Obituaries

Harold R. Mead, 71, of Rotterdam entered into the arms of the Lord and his eternal rest on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2013 after a long battle with cancer. He spent his last days at the Joan Nicole Prince Home in Scotia with the love of the wonderful staff and his wife and daughter.

Born August 29, 1941 in Margaretville, he was the son of the late William and Anna Mead. He graduated from Margaretville Central School where he was a basketball and soccer player.

Cheryl E. Maxim, age 62, resident of Woodridge, and formerly of the Margaretville area, died February 10, 2013 at Harris.

She was born August 18, 1950 at Margaretville, daughter of Charles and Patricia (Budd) Maxim.
Cheryl married Michael Stahl on April 2, 2010 at Goshen.
She graduated from Fleischmanns Central School in 1968. She graduated from Pace University in 1981 and her law degree from Pace in 1985.

Cheryl practiced private law in Liberty before joining the Children’s Right Society in Orange County for the past 15 years.

Loren Mattice Jr., age 71, resident of North Blenheim, died February 10, 2013 at the Rosary Hill Home, Hawthorne.

He was born in the town of Blenheim on December 24, 1941, the son of Loren and Erma (Hait) Mattice. He never married. Loren graduated from the Gilboa Central School. He operated a dairy farm for many years.

Surviving are two sisters Laura and Pauline and several nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be held on Friday February 15 at 8 p.m. at the Miller Funeral Home, Roxbury with the Rev. Richard Dykstra, officiating.

Grace Katherine Oakley, 91, passed away Friday, Feb. 8, 2013 at her home.
She was born January 20, 1922 in South Kortright, the daughter of John and Marion (Oblinski) Bisbee.

She married Clifton O. Oakley on January 11, 1941 in the South Kortright Rectory.

Eleanor Ardito, 84, resident of Kelly Corners died Friday February 8, 2013 at the O’Connor Hospital in Delhi.

Eleanor was born in Hollis, Queens on March 9, 1928, the daughter of William and Emma (Mueller ) Mayer. She married Michael Potapchuk on November 24, 1951 in Brooklyn. They had two children, her husband died on November 16, 1976. Eleanor married Michael Ardito on September 3, 1978 and moved to the Catskills.

It is with deep sadness and regret that we confirm the death of Anthony Franchini this past week from complications following lung surgery.

Anthony hailed from New Jersey, the youngest of eight siblings, and is survived by two sisters, Rose and Marie, and a number of nieces and nephews.

After a stint in the Navy, he moved to the East Village, 30-some years ago, witnessing the neighborhood’s many transformations.

Ellen Mae Bowie, 81, a resident of Gilboa, died Monday, Feb. 4, 2013 at A.O. Fox Hospital in Oneonta.

Ellen was born on June 12, 1931 in Gilboa, the daughter of Sweeting Miles and Hazel (Brownell) Kohler. She married William Bowie on June 15, 1951 in Brooklyn. He died in May of 2006.
She worked as a telephone operator for New York Telephone and as a paraprofessional for special needs visually handicapped children at Public School 90 in Richmond Hills. She received her associate’s degree at Queensborough Community College at Bayside.

Paul A. (Moose) Makara Jr., 82, a resident of Arkville died Friday, Feb. 1, 2013 at Margaretville Hospital.

Paul was born July 28, 1930 in the Bronx, the son of Paul A. and Annie (Yockobischn) Makara. He was one of 17 children.

He married Mildred E. Runge and they celebrated 62 years of marriage together.
Paul joined the U.S. Army on January 8, 1953 and served until December 11, 1954.
He worked on construction, driving heavy-duty equipment for Teamsters Local 445 located in Newburgh. He retired in 1994 moving to Arkville in 1975 from Stony Point.

Daniel Gaponiuk, 81, of Arkville, and formerly of Garfield, NJ, and Fleischmanns, passed away on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013.

Dan was born to Daniel and Jean Gaponiuk in Passaic, NJ. He was a Navy veteran and served on the USS Willard Keith from 1951 to 1955. Dan was retired from ITT Avionics in Nutley, NJ and also from Belleayre Mountain Ski Center in Highmount where he operated a lift for many years. He was an avid outdoorsman as well as a handyman and friend to many.

He was predeceased in 1978 by his wife, Patricia, and his parents.

Gloria B. Shaver, 91, of Turnwood passed away on Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2013 at Roscoe Regional Rehabilitation & RHCF.
She was the daughter of the late Richard and Lena Owens Borden, born on December 28, 1921 in Arena.