MORRIS – Bertha Irene Smith, 97, who opened a home daycare and served as a foster mother, passed away at her home in Morris on November 26, 2019. During her last days she had the comfort and support of her loving family at her side.
Bertha was the daughter of Herman and Genieve Comino, of Town of Maryland. She married Leroy Smith, also of Maryland, on March 29, 1942. Together they had eight children.
MARYLAND – Linda L. (Sutton) Briggs, 62, passed away on November 22, 2019 at Albany Veteran’s Medical Center.
She was born September 5, 1957 in Oneonta, the daughter of Robert and Carol (Munson) Sutton.
Linda graduated from Andrew S. Draper Central School in Schenevus. She served in the United States Army, where she met the father of her 3 children, Luis Lopez.
Linda dedicated her life in helping others. She sacrificed much, always putting the needs of her children and others above her own. She owned and operated a daycare in her home for 30 years, touching the lives of numerous children including her three adopted sons.
WEST WINFIELD – Jo Anne (nee Dauchy) Deller, 75, quietly entered Paradise on Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2019 from her home.
Jo Anne was born in Sidney on June 23, 1944, the daughter of Walton T. and Evelyn M. (nee Mattison) Dauchy. She grew up in Burlington Flats, NY where she enjoyed exploring the woods and creek, riding horses at her grandparents, and playing with the neighborhood kids. Jo Anne loved traveling and camping around the country with her parents and brothers. After high school, and amongst other endeavors, Jo Anne lived in Oneonta and worked at the State University College as a secretary before transitioning into helping to start the Data Processing Department on main frame computers.
COOPERSTOWN – Lora Ellen Kanzler, 72, an area native who worked for the county for nearly four decades, passed away on Nov. 10, 2019 at North Florida Regional Medical Center in Gainesville, Florida following a brief illness.
She was born on Nov. 6, 1947 to Thomas William Pollette and Pearl Grace Roberts Pollette in Cooperstown, New York.
Lora graduated Cherry Valley Central School and was employed by Otsego County for 37 years before her retirement.
RICHFIELD SPRINGS – Betty Jo Chase, 69, a native of Florida who served for many years as a nurse’s aide at Bassett Hospital in Cooperstown, passed away following a brief illness Saturday afternoon, Oct. 26, 2019, at Bassett Medical Center in Cooperstown.
Born Jan. 29, 1950, in Milton, Fla., Betty was one of nine children of Clarence and Leona (Mack) Richardson. Raised in Santa Rosa County, Fla., she graduated from Milton High School and then attended nursing school in Pensacola.
COOPERSTOWN – Dale R. Clinton, 61, a native of Cooperstown who helped restore local historic sites including Hyde Hall, passed away peacefully Sunday morning, Oct. 13, surrounded by, “his people.”
Dale was born April 9, 1958, at Bassett Hospital, the son of the late Douglas and Patricia Clinton. He was tough and overcame many health issues, living life to the fullest.
After attending Cooperstown Central School, Dale worked as a contractor with his father’s restoration firm and helped with efforts to restore and preserve many historic sites, including Hyde Hall. Through the years he also worked for the Village of Cooperstown and Leatherstocking Storage, and shared his talents on many projects for family and friends.
ONEONTA – Eugene Lissandrello, 95, an artist whose work was shown at CANO, peacefully died of old age on Sept. 30, 2019, at Fox Nursing Home.
Eugene was born to Italian immigrant parents, Giorgio and Marietta Lissandrello, of Ragusa, Sicily, in Brooklyn, in 1924.
Artist, teacher, and World War II veteran, Gene’s first opportunity to discover his love for art was through free classes offered by the WPA near his home in Bensonhurst. Though accepted at the Cooper Union School of Art, with free admission, he was drafted into the US Army at 19 years of age. His ordnance unit supported the Normandy invasion in 1944. Following the war, he graduated from the Pratt Institute of Art on the G.I. Bill in ’49. He met his true love, Mary Colleen Moore, of Villisca, Iowa, in their painting class while pursuing his MFA at Columbia University, in 1951. Their love would abide for 69 years to this day.
WATERVILLE – Val Frank Oliver, 67, a Vietnam veteranpassed away peacefully after an extended illness on Monday, Sept. 9, 2019 in Bassett Medical Center, Cooperstown. He had the support and comfort of his loving family at his side.
He was one of 22 children. He was born on Feb. 14, 1952 in Ilion, son of the late Frank E. and Ruth McCumber Oliver. He was raised and educated in Brookfield. He first worked on his family’s farm.
COOPERSTOWN – Walter W. Clapper, Jr., 48, an auto mechanic and car race enthusiast, passed away Aug. 28, 2019, at Wilson Medical Center, Johnson City, after an extended illness.
He was born July 19, 1971, in Cooperstown, the son of Walter W. Clapper, Sr. and Thelma (Brannen) Clapper.
Walter was an auto mechanic, working at Value Auto in Oneonta. He could fix just about anything. He enjoyed car races, hunting and spending time with his children.
ONEONTA – Marilyn W. Gerowe, 67, a former ICU nurse at Bassett Hospital, passed away at home with her family and friends at her side on August 1, 2019.
She was born Jan. 1, 1952 in Oneonta, the daughter of John H. Wells Sr. and Adelaide Cora (Escher) Wells.
Marilyn graduated from Oneonta High School, Class of 1970 and also SUNY Morrisville, earning an Associate’s degree in Nursing.
ONEONTA – Steven Doyle, 58, a locally-renown hairdresser, passed away suddenly on July 30, 2019.
He was born February 24, 1961 in Brooklyn, the son of Edward John Doyle and Annette A. (Sudano) Rao.
Steven grew up in Lindenhurst, moving to Oneonta when he was 15 years old and never left. He cut hair for over 35 years, most notably at Measure for Measure, which was originally his father, Ed Doyle’s business. He then changed the salon to Hot Hair by Steven, which he owned and operated from his home.
ONEONTA – Albert J. Read, 93, a SUNY Oneonta physics professor who founded the Science Discovery Center, died peacefully at home Saturday, June 29, 2019.
He was the founding Director of the Science Discovery Center of Oneonta, renamed in his honor in 2015.
Albert was born in Albany to Dr. Albert J. Read and Dana Weitzel Read. He was married to Hazel Roberts Read from 1953 until her death in 2006. They received the College at Oneonta Foundation Distinguished Service Award in 2000 for their community service. In 2010 he married Dr. Frances Gailey, who survives him.
ONEONTA – Albert J. Read, 93, the SUNY Oneonta physics professor who founded the Science Discovery Center at the college, died Saturday, June 29.
Read taught at SUNY Oneonta from 1957 until his retirement in 1985, serving as chair of the physics department from 1983-84. He founded the Science Discovery Center in 1985, serving as director until 2005.
UNADILLA – Doren L. Slade, 74, who authored the book “Making The World Safe For Existence,” died on June 11, 2019.
Doren was born on Jan. 17, 1945 . She was a woman of great scholarship receiving her Ph.D. in Anthropology in 1973 and becoming a certified psychoanalyst in 1986. She wrote the book Making the World Safe for Existence…, and has been published in psychanalytic journals.
Doren was an avid traveler and had a passion for Mexican culture and cuisine. She was always an understanding, insightful, and empathic person and helped many people who are now living enriched lives.
ONEONTA – Word has been received of Oneonta native and career Air Force officer Clifford Roger Silliman, recipient of the Bronze Star and Purple Heart, and survivor of a harrowing air crash at sea during World War II, has died at his home on the Pacific Coast, two and a half weeks shy of his 98th birthday.
The news of his passing was delayed due to the remoteness of his location from Oneonta, his advancing age and infirmity, and the passing of most of his contemporaries. Roger, as he was known to his childhood friends and immediate family, passed away on Jan. 28, 2018, in the beachside community of Lompoc, Calif.
