John A. Digati, psychologist and counselor

July 11, 2013, 5:34 am

≫ Next: Richard J. Borowiak, trucking company executive

≪ Previous: ‘Hollywood Joe’ Conley from South Buffalo left his mark on screen, in war

May 26, 1929 – July 8, 2013

John Anthony Digati, of Sloan, who owned hair salons in Amherst, then became a psychologist and counselor at Buffalo Veterans Affairs Medical Center, died unexpectedly Monday. He was 84.

Mr. Digati began his career as owner and operator of Anthony’s Hair Fashions in Snyder in 1950 and opened shops on Transit Road and Main Street in Williamsville. He was president of the Hair Dressers Association of New York.

In 1970, he sold his Main Street location to the Town of Amherst, which built the Town Hall on the site, and enrolled at Rosary Hill College, earning a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in psychology.

He served as a drug and alcohol counselor at the VA Medical Center and the Vietnam Veterans Outreach Center, retiring in 1993, and did private counseling. He received many awards and honors.

Born in Buffalo, he attended St. Francis Elementary School and Hutchinson-Central High School. He served in the Army as a cook and was stationed with occupation forces in Japan.

Mr. Digati was a member of several veterans organizations. He enjoyed Friday night poker games, his two cats and traveling cross country in his RV.

Survivors include two sons, Thomas and Christopher, and two daughters, Lynette Domanski and Michele Witucki.

Services will be private.

↧

Richard J. Borowiak, trucking company executive

July 11, 2013, 5:35 am

≫ Next: Joseph D. Ieradi, 92, known as ‘Joe the Shoemaker’

≪ Previous: John A. Digati, psychologist and counselor

Feb. 3, 1925 – July 9, 2013

Richard J. Borowiak, a trucking company executive who was active in the Shrine and the Republican Party, died unexpectedly Tuesday after becoming ill in his home in Eden. He was 88.

Born in Buffalo, he was placed in the German Roman Catholic Orphan Home when he was 11 after the death of his mother. Three years later, he persuaded the priests to release him. While attending Burgard Vocational High School, he got his driver’s license, lying about his age, and began his career as an over-the-road trucker.

He enlisted in the Army a month after Pearl Harbor and served stateside for more than four years, then returned to truck driving.

Mr. Borowiak and a partner formed Lake Erie Transportation Co. in 1962 and he served as vice president. In 1968, they purchased another trucking company, George W. Burnett Inc., which became a division of Lake Erie Transportation, and he served as its president. He continued working until his death.

He was a life member of the Republican National Committee and a member of the New York State Republican Committee and the Republican Senatorial Inner Circle. As a delegate to a Republican presidential convention, he met Ronald Reagan.

A devoted Shriner, Mr. Borowiak was involved in many activities at Ismailia Temple, where he was chief of staff in 1985. He was a member of the Chanters, the Provost Guard, the Mini Kar Corps, the Buccaneers, the Camel Herders and the PHDs.

He was chairman of several activities and raised funds for the Hospital Travel Fund. He served on the board of directors of the Shrine Hospital in Erie, Pa., from 1985 to 1987. He also was a member of the Royal Order of Jesters, Court 22.

Also a dedicated Mason, Mr. Borowiak was a member of Living Stone Lodge 255, Free & Accepted Masons; the Scottish Rite Consistory, Valley of Buffalo; Mount Sinai Chapter 293, Royal Arch Masons; and Lake Erie Commandery 20, Knights Templar.

An Eden resident since 1962, he was a former member of the Buffalo Launch Club, the Hamburg Power Squadron, the Eden Chamber of Commerce and the Antique Auto Club of America. His favorite car was a 1931 Packard.

Surviving are his wife of 20 years, the former Marian Zamorski, and a daughter, Pamela Martines.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 10 a.m. Friday in Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, 8791 S. Main St., Eden.

↧

Joseph D. Ieradi, 92, known as ‘Joe the Shoemaker’

July 11, 2013, 5:36 am

≫ Next: Richard Law Miles, 91, Army Air Forces veteran

≪ Previous: Richard J. Borowiak, trucking company executive

Jan. 23, 1921 – June 28, 2013

Joseph D. Ieradi, who over several decades repaired countless pairs of shoes in a small shop on Abbott Road in Lackawanna, died June 28 in his Lackawanna home. He was 92.

A native of Cortale, Italy, he arrived in the U.S. as a young boy and grew up in Chicago.

Mr. Ieradi was an accomplished baseball player as a young man and, according to his family, he was signed to a contract by the Chicago Cubs, although he never played at the major league level.

After a stint in the Civilian Conservation Corps, at a camp in Wisconsin, he returned to Chicago and began to learn the skills of shoe repair. He moved to Buffalo after meeting Angeline Limardi, a Buffalo resident who would become his wife.

He began his own shoe repair business in Lackawanna in 1955 and became known across the Steel City and beyond as “Joe the Shoemaker.” He often regaled customers with entertaining stories about his baseball playing days, growing up in Chicago and his triumphs and defeats as a prominent local bowler.

“He was a mentor for most of the shoemakers in Erie County,” said his daughter Angelina Niziurski. “He was a fixture in Lackawanna since 1955, and not only for just Lackawanna, but for Buffalo and the other suburbs.”

He continued working until he was 90.

His wife of 56 years died in 2003.

Survivors include two other daughters, Nancy and Laura.

A Mass of Christian Burial was offered July 3 in Our Lady of Victory Basilica. Photo sent to picdesk

↧

Richard Law Miles, 91, Army Air Forces veteran

July 11, 2013, 5:37 am

≫ Next: John J. Barry III, contractor, property manager

≪ Previous: Joseph D. Ieradi, 92, known as ‘Joe the Shoemaker’

May 27, 1922 – July 9, 2013

Richard Law Miles, a World War II veteran, died Tuesday in Northgate Nursing Home, North Tonawanda, after a long illness. He was 91.

Born in Dubois, Pa., Mr. Miles graduated from Bennett High School in 1939.

He served in the Army Air Forces for three years during World War II, stationed in Guam and Europe.

He was part of the maintenance crew on the famous plane Enola Gay, which carried the first atomic bomb, his family said.

For 10 years after his military service, Mr. Miles worked as a salesman and then district manager for General Foods, where he helped in designing the Jell-O box, his family said.

He also worked for Drackett Products Co. for 10 years as a division manager and as a supervisor for McDermott-Riley Corp.

Mr. Law retired in 1977.

He was active in junior golf and volunteered for 10 years for the Buffalo District Golf Association in that area.

Mr. Law was associated with a number of private and public golf courses, working as a starter, his family said.

For his military service, he received three Presidential Commendations.

Mr. Miles was a life member of the Grocery Manufacturer Representatives of Western New York and was a past president.

He also was a member of Holy Name Society of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in the Town of Tonawanda.

Surviving are his wife of 64 years, the former Mary Margaret Mulvey; a son, Rick; and three daughters, Kathy Torrey, Mary Kennedy Losito and Margaret Fahs.

A memorial Mass will be offered at 10:45 a.m. Friday in St. John the Baptist Church, 1085 Englewood Ave., Town of Tonawanda.

↧

John J. Barry III, contractor, property manager

July 11, 2013, 5:38 am

≫ Next: Lowell Grosse, lawyer, Clarence town justice

≪ Previous: Richard Law Miles, 91, Army Air Forces veteran

Nov. 1, 1974 - July 9, 2013

John Joseph Barry III of North Buffalo, a contractor, property manager and contributing member of Orchard Park High Schools’ 1991 state championship boys volleyball team, died Tuesday in Roswell Park Cancer Institute after a battle with leukemia. He was 38.

Mr. Barry grew up in Orchard Park schools, where he was a three-sport athlete, playing volleyball, basketball and baseball.

Before his high school athletic career, Mr. Barry spent many summers playing for his father in the Orchard Park Little League, family members said.

Mr. Barry went on to graduate from West Virginia University and returned to Buffalo Niagara, moving to North Buffalo, where he started his career as a contractor and property manager.

Known as “Johnny,” “Junior,” or “JB,” Mr. Barry was known for his “work ethic, sense of humor and strength,” according to family members. He kept in daily touch with his parents and was likewise close with his three siblings, they said.

Mr. Barry enjoyed vacationing with family in the Adirondack region as well as at a summer home belonging to him and his wife in Canada.

Survivors include his wife, the former Molly Roller; three sons, John, Samuel and Benjamin; a daughter, Anna, 8; two sisters, Trista Barry and Laura Lester; a brother, Christopher Barry; and his parents, John and Deb Barry.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 10 a.m. Saturday in St. Mark Catholic Church, 401 Woodward Ave.

↧

Lowell Grosse, lawyer, Clarence town justice

July 12, 2013, 4:16 am

≫ Next: Irving J. Gottlieb, 95, retired remodeling contractor

≪ Previous: John J. Barry III, contractor, property manager

Nov. 11, 1927 – July 10, 2013

Lowell Grosse, of Clarence, a lawyer who served as Clarence town justice for 22 years, died Wednesday after a short illness. He was 85.

Born in Buffalo, he enlisted in the Navy after graduating from Mount Penn Academy in Reading, Pa., and sailed around the world as an aerologist aboard the USS Greenwich Bay.

He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Buffalo in 1951 and his law degree from UB in 1954, serving as an associate editor of the Buffalo Law Review.

A trial lawyer with offices in Buffalo, he maintained a private practice for 50 years.

Mr. Grosse was a member of the Erie County Bar Association, the New York State Bar Association and the American Bar Association. He served on the board of directors of the International Association of Defense Attorneys.

A member of United Craft Masonic Lodge 931, he was a master Mason. He was a past president of the Clarence Lions Club and former director of the Kidney Foundation of Western New York. He donated one of his kidneys to his late son, Jamey, in 1974.

Mr. Grosse was appointed to the Clarence Town Planning Board in 1972, then won election as Clarence town justice in 1977. He retired from the bench in 1999.

He was a member of Brookfield Country Club.

Survivors include his wife of 59 years, the former Edith F. Ertell; a daughter, Holly A. Cournan; a son, Lowell D.; and a brother, Sherwyn “Skip.”

Services will be at 11 a.m. Monday in Amigone Funeral Home, 8440 Main St., Clarence.

↧

Irving J. Gottlieb, 95, retired remodeling contractor

July 12, 2013, 4:17 am

≫ Next: Area Deaths

≪ Previous: Lowell Grosse, lawyer, Clarence town justice

Aug. 1, 1917 – July 2, 2013

Irving J. “Jim” Gottlieb, a retired Buffalo-area remodeling contractor, died July 2 in Pompano Beach, Fla., after a short illness. He was 95.

Born in New York City, he worked in sales after graduating from high school and came to Buffalo at age 21.

Mr. Gottlieb founded AFO Remodeling and Construction in Buffalo and established branches in Rochester and Johnstown, Pa.

He also owned Gateway Aluminum Products in Rochester, manufacturing and selling doors and storm windows.

As a representative of Solaire Development Corp., he introduced solar-powered systems.

He helped organize the Home Improvement Industry Council in 1962 and served for 25 years in numerous posts, including treasurer, secretary and chairman of the Ethics Committee.

Mr. Gottlieb was a member of the Buffalo Chamber of Commerce and several other Chambers of Commerce.

He also was a member of the 100 Club of Buffalo and served as a director and volunteer at St. Luke Presbyterian Nursing Home.

He wintered in Pompano Beach for 40 years before moving there full time four years ago.

He was the widower of his first wife of 23 years, Anita, and his second wife of 31 years, Ia.

He was married 10 years ago to the former Dorothy Zdrojewski.

There will be no services.

↧

Area Deaths

July 12, 2013, 7:17 pm

≫ Next: Sister Mary Innocent Pomarzynski, educator

≪ Previous: Irving J. Gottlieb, 95, retired remodeling contractor

Darwin “Tom” Anderson, of Irving, died July 11.

Maryann (Bach) Durand, of South Buffalo, died July 10.

Elizabeth M. (Gill) Gardner, died July 6.

Virginia M. Germain, 87, of Waterford, Wis., former owner of Germain’s Red & White grocery store in Middleport, died July 7.

Mary (Gallo) Grasso, of Hamburg, died July 4.

Alma M. (Gutgunst) McGillicuddy, of the Town of Tonawanda, died July 10.

Charles Pace, 83, died July 6.

Robert J. “Pickles” Ransford, a Korean War Army veteran, died July 11.

Barbara A. (Blair) Ruhlman, of Alden, died July 10.

Anjella Stitt, died July 8.

Arthur E. Szymanski, 82, of Cheektowaga, an Air Force veteran and retired railroad worker, died July 10.

Sharon L. (Mondola) Zimpfer, of West Seneca, died July 11.

↧

Sister Mary Innocent Pomarzynski, educator

July 12, 2013, 7:17 pm

≫ Next: Dr. Eugene J. Zygaj, 90, obstetrician, gynecologist

≪ Previous: Area Deaths

Dec. 16, 1935 – July 12, 2013

Sister Mary Innocent Pomarzynski, a teacher and health care administrator, died Friday in the Colette Hilbert Care Center. She was 77.

Born Theresa Sophie Pomarzynski in Buffalo, she entered the Congregation of the Franciscan Sisters of St. Joseph as an aspirant in August 1951, became a postulant in January 1955 and professed her final vows Aug. 2, 1959.

Sister Innocent received an associate degree from Hilbert College, a bachelor’s from Elms College in Chicopee, Mass., and a master’s from Marygrove College in Detroit.

Over a 29-year career in education, she taught at Immaculata High School in Hamburg as well as a number of parochial schools around the country, including St. Columba in Buffalo.

Upon completing a program in nursing home administration at Michigan State University, she became administrator at Marycrest Manor in Livonia, Mich., 1988.

Sister Innocent came to the Hilbert health center in May 2003.

Even after suffering a debilitating stroke, Sister Innocent continued to minister to others through her cheerful spirit and all-embracing smile.

She is survived by a sister, Rita Decsi.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday in the convent chapel, 5229 South Park Ave., Hamburg.

↧

Dr. Eugene J. Zygaj, 90, obstetrician, gynecologist

July 12, 2013, 7:18 pm

≫ Next: Rebecca G. Lasch, UB teacher, singer, gardener

≪ Previous: Sister Mary Innocent Pomarzynski, educator

Nov. 3, 1922 – July 3, 2013

Dr. Eugene J. Zygaj, an area physician who delivered an estimated 3,000 babies during his 36-year career as an obstetrician and gynecologist, died July 3 in Harris Hill Nursing Facility, Lancaster. He was 90.

Born in Buffalo, Dr. Zygaj received his undergraduate degree in chemistry from the University of Buffalo in 1940. He went on to study medicine at the UB School of Medicine and Biological Sciences, graduating in 1950.

To help pay for his studies, he worked with a team of chemists at Linde Air Products Co. in the Town of Tonawanda to recover residual uranium from leftover ore used in the Manhattan Project.

After graduating from medical school, Dr. Zygaj served in the Korean War as a medic, treating wounded troops as part of a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, or MASH, unit.

Dr. Zygaj practiced medicine at four area hospitals during his career: Deaconess Hospital in Buffalo, St. Joseph Hospital in Cheektowaga, Millard Fillmore Hospital and Women & Children’s Hospital.

Dr. Zygaj played a major role in the founding of St. Joseph Hospital and served as president of its medical staff. He was also an active member of the Erie County Medical Society and Medical Art Society.

He retired in 1986 to spend more time with his family, which grew to include four children, seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Dr. Zygaj’s areas of expertise extended beyond the hospital setting. He was an accomplished carpenter, plumber and electrician, and used those skills to build his retirement home in Lancaster with the help of his son and son-in-law.

Dr. Zygaj also had a lifelong love of softball. He enjoyed playing the sport, even into his 80s, and was an umpire for a recreational girls softball league in Lancaster.

He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Gertrude; three sons, Lawrence, John and Edward; a daughter, Margaret Winiewicz; and two sisters, Jane Mytko and Irene.

Funeral services were Monday.

↧

Rebecca G. Lasch, UB teacher, singer, gardener

July 13, 2013, 6:50 am

≫ Next: Hugo Kahn, veteran, honored for Food Bank work

≪ Previous: Dr. Eugene J. Zygaj, 90, obstetrician, gynecologist

April 30, 1957-July 3, 2013

Rebecca G. Lasch, 56, of Amherst, a former teacher at the University at Buffalo and well-known local singer, musician and gardener, died July 3 in Tucson, Ariz.

Mrs. Lasch was born in Harrisburg, Pa., and moved to Amherst with her family in 1959. She graduated from Williamsville South High School in 1975.

After earning a degree in French from the University at Buffalo, Mrs. Lasch spent a year studying in Grenoble, France, developing a lifelong love of the French language and culture. Years later, she visited France with her daughter Julia G. LoVullo.

Mrs. Lasch taught in the English Language Institute at the University at Buffalo.

She held a degree in Christian counseling, and also taught Vacation Bible School.

Mrs. Lasch participated in the Eggertsville Garden Walk for many years.

She sang in several church choirs and enjoyed playing the recorder and flute. During the last two years, she gave behind-the-scenes creative suggestions, ideas and support to the Amherst Symphony Orchestra, especially for its February 2013 concert.

In December 2012, she traveled to Sierra Vista, Ariz., where her sister, Elizabeth Speck, would be her caregiver for the last months of her life.

Mrs. Lasch is also survived by her mother, Joan Fishburn of Amherst, and another daughter, Stephanie A. Anger.

↧

Hugo Kahn, veteran, honored for Food Bank work

July 12, 2013, 10:15 pm

≫ Next: John B. Lebherz, Navy veteran, retired from telephone company

≪ Previous: Rebecca G. Lasch, UB teacher, singer, gardener

Jan. 12, 1915 – July 12, 2013

Hugo Kahn, a longtime public relations adviser for the Food Bank of Western New York who came to Buffalo after fleeing his native Germany to avoid Nazi persecution, died Friday at the Weinberg Campus in Getzville. He was 98.

Born in the small town of Horhausen, Germany, Mr. Kahn experienced anti-Semitic persecution first hand during his time as an apprentice hardware dealer in Mannheim. He left Germany for the United States in 1936, but could not persuade his parents to do the same until it was too late. He lost both parents in the Holocaust.

In America, Mr. Kahn would enlist in the Air Force and fight against the Nazis during World War II.

His ability to speak German proved to be a valuable asset, and he achieved the rank of staff sergeant before being honorably discharged in 1946.

Mr. Kahn married his late wife of 69 years, Ann Cohen, in Miami Beach in 1942. The Kahns moved to Buffalo in 1956, where Mr. Kahn began an 18-year career in clothing retail with Sattler’s, the regional department store chain.

After retiring in 1979, Mr. Kahn devoted much of his time and energy to the Food Bank, where for 21 years he served as the organization’s public relations adviser, earning the love and respect of the countless Western New Yorkers whose lives he touched. Mr. Kahn stepped down from his post in 2011.

He was honored as a Buffalo News Citizen of the Year in 1998 for his work with the Food Bank.

An avid fan of the Buffalo Bills, Mr. Kahn managed to combine several of his passions through his work organizing the Bills’ annual Fan Food Drive. He was also a member of the Bills’ Monday Quarterback Club.

Services will be offered at 11 a.m. Sunday at Amherst Memorial Chapel, 281 Dodge Road, Getzville.

↧

John B. Lebherz, Navy veteran, retired from telephone company

July 13, 2013, 3:53 pm

≫ Next: Stephen P. Washburn, retired Buffalo police officer

≪ Previous: Hugo Kahn, veteran, honored for Food Bank work

Sept. 2, 1927 – June 8, 2013

John B. Lebherz, of West Seneca, a retired telephone company manager, died June 8 in Mercy Hospital after a short illness. He was 85.

Born in Buffalo, Mr. Lebherz was a 1946 graduate of Kenmore High School. He enlisted in the Navy in 1946 and served another tour of duty as an officer in 1951-52. He then served for 20 years in the Naval Reserve, retiring as a Supply Corps commander in 1972.

Mr. Lebherz earned an associate degree in hotel management from Schenectady Community College and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Canisius College.

Mr. Lebherz had a 34-year career in the Bell Telephone system, 30 years with New York Telephone Co. and four years with AT&T. He retired from AT&T in 1985 as regional sales manager, overseeing 240 phone stores in 14 states.

In 1988, he moved to Naples, Fla., and spent five months a year at his summer home in Crescent Beach, Ont. For the past five years, he lived in West Seneca.

He was a member of the Countryside Country Club in Naples, Cherry Hill Club in Ridgeway, Ont., and the DiGamma Honor Society at Canisius College.

His wife of 45 years, the former Marilyn Bradshaw, died in 1995.

Survivors include three sons, John “Brad,” Michael and James; and a daughter, Joanne Speyer.

A memorial Mass will be offered at 11:30 a.m. Saturday in Holy Spirit Catholic Church, 91 Dakota Ave.

↧

Stephen P. Washburn, retired Buffalo police officer

July 15, 2013, 9:58 pm

≫ Next: Richard Byron, industrial construction contractor

≪ Previous: John B. Lebherz, Navy veteran, retired from telephone company

May 12, 1951 – July 12, 2013

Stephen P. Washburn, a retired Buffalo police officer who became vice president of security at the Seneca Niagara Casino in Niagara Falls, died unexpectedly Friday in his Hamburg home. He was 62.

Mr. Washburn was born in Lackawanna and graduated in 1969 from Riverside High School in Buffalo, where he was a top athlete.

He served on active duty in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War from 1969 to 1971. Then he served in the Reserve until 1975.

During the war, he was a mortar man.

Mr. Washburn became vice president of security at Seneca Niagara Casino in 2002.

He was a Buffalo police officer from 1971 to 2002, serving on the S.W.A.T. team, the Tactical Patrol Unit and the Accident Investigation team.

He was actively involved in the affairs of the Seneca Nation of Indians and received the Warriors Medal of Valor from the Native American Nations of the U.S.A.

For his military service, Mr. Washburn received the National Defense Service Medal, Vietnamese Campaign Medal, Vietnamese Service Medal and the Combat Action Ribbon.

He enjoyed fly-fishing, golf, coaching youth sports, bike-riding, vacationing with his family on Kiawah Island, S.C. and watching sunsets along the Buffalo waterfront with his wife.

Surviving are his wife of 29 years, the former Beverly Bellanti; two sons, Joshua and Nathan; and two daughters, Keely and Jenna.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 10 a.m. Thursday in St. Bernadette Catholic Church, 5930 S. Abbott Road, Orchard Park.

↧

Richard Byron, industrial construction contractor

July 15, 2013, 10:01 pm

≫ Next: Area Deaths

≪ Previous: Stephen P. Washburn, retired Buffalo police officer

June 12, 1924 – July 8, 2013

Richard Byron, of Orchard Park, an industrial construction contractor and a leader in the establishment of the Niagara Aerospace Museum, died July 8 in Autumnview Manor, Hamburg. He was 89.

Born in Buffalo, he was a 1942 graduate of Bennett High School and served in the Army in an engineering combat battalion, doing demolition work and building bridges in Europe during World War II. He attained the rank of master sergeant and was awarded the Bronze Star.

Mr. Byron earned a degree in metallurgical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1949 and joined the executive development program at Republic Steel Corp. but left to assist in his father’s company, C.H. Byron Co., Inc., an industrial steel construction and painting contracting business, when his father became ill.

Mr. Byron owned and operated the company for 43 years, retiring in 1993. The company worked on many large-scale construction projects in the area, including what was then Rich Stadium.

He had a lifelong passion for flight, as a birdwatcher and an aviation historian. He traveled extensively to catch sight of new bird species. He was an early leader in the Buffalo Audubon Society and a longtime member of the Buffalo Ornithological Society.

He was one of the founders of the Niagara Aerospace Museum and served as its executive director, curator and senior historian. He was inducted into the Niagara Frontier Aviation and Space Hall of Fame in 2007. He also was a member of the Aero Club of Buffalo.

Survivors include his wife, the former Barbara “Bobby” Robins; a daughter, Rachel Moore; and two sons, Charles H. II and Andrew H.

A memorial service will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday in the chapel at Forest Lawn.

↧

Area Deaths

July 16, 2013, 4:53 pm

≫ Next: Walter Cotton, prominent N.Y. City actor, director, writer, producer

≪ Previous: Richard Byron, industrial construction contractor

Joseph Costrino, died July 14.

Rosemary (Guile) Esty, of Derby, died July 14.

Alice M. Fitzner, of Kenmore, died July 13.

Dorothy A. (Rutka) Krnjaich, died July 15.

Charles H. Lehsten, died July 14.

Joseph F. Liberto, 65, of North Tonawanda, Vietnam War Army veteran, General Motors retiree, North Tonawanda alderman and a member of the NCCC board, died July 14.

Margaret M. (Roberts) Macri, 81, died July 14.

Doris R. (Schmigel) Markek, died July 13.

Irene (Gura) Mosner, died July 15.

Frances (Walsh) Sims, died July 13.

Valerie F. (Semeraski) Spring, 80, of East Aurora, former nurse at Roswell Park and West Seneca Developmental Center, died July 14.

Regina H. (Dombrowski) Stefanski, died July 14.

Jan Martin Stolarski Sr., died July 13.

↧

Walter Cotton, prominent N.Y. City actor, director, writer, producer

July 16, 2013, 4:53 pm

≫ Next: Dorothy E. Young, 107, church organist and choir director

≪ Previous: Area Deaths

Jan. 11, 1938 – July 5, 2013

Walter Cotton (Harris), a Buffalo native who enjoyed a long acting career in New York City before his recent return to this area, died July 5 in Roswell Park Cancer Institute after a long illness. He was 75.

Mr. Cotton, who was known principally by his stage name, was born in Buffalo and was a member of the Harris family here. His family’s roots in the city go back to the 1820s, and they were founding members of St. Philip’s Episcopal Church in the 1860s.

As a youth, he was a member of the Singing Boys of Buffalo, a choir composed of public school students, and he fondly recalled his time growing up in the Cold Spring neighborhood of the city.

Mr. Cotton was a member of the National Guard before he joined the U.S. Air Force Strategic Air Command and served in Korea as a bombing navigation computer technician.

When he left the Air Force, Mr. Cotton settled in Greenwich Village and the Lower East Side of New York City to pursue an acting career. He was among the original cast members of Roger Furman’s New Heritage Theater Company in Harlem and performed with Sun Ra at the opening of the Fillmore East in the East Village in 1968.

It was also in New York that he met his wife, the former Marsha Schwam, 45 years ago.

As an actor, writer, producer and director, Mr. Cotton’s career expanded in theater and film. He appeared in many productions at New Heritage, Joseph Papp’s Public Theater and Actors Studio, and was in the film “Cotton Comes to Harlem.”

Mr. Cotton co-wrote, produced and starred in the 1980 film “Personal Problems,” now in the permanent collection of the Schomburg Center in New York. Executive producer of the film was Mr. Cotton’s lifelong friend, Buffalo native and award-winning poet Ishmael Reed.

Mr. Cotton’s plays that were performed in New York include “Candyman’s Dance,” “New York City Is Closed,” which is included in Guernsey’s Best Plays series, the Audelco-nominated “Melting” and “Yeoman of Yesod.”

Besides his wife, Mr. Cotton is survived by a son, Blaine Harris; three daughters, Christy Wormley, Stacey Newman and Yolanda Sayre; two sisters, Sheila Nickson and Anne Harris; and two brothers, Brian Harris and Michael Harris.

A memorial service will be at 10:30 a.m. Aug. 10 in St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, 18 Sussex St. Reed will be among the speakers at a memorial tribute to be held at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 12 in Frank E. Merriweather Jr. Library, 1334 Jefferson Ave.

↧

Dorothy E. Young, 107, church organist and choir director

July 16, 2013, 10:48 pm

≫ Next: Buffalo Area Deaths

≪ Previous: Walter Cotton, prominent N.Y. City actor, director, writer, producer

Jan. 26, 1906 – July 14, 2013

Dorothy E. Young, a church organist and choir director, died Sunday in ElderWood Care at Oakwood, Amherst. She was 107.

Born Dorothy Hammel in Buffalo, she graduated from Holy Angels Academy and was the high school’s oldest living alumna at the time of her death.

She was organist and choir director at St. Paul Catholic Church for 25 years, St. John the Baptist Catholic Church for 25 years and St. Timothy Catholic Church for nine years, retiring at age 98.

She married Edward Young in 1930. He died in 1989 after 59 years of marriage.

Mrs. Young was a longtime member of the Buffalo Choir Masters Guild, a professional group for choir directors. She was past membership chairwoman of the Kenmore AARP and music director of its Guys & Dolls singing group, which visits area nursing homes and other organizations.

Mrs. Young was a past president of St. Paul’s Women’s Sodality and a member of the Kenmore Choral Club, which staged Gilbert and Sullivan musicals and operettas.

She was a volunteer from age 105 in the Section of Geriatrics at Boston Medical Center, which called her annually for a memory test.

She visited schools to teach students about early 20th century life and completed the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life 1-mile course at age 98.

When she was 100, she told conductor Marvin Hamlisch during a performance at Kleinhans Music Hall that the secret to longevity was “hard work.”

She is survived by two sons, Edward and Paul.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered 10:45 a.m. Friday in St. John the Baptist Church, 1085 Englewood Ave., Town of Tonawanda.

↧

Buffalo Area Deaths

July 17, 2013, 3:57 pm

≫ Next: Brother Maurice V. Swartout, ministered to seniors

≪ Previous: Dorothy E. Young, 107, church organist and choir director

Henry Graham Banks, of Wales, died July 15.

Maryann (Dabb) Belz, 73, died July 15.

Kortney Dybevick, administrative assistant for HSBC Arena/Buffalo Sabres, died July 16.

Mary L. (Lorenzo) Fiorella, died July 16.

James E. Fitzpatrick, past member of Arabian Horse Association, died July 15.

Ruby M. (Holmes) Graves, of Buffalo, died July 14.

James C. Kane, of Lancaster, member of Polish Falcons Club and Elma Meadows Men’s Golf Club, died July 14.

Janet F. (Fleming) Ketelsen, of Hamburg, Jehovah’s Witness minister, died July 14.

Angela A. (Copley) Luppino, of Tonawanda, died July 15.

Dr. Sixto R. “Chitong” Maceda III, 70, died July 15.

Beverly J. (Gunning) Milosich, of Orchard Park, died July 15.

Lois E. (Wanzer) Muranyi, of Grand Island, died July 15.

Phyllis A. (Frank) Ott, 75, of Springville, died July 15.

Lloyd W. “Bill” Painter, 62, died July 14.

Marjorie L. Parkhurst, of Evans, died July 16.

Donald A. Passmore, member of Masonic Transportation Lodge 842 F&AM, died July 16.

Louis S. Pelino Sr., 71, died July 15.

Josephine G. (Filadora) Radice, died July 13.

Edward S. Simmons, 62, retired deputy director for New York State Division of Veteran’s Affairs, and board of directors co-chairman for Veterans One-Stop Center of WNY, died July 16.

Raymond M. Smith, 80, of Machias, Ford employee and UAW Local 897 union member, died June 30.

Allen Perkins Spaulding Jr., died June 5.

Kelly L. (Rodriguez) Stradtman, of Cheektowaga, died July 12.

Maurice “Bro. Moe” Swartout, Franciscan friar for 64 years, died July 15.

Margaret L. (Luce) Swift, died July 15.

June B. (Seufert) Walker, died June 26.

Jo-Ann (Folan) Winnert, died July 16.

Angeline Wisniewski, died July 16.

Robert H. Wulf, 89, of Springville, died July 16.

Martha J. (Kill) Young, died July 15.

Edmund T. “Whitey” Zeszotarski, Bethlehem Steel retiree and member of Harvey D. Morin Post, Veterans of Foreign Wars, died July 13.

Irene S. (Wojciechowski) Zotara, 82, of Orchard Park, activities director for Maryvale East Management Corp., died July 16.

↧

Brother Maurice V. Swartout, ministered to seniors

July 17, 2013, 6:06 pm

≫ Next: Ernest M. Found, Batavia lawyer, former district attorney

≪ Previous: Buffalo Area Deaths

Sept. 18, 1924 – July 15, 2013

Brother Maurice V. Swartout, a popular Franciscan friar who ministered to senior citizens on Buffalo’s East Side, died Monday in Mercy Hospital after suffering a stroke. He was 88.

“Brother Moe,” as he was known to Catholics and non-Catholics alike, was active in several Buffalo parishes and helped to organize activities for senior citizens at local community centers.

Born Raymond Leonard Swartout in Boonville, Oneida County, he attended Boonville public schools and was a 1942 graduate of Boonville High School.

He entered the Franciscan Order of Friars Minor in 1945 in Paterson, N.J., and professed final vows in 1949 in New York City.

Early in his ministry, he was director of a cabinet-making shop in Anapolis, Brazil. He later became part of the order’s formation program team in Croghan, Lewis County; Rye Beach, N.H.; and Brookline, Mass.

He and three other friars started an intentional community in East Boston in 1974.

In 1989, he was assigned as pastoral associate at SS. Rita & Patrick parish in Buffalo and served in the same capacity at St. Clare Parish, which formed from the 2007 merger of four parishes.

Brother Moe maintained a special devotion to the Blessed Mother, daily reciting the rosary. He was spiritual moderator for secular Franciscans and the St. Patrick Fraternity.

He helped to organize senior citizens luncheons and was a fixture on senior bus trips, leading the recitation of the rosary and other prayers.

He also maintained a peace garden at the St. Patrick Friary and conducted a novena to St. Jude on Fridays in St. Stephen Church.

A wake service will be at 7 p.m. today in St. Stephen Church (of St. Clare parish), 193 Elk St., where a Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 10 a.m. Friday.

↧

Latest Images