In Memoriam
Gladys J. Graham, 84
June 2, 1937 – Feb. 14, 2022
HAMILTON – On February 14, 2022, Gladys Jane Butler Graham, 84, died peacefully in her home surrounded by her family. She was a woman of deep faith and rich in love, a love she shared with her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, all of whom will miss her dearly.
Gladys was born in Westford, NY on June 2, 1937 to Gladys Elsie Austin and John Percy Butler. She graduated from Madison Central School in 1954, where she made lifelong friends. Especially dear to her and to our family are her oldest friends, Marlyn and Norm Fuess and her high school sweetheart and much later her second husband, Dick Conant, who also precedes her in death.
She married William (Bill) J. Graham from Syracuse, NY on September 1, 1956. Bill and Gladys were married for 26 years before Bill’s death in 1982. They had eight children together and began what is now a large and still growing family. We continue to feel the gifts of these two people who taught the values of hard work, kindness, humor, and the enduring power of family bonds. We are deeply grateful for their love. On February 12, 2005 she married her high school sweetheart, Dick Conant. They were happily married for eight years before Dick’s death in 2013.
Gladys worked as an assistant librarian for almost 25 years at the Cooperstown Central School, where she knitted countless sweaters and kept a lot of kids in line. She possessed unmistakable strength. She was tough, but she was loved by many, and her door was always open to students of all walks of life. Gladys also worked part time at the front desk of the Clark Sports Center for many years. She was a member of St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church in Cooperstown, NY and St. Mary’s in Hamilton, New York. She possessed many skills. She sewed, knitted, painted, and gardened. Reading and crosswords were her passion.
She is survived by her children: Sean (Kathy) Graham of Hamilton, NY; Erin Williams of Schenectady, NY; Scott (Elci) Graham of Helena, MT; Christopher (Sandy) Graham of Cherry Valley, NY; Judith Graham of Cooperstown, NY; Heather Graham of Holly Springs, NC; William (Connie) Graham of Canadaigua, NY; Laurel (Sean) Graham Marling of Cooperstown, NY; and Meghann (Mark) Perillo of Syracuse, NY.
She was one of six children and is preceded in death by her parents, her sister, Dorothy Gohde, and her brother, John Butler. She is survived by her sisters Micky Jamba of California, Judy Rockwell of Madison, NY, and Rose Bobnick of Dryden, NY.
She is also survived by 27 grandchildren and 20 great grandchildren. They are a testament to her and were a great source of pride in her life.
Visitation hours was held on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at Burgess & Tedesco Funeral Home in Hamilton, NY. Gladys will be cremated and her remains will be buried in a private ceremony in the Hartwick Cemetery in Hartwick, NY. In lieu of flowers, Gladys’s family asks that any donations be made to the Hamilton Village Library in Hamilton, NY or to Hospice of Oneida, Herkimer, and Madison County.
To send a condolence and sign the Book of Memories online go to www.burgessandtedescofuneralhomes.com
