Obituaries

Dr. Robert Lor, 87, a resident of Perch Lake, Andes, died at his residence on March 24, 2012.

He was born on June 15, 1924 in New York City, the son of Alexander and Edna (Cadares) Lor.
Robert married Stel-la Thompson on February 7, 1950 in New York City.

He served in the U.S. Army during WWII, serving in Germany and France. He received the  Purple Heart for services he gave to his country.

David James Hitt, 66, of Margaretville died March 18, 2012 at Lee, MA.

He was born June 21, 1945 in Margaretville, the son of Melchior and Helen (Close) Hitt. He married Sandra Fairbairn on September 19, 1967 in Andes.
David served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War receiving the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star for the service he gave to his country.

He was employed atthe Frasier creamery for 20 years and also at the bat factory in Shandaken. He lived on the family farm in Jones Hollow in the Town of Andes where he helped operate the farm.

John Mayes, 86, of Margaretville died March 20, 2012 at Catskill Regional Hospital in   Harris from heart complications.

Virginia Joy Lavender, 86, of Albuquerque, NM, formerly of Andes, died Friday, March 22, 2012. 
Virginia was born April 16, 1925 in Brooklyn, the daughter of Jacob and Gertrude (Sparkes) Davis and raised in Newfoundland, Canada.  She returned to Brooklyn in 1946.

Virginia worked as a telephone operator in the ’40s with the “girls.” She got married in 1948 and raised three boys, Robert, Gary, and Brian.

Audrey (McNair) Gould Tompkins, 74, of Schoharie Hill Road, Schoharie died Saturday March 17, 2012 at her daughter’s home after a long illness.  She had lived in Schoharie since 1998, having previously resided in Windham/Ashland and Garden City, Long Island.

Bruce Charles Voorhees, 90, of Roxbury died Saturday March 17, 2012 at Albany Medical Center.
Bruce was born on February 17, 1920 at Ashland, the son of Maurice and Inez (Roe) Voorhees.
He married Velma Irene Lane on May 17, 1942.

He worked for the Town of Roxbury Highway Department for 39 years, retiring at the age of 80. Bruce also had been a substitute bus driver for Roxbury Central School and for many years had driven a bread truck for United Bakery. He also had been a farmer. He enjoyed and was an avid

Joseph D. Fonte, 83, of Fleischmanns passed away March 16, 2012, at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

Joseph was the son of Jose and Dolores (Diaz) Fonte, and was born in Galicia, Spain, on March 28, 1928.

Joseph was a farmer when he was in Halcott Center, and he was in the importing and exporting business in New York City.

Joseph is survived by his wife, Lucivania Fonte; stepson, Lucio Maciel; stepdaughters, Rita Gorman and Patricia Dowers; stepgrandchildren, Sarah Gorman, Ethan Valente, Christopher Valente, and Madison Dowers.

Arthur L. Beyers Jr., 64, of Stamford died March 17, 2012 at Bassett Healthcare in Cooperstown. 

Arthur was born April 11, 1947 in Nyack, the son of Arthur L. and Mary L. (Post) Beyers.
He was married to Katherine Maggio on November 13, 1966 at Haverstraw.

He had been resident of Stamford since 2000. He served in the U.S. Army
during the Vietnam War from 1966 to 1968.  Arthur was employed at Orange-
Rockland Utility Company in Haverstraw as a welder. He retired in 1991 after working there for 20 years.

Infant twin girls Adrian Marie and Ali Lyn Watters died at birth on Wednesday, March 7, 2012 at St. Peter’s Hospital in Albany.

The twins are the daughters of Jeffrey and Marlena (Whitbeck) Watters of New Kingston.

Richard Draffen Elliott, 74, of Vero Beach, FL died in Vero Beach on February 25, 2012.

He was born in the Catskill Mountains of New York and moved to Vero Beach in the late 1970s to form a company to provide city management-like services to newly-forming homeowner and condominium associations in Florida. Previously, he was a faculty member at Sturt College of Advanced Education, a teacher training college in Adelaide, South Australia.

He obtained bachelor’s and master’s degrees from SUNY Oneonta and a doctor of education degree from University of Massachusetts.