1965 graduate of East High School.

After receiving her LPN degree from D’Youville College, she earned a master’s degree from the University at Buffalo.

She worked for 32 years for Erie County at Erie County Medical Center and Erie Community College. At the time of her death, she was teaching nursing as an adjunct professor at UB. She was a board member of Statewide Peer Assistance for Nurses.

Active in Humboldt Parkway Baptist Church, she was director of the vacation Bible school, a primary Sunday school teacher and was founder of the church’s nurses ministry.

She also was a member of the Mass Choir and Harmonettes at the church and a member of the Floral Club. She was former supervisor of the Junior Missionary Society.

A member of the Great Lakes Baptist Association Women’s Auxiliary Ministry, she was assistant director of its Young People’s Department.

Ms. Spentz was a member of the Whistettes whist club for 45 years. She also was a seamstress and was creative with arts and crafts. She enjoyed music, reading and gardening.

Her husband of 33 years, James E., died in 2002.

Survivors include four daughters, Janelle, Vanessa, LaVita and Jonette Spentz-Jackson; and three sons, Jason, the Rev. Lavell Pompey and Lamont.

Services will be held at 11 a.m. today in Humboldt Parkway Baptist Church, 790 Humboldt Parkway.
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Thomas W. LaVean, retired News carpenter foreman

June 14, 2013, 3:30 pm
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May 10, 1935 – June 12, 2013

Thomas W. LaVean, a retired carpenter foreman at The Buffalo News, died Wednesday in Delaware Nursing and Rehabilitation Center after a short illness. He was 78.

Born and raised in Buffalo, Mr. LaVean was a Golden Gloves boxer and served two years as a Buffalo police officer until he found his passion as a carpenter for The Buffalo Evening News in 1950.

In 1954, he married his wife, Mary Jane. Mr. LaVean owned and operated several apartment buildings in the 1960s and 1970s. He owned a bar in Buffalo and worked part time as a bartender at Memorial Auditorium and HSBC Arena.

Mr. LaVean retired from The News in 1998.

He was a longtime parishioner of St. Amelia’s Catholic Church, where he was a fourth-degree member of Knight of Columbus.

In addition to his wife of 58 years, he is survived by a son, Thomas; three daughters, Debbie, Linda and Katherine; and a sister, Patricia.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 9 a.m. today in St. Amelia’s Church, 2999 Eggert Road, Town of Tonawanda.
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Dr. Franklin H. Glassman, family practitioner

June 14, 2013, 3:31 pm
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March 4, 1926 – June 6, 2013

Dr. Franklin H. Glassman, who practiced medicine until last year, died June 6 in Kenmore Mercy Hospital. He was 87.

A lifelong resident of Snyder, Dr. Glassman maintained a family practice in Snyder for 60 years and was a member of the Western New York Osteopathic Society.

He was a graduate of Amherst High School, the University of Buffalo Medical School and Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Dr. Glassman served in the 393rd Army Division during World War II and was wounded in the Battle of the Bulge.

He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Ellen.

A service will be conducted at 10:30 a.m. June 22 in Crossroads Lutheran Church, 4640 Main St., Amherst.
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Area Deaths

June 14, 2013, 5:24 pm
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Jose M. Ballester, 89, of Grand Island, World War II Army veteran and General Motors retiree, died June 5.

Jeannette (Falcone) Bialecki, 84, died June 13.

Anthony Diaz, died June 13.

John J. Eddy, of Cheektowaga, usher at St. Philip the Apostle Church and member of the Knight of Columbus, Father Justin Council, died June 13.

Rita C. (Ptaszynski) Eggleston, died June 12.

Eugene Fechter, of Cheektowaga, Marine and retired state police senior investigator, died June 11.

Marian Fechter, of Cheektowaga, realtor and dental secretary, died June 11.

Mary Louise Fields-Singletary, died June 6.

Justin D. Gaydek, 34, of Strykersville, died June 12.

Angela “Alice” (Wawrzyniec) Gembka, died June 13.

Jean S. (Palmer) Gerlach, 92, formerly of Snyder, retired home economics teacher at Kensington High School, died June 11.

Anne E. (Waligur) Greenwood, 98, died June 14.

Harvey Edward Gresham, died June 10.

Andrew Heaton, died June 14.

Daniel R. Hynes, 61, died June 14.

Charlotte D. (Kuenn) Monroe, of Eden, died June 2.

James R. Montgomery, 64, formerly of Springville, decorated Vietnam War Marine veteran and owner/operator of Art, Science and Technology, died June 4.

Charles R. Pagels Sr., of North Tonawanda, died June 10.

Renea A. (Sobocinski) Reese, 53, died June 13.

Kevin T. Rychlik, of Eden, died June 13.

Joseph E. Schichtel, 85, Korean War veteran and Buffalo Fire Department retiree, died May 28.

Janet T. (Hoak) Schuh, died June 13.

Rev. Leonard J. Sinatra, 72, died June 11.

Jane (Kwasniewski) Starzynski, of Lackawanna, died June 13.

Robert Szulis, of Clarence Center, died June 13.

Thomas R. Vogt, of South Wales, member of UAW Local 55, died June 12.

Carrie F. Walczak, of Hamburg, died June 14.

John P. Weick, died June 10.

Mary Elizabeth “Betty” Westfall, 89, died June 12.
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John Boyd, veteran, worked for phone companies

June 14, 2013, 5:28 pm
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Jan. 9, 1934 – June 13, 2013

John “Jack” Boyd, the father of local attorney and former Channel 7 reporter Steve Boyd, died Thursday in Mercy Hospital after dealing with coronary problems. He was 79.

Mr. Boyd was born in Buffalo and played football at Burgard Vocational High School. He grew up near the Erie Canal, in a neighborhood known as the Hooks, on Buffalo’s waterfront. Mr. Boyd remained passionate about the neighborhood all his life, family members said, and he constantly monitored the waterfront developments. He served in the peacetime Army during the late 1950s.

Mr. Boyd, who lived in Orchard Park, worked 38 years for telephone companies, beginning at Western Electric, installing telephone equipment. He later was employed the New York Telephone Co. and AT&T, as a telephone engineer.

He is survived by his wife, the former Peggy Pezzimenti; two sons, John and Steve; and two daughters, Nicole Boyd and Dina Santos.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 10 a.m. Monday in St. John Vianney Catholic Church, 2950 Southwestern Blvd., Orchard Park.
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Dr. Raymond M. Gibbons Jr., 91, longtime Buffalo dentist

June 15, 2013, 6:13 pm
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Aug. 9, 1921 – June 14, 2013

Dr. Raymond M. Gibbons Jr., a prominent Buffalo dentist with a passion for firefighting and collecting its memorabilia, died Friday in Harris Hill Nursing Home, Clarence, after a short illness. He was 91.

Dr. Gibbons conducted his dental practice for more than 60 years from his office and residence on Linwood Avenue in Buffalo, which became a firefighting shrine, complete with hose nozzles, fire-alarm boxes, a scanner radio that entertained waiting patients and a shiny brass fire pole descending three floors from the attic to the waiting room. He even owned two fire engines that he drove during parades all over Western New York.

“Stuff just seemed to come along,” he told The Buffalo News in 1985. “Gifts, friends who called and said, ‘I heard about this great buy.’ And then I was into it, and I thought ‘Gee, what a nice hobby.’ ”

He often told of walking with his father as a young boy past Engine 9 at East Tupper and Washington streets, spurring his lifelong interest in firefighting. It eventually led him to specialize in forensic dentistry, serving on the scientific staff of the Buffalo Police Department and the Forensic Sciences Unit of the New York State Police, as well as a stint as chief forensic odontologist for Erie County Medical Center.

Born in Buffalo, Dr. Gibbons graduated from Canisius High School, Canisius College and the University of Buffalo Dental School, and served in the Navy Dental Corps during World War II and the Korean War. He was a retired commander in the Naval Reserve.

He was a life member of the American Dental Association, the Dental Society of the State of New York and the Eighth District Dental Society. He served as president of the UB Dental School Alumni Association and International Dental Study Club, and a fellow in the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, International College of Dentists and American Academy of General Dentistry. He also served on the Erie County Board of Health.

Dr. Gibbons was a board member and chairman of the AAA of Western New York and a longtime member and director of the Buffalo Club. He was a Eucharistic minister at St. Louis Catholic Church, and every Sunday morning for decades he delivered communion to patients at Buffalo General Hospital.

For the past several years he lived in Clarence, where he also served as a Eucharistic minister at Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church.

Survivors include his wife of 42 years, the former Virginia Schlee; two daughters, Kathleen Buescher and Nancy Laughlin; a son, R. Michael III; and a sister, Janet Collins.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 10 a.m. Tuesday in Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church, 8500 Main St., Clarence.
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Robert Szulis, farmer, owned Szulis Florists & Greeenhouses

June 15, 2013, 6:15 pm
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Feb. 26, 1941 – June 13, 2013

Robert Szulis, a longtime Clarence farmer and owner of Szulis Florists & Greenhouses, died in his home Thursday after a battle with cancer. He was 72.

Born in Clarence Center, Mr. Szulis was raised on Szulis Farms on Goodrich Road, where his parents, Chester and Mary, taught him at a young age how to grow vegetables and flowers.

He graduated from Clarence High School and then went on to study flower arrangement and design at the Canadian School of Floral Art so he could continue the family business.

Mr. Szulis took over the farm after the death of his father in 1985.

He enjoyed being a farmer and worked sunrise to sunset on the 300-acre farm and its dozens of greenhouses, family members said. He was a familiar sight at area farmers’ markets, including North Tonawanda, Elmwood and Bidwell, Super Flea, Buffalo Place and Clinton-Bailey.

Survivors include his wife of 35 years, the former Patricia Gattie; a son, Robert Jr.; a daughter, Jennifer; a brother, John; and a sister, Dorothy.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 10 a.m. Monday in St. Mary Catholic Church, 6919 Transit Road, Swormville.
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Vincent J. Cottone, owner of Malone’s in Kenmore

June 15, 2013, 6:44 pm
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March 31, 1951 – May 19, 2013

A private memorial service is expected to be arranged for Vincent James “Jim” Cottone, 62, the owner of Malone’s Irish Bar and Grill in Kenmore.

Mr. Cottone died in his home as the result of a May 19 homicide.

Born in Buffalo, Mr. Cottone was raised in Key West and Daytona Beach, Fla., before he returned to Buffalo to graduate from Grover Cleveland High School.

He worked for many years as a district manager for the Ormond clothing chain in Buffalo Niagara and Pennsylvania before being transferred to Atlanta, where he managed the company’s southern district.

Mr. Cottone moved to Cape Cod in the mid-1990s, and he established and ran a small hotel, the Pilgrim Colony Inn in North Truro, Mass. He eventually sold the hotel and pursued a career of purchasing and renovating homes at the tip of the cape in Provincetown before returning to Buffalo about a decade ago.

Here, he bought, fixed up and resold homes in the Allentown and North Buffalo neighborhoods before relocating to Kenmore in 2010. He became owner of Malone’s in 2012.

Besides his passion for restoring homes, Mr. Cottone enjoyed his animals. Family members said he was “always the owner of at least two dogs at any given time.” He was also fond of original artwork by artists from both Provincetown and Buffalo.

Mr. Cottone is survived by his father, Vincent James; a brother, Michael; and a sister, Nancy.
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Mel LeBar, Town of Persia supervisor, veteran

June 16, 2013, 2:49 pm
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March 18, 1943 – June 14, 2013

GOWANDA – Mel LeBar of Gowanda, Town of Persia supervisor, Air Force veteran and retiree of Gowanda Electronics, died Friday in Hospice Buffalo, Cheektowaga. He was 70.

Born in Olean, he was a 1961 graduate of Olean Central School and rose to the rank of Eagle Scout.

A Vietnam War-era veteran of the Air Force, Mr. LeBar moved to Gowanda after joining Gowanda Electronics, first as a material manager. He retired 35 years later as vice president of material operations.

Mr. LeBar was first elected Persia supervisor in 2002 and had planned to seek re-election this fall. He also served on the Town Board.

An avid outdoorsman, Mr. LeBar enjoyed hunting and fishing. He was a Civil War buff.

Active in the community, Mr. LeBar was a member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, was active in American Legion Post 409 and served as commander and president of the Gowanda Lions Club. He also served on the board of the former Tri-County Memorial Hospital and was a member of the Slovenian Club.

Survivors include his wife of nearly 47 years, the former Elizabeth Mater; and three daughters, Denise Wisely, Michelle Feldman and Aimee Calhoun.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday in St. Joseph’s Church, 90 E. Main St.
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Retired Justice Sedita dies at 78

June 16, 2013, 7:47 pm
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Retired State Supreme Court Justice Frank A. Sedita Jr. died Sunday in Sisters Hospital after a brief illness. He was 78.

Judge Sedita, a member of one of the area’s most prominent political families, was the son of three-term Buffalo Mayor Frank A. Sedita and the father of Erie County District Attorney Frank A. Sedita III.

As Buffalo Housing Court Judge in 1992-93, he cracked down on the city’s slumlords, imposing a record total of fines and sending several of them to jail, including then-Common Council Member Norman M. Bakos of the Lovejoy District.

He became a State Supreme Court justice in 1994, completed a 10-year term and served three additional two-year extensions on senior status until he reached the mandatory retirement age of 76.

In retirement, he joined Counsel Financial Services, headed by his close friend, former Erie County Surrogate Joseph S. Mattina.

A graduate of Buffalo public schools, he attended Buffalo State Teachers College and was a summa cum laude graduate of Canisius College, where he was known for his diligence at taking notes. He earned a law degree from the University of Buffalo and was admitted to the bar in 1961.

He was in private practice, specializing in trial, matrimonial and family law until 1968, when he scored 99 on a civil service test and was named Buffalo assistant corporation counsel. In 1970, he was appointed senior deputy corporation counsel, serving until 1976.

Named associate City Court judge in 1976, he won election that fall and served until 1980, when he was elected Erie County Family Court judge. While in Family Court, he was assigned for two years as an acting justice of State Supreme Court.

In 1990, he made an unusual move and ran unopposed for chief City Court judge, which meant taking a pay cut.

When nobody else wanted to replace a departing Housing Court judge in 1992, he named himself to the post and quickly earned acclaim for his hard line with slumlords. He toured dilapidated buildings, imposed deadlines for repairs and increased the fines on delinquent property owners. He became known as “Maximum Frank.”

He also proposed several housing reforms and consolidated the landlord-tenant part of City Court with Housing Court in 1993.

Judge Sedita received numerous honors for his work in Housing Court. He was a Buffalo News Outstanding Citizen in 1992 and received the Buffalo Urban League Stewardship Award in 1993 and the West Side Business Association’s Citizen of the Year Award in 1994.

Although he could be a tough judge, he also was known for his generosity and his charm.

“He was a very friendly, gregarious guy,” one of his longtime friends remarked Sunday.

“He was known all over town.”

In addition to his son, survivors include his wife of 52 years, Marilyn Hemstock Sedita.

Funeral arrangements will be announced.

email: citydesk@buffnews.com
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Area Deaths

June 17, 2013, 2:47 pm
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Patricia J. Abramo, 77, of Basom, died June 14.

Rodney M. Bunts, 91, of West Seneca, died June 14.

Alice E. (Whittaker) Carlino, of West Seneca, died June 14.

Benjamin A. Chimera, of Buffalo, died June 15.

Arthur Frederick Dobson Jr., of Clarence, died June 11.

John Dulakis, 91, died June 16.

Todd A. Farner, formerly of Gowanda, died June 14.

Helen M. (Mayer) Fierle, 99, of Lake View, died June 14.

Marian J. Grundner, 92, died June 16.

Nancy Anna (Riordan) Hartung, died June 16.

Ruth J. Jones, of Hamburg, formerly of South Buffalo, 47-year employee of Erie County Department of Purchasing, died June 15.

June Pearl Knab, of Kenmore, 45-year employee of AM&A’s, died June 15.

Edward J. Kuebler Sr., of Hamburg, died June 14.

Richard J. Mankowski, died June 13.

Angeline (DiChristopher) Monachino, of Lake View, died June 15.

Chris Munzert, died June 15.

Gene F. Ostrowski, died June 15.

Ruth L. (Ludwig) Sager, of West Seneca, died June 14.

Audrey P. Schenauer, of City of Tonawanda, died June 14.

Donald A. Werth, 89, of Tonawanda, died June 15.
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Matthew Licata, retired GM production supervisor

June 17, 2013, 3:13 pm
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Dec. 29, 1928 – June 15, 2013

Matthew Licata, of Amherst, a retired General Motors employee, died Saturday in Maplewood Healthcare Facility, Cheektowaga. He was 84.

Born in Buffalo, he was a graduate of Burgard High School and was drafted into the Army during the Korean War. He was stationed stateside in both California and Alaska. After his military service, Mr. Licata earned an associate degree in metallurgy from Erie County Technical Institute

Mr. Licata worked at GM for 35 years and retired as a production supervisor in 1987. In retirement, Mr. Licata became a member of several golf and bowling leagues, and was a member of the Amherst Senior Center. He also was an usher and member of the Holy Name Society at St. Leo the Great Catholic Church in Amherst. He also belonged to the church’s Young at Heart organization and its Honor Guard.

His wife of 55 years, the former Rose Lombardo, died in 2009.

He is survived by a daughter, Susan M. Sirica; three sons, Ignatius, Anthony and Matthew Jr.; and four sisters, Sara Zwifka, Angie Smietana, Frances Monaghan and Susie Wood.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 9:15 a.m. Thursday in St. Leo the Great Church, 885 Sweet Home Road, Amherst.
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Edward J. McMahon, longtime professor at Daemen College

June 17, 2013, 3:17 pm
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Nov. 19, 1941 – June 14, 2013

Edward J. McMahon of Clarence, a retired professor of education at Daemen College, died Friday in Beechwood Nursing Home, Getzville, after a brief illness. He was 71.

Born in Poughkeepsie, Mr. McMahon earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Buffalo State Teachers College, a master’s degree from Canisius College and a doctorate from the University at Buffalo. He taught at Daemen College for 45 years and, upon his retirement in 2011, was granted the title of professor emeritus.

Mr. McMahon served as chairman of the Education Department for 25 years and was the recipient of the Daemen College President’s Award for Outstanding Faculty in 1985.

He was the founder of British Car Club of WNY and a past president of Phi Delta Kappa Educational Society.

Survivors include his wife, the former Joann M. Ciaccio; a son, Charles M. Fell; a sister, Maureen Tibbetts; and a brother, Brian.

A memorial service will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday in Wick Center at Daemen College, 4380 Main St., Snyder.
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Twiggs Seymore Jr., Buffalo Prep science teacher

June 17, 2013, 5:22 pm
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April 15, 1958 – June 2, 2013

Twiggs Seymore Jr., of Buffalo, a science teacher at Buffalo Prep, died June 2 in Sisters Hospital’s St. Joseph Campus, Cheektowaga, following a short illness. He was 55.

Born in Jamaica, Queens, Mr. Seymore moved to Buffalo as a child in 1962. He graduated from Hutchinson-Central Technical High School and earned an associate degree from Erie Community College in applied science.

From 1989 to 2003, he was employed as an environmental chemist for Ecology & Environment Inc. of Lancaster. From 1992 to 2005, he was a science teacher and tutor at Buffalo Prep. Before that, Mr. Seymore taught science at Upward Bound Classic Program and Science Technology Enrichment Program (STEP).

Mr. Seymore volunteered as a tutor and mentor for Kaleidoscope Competitions and as a competition coach for Bio-Medical STEP.

He earned the Award of Excellence in Teaching from Upward Bound Classic Program; Award of Excellence in Teaching from STEP; and Award of Outstanding Service from the National Organization of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers and the Community Leader Award for 2011.

Mr. Seymore was a Democratic committeeman from the University District.

He was a member of the Black Chamber of Commerce of Western New York and the Association for the Study of Classical African Civilizations.

He was also a board member of the African American Museum project and vice president for the United Black Men’s Think Tank of Buffalo

Mr. Seymore sat on the advisory committees of the Minority and Women Business Enterprises for Erie County and the CREED College Readiness program.

Surviving are his wife of 24 years, the former Crystal Austin; three sons, Marvin J., Chas Moore-Seymore and Demetrius Washington; a daughter, Kianga Kearney; a brother, Alan; and a sister, Robin.

A memorial service will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday in Dorothy J. Collier Community Center, 118 E. Utica St.
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Peter J. Murto, served on two area school boards

June 17, 2013, 10:06 pm
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Dec. 30, 1929 – June 13, 2013

Peter John Murto, of Clarence, a retired Union Carbide manager who served terms on two different suburban school boards, died Thursday in Roswell Park Cancer Institute after a short illness. He was 83.

Born in Lockport, he was a graduate of Lockport High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in 1951 from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where he was a member of Army ROTC.

He joined Union Carbide’s Linde Division upon graduating, but soon was called to active duty and served for 13 months in the Korean War as a first lieutenant.

Returning from service, he did graduate studies at RPI for a year, then rejoined Union Carbide.

Taking up residence on Grand Island, he helped found the community’s first Little League Baseball program, served as an area chairman for the United Way and was elected to the Grand Island Board of Education.

Transfers by Union Carbide took Mr. Murto to Southern California and Indianapolis before he was assigned back to the Linde plant in the Town of Tonawanda in the mid-1960s as a product manager.

Moving to Clarence, he was appointed and then elected to the Clarence School Board, served on the Clarence Recycling Committee and was active with Clarence Presbyterian Church, serving as elder, trustee and finance committee member.

Retiring from Union Carbide in the mid-1980s, he became active in the Clarence Senior Center, serving as chairman of the board of directors. He also became president of the Clarence Lions Club, which presented him with its Melvin Jones Fellow Award in 2001.

He enjoyed fishing, travel and spending summers at Canandaigua Lake, where he had a vacation home.

Survivors include his wife of 61 years, the former Nancy Schaefer; two daughters, Sally M. McCloe and Jennifer M. Klein; and a son, Peter C.

Services will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday in Clarence Presbyterian Church, 9675 Main St., Clarence.
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