http://www.buffalonews.com Latest stories from The Buffalo News en-us Sat, 25 May 2013 14:55:42 -0400 Sat, 25 May 2013 14:55:42 -0400 http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130524/CITYANDREGION01/130529441/1116
John A. Busse, a former supervisory special agent for the criminal investigation division of the Rochester field office of the Internal Revenue Service, died Wednesday in Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital, Amherst, after a short illness. He was 65.

A Buffalo native, he was a graduate of Bishop Fallon High School

He was a cum laude graduate of the University at Buffalo.

Mr. Busse, an Amherst resident, retired in 2005 after a 33-year career with the IRS.

He was active through his professional career with the FBI and other federal and state agencies on task forces dealing with public corruption at all levels of government.

In 2001, Mr. Busse was selected to supervise a group of criminal investigation special agents for the IRS in Western New York, and he played a key role in the convictions of 227 people involved with 53 Western New York telemarketing companies in the 1990s, resulting in $9.6 million in court-ordered restitution and $1.1 million in business income forfeitures. In December 1999, U.S. Attorney Denise O’Donnell personally lauded Mr. Busse for his efforts in the telemarketing scam investigations.

A member of the Army National Guard, Mr. Busse was honorably discharged in 1974 as the chief of the communications section of Buffalo’s 152nd Engineer Battalion.

He was a coach and manager of various levels of youth hockey teams in Amherst and Depew, and a former manager-coach in the Amherst Soccer Association and Amherst’s Christy Mathewson/McCarthy Baseball Little League.

He also was an avid golfer and former vice president of the IRS Buffalo Golf League.

He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Adrienne; two sons, John and Brian; two daughters, Michelle and Nicole; his mother, Frances; two brothers, Joseph and James; and a sister, Judy.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 9 a.m. Tuesday in St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church on Maple Road in Amherst. ]]> Sat, 25 May 2013 10:32:27 -0400 http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130524/CITYANDREGION/130529442/1116
Dr. Carlos E. Villarini, a pediatrician in the Southtowns for 37 years, died last Saturday at his home in Fox Run, Orchard Park, after a long illness. He was 83.

Born in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, he graduated from the University of Puerto Rico Medical School. He served in the Navy as a medical officer at St. Albans Naval Hospital.

Dr. Villarini began his internship in 1955 at Mercy Hospital and completed his pediatric training at Children’s Hospital. He established a pediatric practice with Dr. Joseph Ravin in Hamburg and became the coordinator of pediatric education at Mercy Hospital. He retired in 1997.

He served in the University at Buffalo Medical School’s teaching program at Children’s Hospital. He was school physician for Hamburg High School and Eden High School and served as a consultant for the Hamburg Central Schools Committee for Exceptional Children.

He was a member of the Baccelli Medical Club and the Knights of Columbus.

He enjoyed skiing and traveling around the world. He also hosted annual New Year’s Day pig roasts.

Survivors include his wife of 57 years, the former Rosemary Chamberlain, a registered nurse in the Mercy Hospital School of Nursing; three sons, Carl, Robert and Dean; and three daughters, Lisa Palmer, Carmen Kluckhohn and Marisa Atendido.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 10 a.m. Wednesday in SS. Peter & Paul Catholic Church, 66 E. Main St., Hamburg. ]]> Fri, 24 May 2013 22:31:17 -0400 http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130524/CITYANDREGION/130529456/1116
Timothy Maggio, of Buffalo, a licensed rehabilitation counselor and state health therapist for more than 30 years, died April 17 in Sisters Hospital. He was 68.

Born in Lackawanna, he was a graduate of West Seneca West High School and served in the Air Force. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Daemen College and a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling from Canisius College.

Mr. Maggio was employed as a drug and alcohol counselor at the Downtown Clinic and also worked at Child and Adolescent Treatment Services. Most recently, he worked part time as a psychology professor at both Medaille College and Trocaire College.

Mr. Maggio was a past director of Action for Mental Health and served on the advisory council for the Retired Senior Volunteer Program. He was chairman of the board for Phoenix Frontier and served on the boards of C.M.H. Counseling and Unity Church of Buffalo.

He was a volunteer for First Night Buffalo and the Gus Macker Basketball Tournament, among other local events, and also was the recipient of many volunteer awards.

He is survived by four sisters, Jane Herzog, Cheryl Evans, Ruth Doering and Sheila Serafini; and a brother, Gerald.

Services were held April 22 in Unity Church of Buffalo. ]]> Fri, 24 May 2013 20:29:21 -0400 http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130524/CITYANDREGION01/130529471/1116
John D. Dougan, died May 22.

Jeanette M. (Fehan) Hall, of West Seneca, died May 23.

Marie Margaret Hellerer, died May 22.

Lillian A. (Ondrus) Kotaska, of the Town of Tonawanda, died May 23.

Diane H. (Dielman) Kowalski, died May 20.

Dorothy Josephine (Richter) Kwiatkowski, died May 20.

Shirley Mae (Morefield) Marsillo, of Lackawanna, died May 23.

Samuel Martorana, 93, World War II veteran and retired assessor for City of Buffalo, died May 22.

Peggy A. Mosandel, 50, formerly of Lancaster, volunteer, died May 20.

Mary Norine (Sullivan) Nielsen, of Orchard Park, died May 22.

Vincent J. Piscitelli, 86, died May 16.

Eva (Carballa) Salazar, of Lackawanna, died May 2.

Herbert G. Schulz, died May 19.

L. Jerome Schwaed, died May 23.

Herbert Strauss, died May 23.

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A memorial service was held May 9 for Norma J. Hipwell of the Town of Tonawanda, a standout wheelchair athlete in her youth. She died Jan. 13 in the Schofield Residence, Town of Tonawanda. She was 77.

Born in Buffalo, she was a secretary and bookkeeper for Martin Fireproofing and Holler Bros. Inc.

Miss Hipwell, who was unable to walk after being stricken with polio in the mid-1950s, set a record in javelin competition in the 13th annual National Wheelchair Games in New York City and was a leading competitor in archery, table tennis and bowling in the 1960s.

She encouraged the disabled to be active and traveled the world at a time when there were few accommodations for the handicapped. She took pride in living independently and in later years organized activities for seniors.

Survivors include two friends, Christine Crotty and Mary Gill, and several relatives. ]]> Fri, 24 May 2013 19:00:55 -0400 http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130524/CITYANDREGION/130529478/1116
The Rev. Stephen J. Denig, Ph.D., a tenured professor in Niagara University’s College of Education, died Wednesday at St. Catherine’s Infirmary, Philadelphia, after a long illness. He was 64.

Born in Queens, he graduated magna cum laude from Niagara University in 1971, with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy.

Father Denig received a master’s degree in divinity from Mary Immaculate Seminary in 1974 and a master’s in theology from the seminary in 1981.

He was ordained a Vincentian priest May 17, 1975.

He began his career in education in 1976 as a teacher of religion, mathematics and computers at Archbishop Wood High School for Boys in Warminster, Pa.

In 1985, he was named the headmaster of St. Joseph’s Preparatory Seminary in Princeton, N.J., a position he held until 1992. In 1993, he was the instructor of educational administration at Rutgers University.

Over the years, Father Denig continued his education, earning a master of arts in educational administration in 1990 from Rider College, and a doctorate in educational administration from Rutgers University in 1994.

He was an assistant professor from 1996 to 2002 at St. John’s University, where he also was an assistant dean from 1996 to 1998.

Father Denig joined the faculty at Niagara University in 2002. His research included the history of religious education and the comparisons of private and public education. His work was widely published and included a number of articles on student achievement and the role of mission in Catholic education.

He also was active in the work of Niagara University and served in a number of positions outside of the classroom, including the Strategic Planning Committee, Diversity Committee and the Middle States Steering Committee.

He also served on the University Senate, was the moderator for the men’s and women’s swimming teams, and the alumni chaplain.

A funeral Mass will be offered at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday in St. Vincent’s Seminary Community Chapel, Philadelphia. ]]> Fri, 24 May 2013 17:43:57 -0400 http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130523/CITYANDREGION01/130529615/1116
Lawrence M. Ward, a Korean War veteran and past president of the Rotary Club of Kenmore, died Wednesday in Buffalo General Medical Center. He was 83.

A native of Medford, Mass., Mr. Ward was a graduate of Medford High School and Bowling Green University in Ohio.

He served in the Army during the Korean War and moved to the Buffalo area in the 1950s for a job with Glidden Paint Co.

He later co-founded Bison Painting & Decorating, a commercial painting company in Kenmore. He served as vice president of the company for many years until he retired in the mid-1990s.

A longtime Town of Tonawanda resident, Mr. Ward moved to Getzville in 1989.

He was active in the Kenmore Rotary, serving as its president.

He also was a former board member on the Kenmore Rotary Foundation.

His wife of more than 50 years, Mary M. “Maggie” Ward, died in 2012.

Survivors include a daughter, Patricia W. Sanfilippo, and a son, James G.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 9 a.m. Saturday in St. Amelia Catholic Church, 2999 Eggert Road, Town of Tonawanda. ]]> Thu, 23 May 2013 23:46:39 -0400 http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130523/CITYANDREGION01/130529628/1116
Catherine A. “Kitty” Gazda, of Amherst, a nurse and administrator, died May 16 in Hospice Buffalo, Cheektowaga, after a brief illness. She was 51.

Born Catherine Murrett in Buffalo, she was a graduate of Sacred Heart Academy.

She earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from D’Youville College and her master’s degree in rehabilitative medicine from the University at Buffalo.

Mrs. Gazda spent her professional career at Erie County Medical Center, where she served as director of care management.

She was a liaison to the state Peer Review, the state Department of Health and the Erie County Department of Law. She also was the chairwoman of the Nursing Standards Committee.

In addition, she was a member of the Medical Research Review Committee and the Procedural Documentation Task Force for the State University of New York.

Mrs. Gazda was a council member for the New York State Health Department Western New York Regional Area and a charter member of the Western New York Safety Committee.

She held certification in Utilization Review and was a Graduate Medical Educator Facilitator.

Mrs. Gazda enjoyed gardening, antiquing and drive-ins.

During her family’s annual trips to Canada, she enjoyed boating and fishing.

Survivors include her husband, Frank M. Gazda Jr.; three daughters, Katie, Diane and Lindsay; a son, Greg; her mother, Kate Murrett; three sisters, Susan Murrett, Ellen Murrett and Laura Hanlon; and two brothers, Jack Murrett and Daniel Murrett.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 11 a.m. Saturday in St. Benedict Catholic Church, 1317 Eggert Road at Main Street, Eggertsville. ]]> Thu, 23 May 2013 19:07:45 -0400 http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130522/CITYANDREGION/130529750/1116
Sister Mary Michael Hill, of Stella Niagara, died Tuesday in Mount St. Mary’s Hospital, Lewiston. She was 82.

Born Margaret Mary Hill in Niagara Falls, Sister Mary Michael graduated from Cleveland Avenue School in Niagara Falls and Stella Niagara Seminary. She earned her bachelor’s degree at Rosary Hill College and her master’s degree at Niagara University.

Sister Mary Michael was employed at Marine Trust Co. and Bell Aircraft Corp. before she entered the Sisters of St. Francis at Stella Niagara in 1955 and professed her vows in 1958.

She taught at Stella Niagara Seminary and Bishop McMahon High School in Buffalo. She was a provincial secretary of Holy Name Province and secretary at Stella Niagara Education Park.

With the opening of the Center of Renewal at Stella Niagara in 1974 and until 1981, Sister Mary Michael served on the retreat team and was involved in the various renewal movements, giving directed retreats, directing the spiritual exercises of Saint Ignatius and doing spiritual direction.

In 1981, Sister Mary Michael was one of three sisters to begin the community’s ministry in the Miami Archdiocese. She was involved in spiritual care of the elderly and assistant chaplain at St. John’s Rehabilitation Center. In 1986, she moved to Daytona Beach to assume administration of Casa San Pablo, a HUD 202/8 housing complex for low-income elderly sponsored by St. Paul Catholic Church. In 1997, she resigned from Casa San Pablo to accept the position of pastoral associate and business administrator of the Basilica of St. Paul, Dayton Beach, Fla.

Sister Mary Michael retired in October 2006 and continued to live in Daytona Beach until 2007, when she returned to Stella Niagara.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 10 a.m. Saturday in the Sisters Chapel at Stella Niagara, 4421 Lower River Road, Lewiston. ]]> Wed, 22 May 2013 21:52:38 -0400 http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130522/CITYANDREGION/130529751/1116
Alfred A. Funk, a retired Buffalo Fire Department division chief and a World War II prisoner of war, died Saturday at his home in Canterbury Woods, Amherst, after a short illness. He was 89.

Born in Portsmouth, Iowa, one of eight children, he left home after high school and worked in the Civilian Conservation Corps in Iowa, then joined one of his brothers, who had found a job in Buffalo.

Mr. Funk worked for Trico, then joined the Army and fought in World War II in Europe. Captured by the Germans during the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944, he was liberated five months later.

Returning from service, he worked again for Trico, then began a 38-year career with the Buffalo Fire Department. He retired in 1985.

His wife of 58 years, Betty M. Kain Funk, died in 2004. Survivors include a son, Gary; and two daughters, Carol Weber and Susan Taylor.

A Mass of Christian Burial was offered Wednesday in the chapel of St. Mary Catholic Church, 6919 Transit Road, Swormville. ]]> Wed, 22 May 2013 21:52:34 -0400 http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130522/CITYANDREGION01/130529752/1116
They thought they might be going for some kind of luxury cruise. Instead, they went for a cramped ride to their top-secret mission, heading to North Africa to help repair damaged British aircraft during World War II.

Henry J. Sapecky was on that mission, Project 19, a hush-hush initiative requested by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and authorized by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

It sent Mr. Sapecky and others to North Africa for 18 months to help Britain’s Royal Air Force keep its planes in the air to fight Germany.

“It was the best time of my life, a terrific adventure,” Mr. Sapecky told The Buffalo News in a 2001 interview. “I’d do it again tomorrow.”

Mr. Sapecky, a retired businessman also known for his wry sense of humor, died April 1 in Cape Coral, Fla., family members said. He was 94.

Back in March 1941, he was 22 years old, working at the Curtiss-Wright Corp. factory in Cheektowaga, building fighter planes, when rumors began circulating about a secret mission, then known as the “XYZ Affair,” later code-named Project 19.

About 70 men from the Cheektowaga plant signed up and went to Newark, N.J., where they built and maintained planes bound for Russia.

A few months after Pearl Harbor, in April 1942, they were told they were going on a cruise.

The Buffalo lads pictured deck chairs and shuffleboard; instead, their new home was a World War I troop ship built to carry 400 men, but packed with 800. Their “cruise” included two meals a day and occasional showers, with salt water.

A Buffalo native, Mr. Sapecky graduated from Annunciation High School and attended the University of Buffalo.

After returning from Africa, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1944. Stationed on Johnson Island in the Pacific, he worked on planes and co-piloted radar planes.

In 1957, he and a childhood friend started a sales distributorship, Bowser & Sapecky Associates, representing companies whose electronic parts were sold to big companies, including General Electric and IBM.

As a young man, Mr. Sapecky rowed in an eight-man crew at the West Side Rowing Club, competing at the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta.

He enjoyed tennis, boating, fishing, skiing and golf, once notching a hole in one in Florida.

Mr. Sapecky and his wife, the former Rose Ranallo, a history and English teacher, were married for more than 65 years.

They moved to Cape Coral full time in the 1990s. They enjoyed entertaining and traveling.

Besides his wife, Mr. Sapecky is survived by a daughter, Sally Lenahan.

A memorial service will be at 10 a.m. June 8 in Amigone Funeral Home, 1132 Delaware Ave. ]]> Wed, 22 May 2013 21:52:28 -0400 http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130522/CITYANDREGION/130529812/1116
Ray Manzarek, who studied economics in college but cherished music and met with Jim Morrison on a California beach one fateful day in 1965 to help create The Doors, died Monday at a clinic in Rosenheim, Germany.

Manzarek, 74, who had lived for years in California’s Napa County, had bile duct cancer.

Led by the charismatic Morrison, with his mystical wildness and commanding physical presence, and driven by the power of Manzarek on the organ, the band worked its way into the soul of the 1960s counterculture.

Much of what The Doors became known for was owed to Manzarek, with his penchant for blending musical streams and currents, old and new, from blues to classical, with spoken poetry and an overlay of the psychedelic. The band’s biggest hits include “Light My Fire,” “L.A. Woman” and “Break On Through.”

Morrison’s death in 1971 broke the spell. Manzarek, a considerable talent in his own right, struck out for himself. He continued to make music, alone or in bands, through this year, and he exerted great influence on other keyboard artists.

Manzarek had played bass parts for The Doors on a piano. He also mastered the combo organ. He played guitar and percussion instruments as well as the keyboards, and he sometimes sang. He was heard in a half-dozen subgenres of rock. When the punk movement began to flourish in Los Angeles, Manzarek worked in production with the band known as X on the punk landmark album Los Angeles.

The Doors and Morrison remained in Manzarek’s life. Over the years, he disputed the portrayal of the band in a 1991 Oliver Stone film.

“Didn’t think much of it at all,” Manzarek was quoted in 1995 in an Australian newspaper. “It just wasn’t the real Jim Morrison ... The Jim we knew was much more sensitive, poetic, artistic, spiritual.”

Raymond Daniel Manczarek Jr. was born in Chicago on Feb. 12, 1939. He graduated in economics from DePaul University.

He had planned on law school, but at the University of California at Los Angeles, he quickly switched to the film school, where he first met Morrison. After they finished up, they met again, by chance, on Venice Beach.

Morrison sang, Manzarek liked it, and The Doors were founded. Drummer John Densmore and guitarist Robby Krieger were enlisted soon afterward. Manzarek wrote a memoir, “Light My Fire: My Life With the Doors,” which was published in 1998. He also published two novels, including “The Poet in Exile,” which appeared in 2001 and dealt with the rumor that Morrison might still be alive.

Manzarek’s survivors include his wife, Dorothy; a son, Pablo; and two brothers.

Morrison was credited with much of the durability of The Doors. But, Manzarek once said, “As the keyboard player, one would think that the music might have had something to do” with it.

– Washington Post ]]> Wed, 22 May 2013 02:18:41 -0400 http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130522/CITYANDREGION/130529813/1116
WARSAW, Poland (AP) – Boruch Spiegel, one of the last remaining survivors of the 1943 Warsaw ghetto uprising by poorly armed Jewish insurgents against the powerful Nazi German force that occupied Poland, has died. He was 93.

Mr. Spiegel died May 9 in Montreal, where he had spent the past four years in a nursing home, his son Julius said Tuesday.

With Mr. Spiegel’s death, the tiny group of survivors of the legendary World War II revolt that was crushed 70 years ago this month grows even smaller.

Mr. Spiegel was one of about 750 Jewish fighters who on April 19, 1943, launched an uprising that took the Germans off guard. The fighters were overwhelmingly outnumbered and outgunned, and the revolt never had a real chance of victory, but the fighters managed to hold out for a month, longer than some countries invaded by Hitler.

Their struggle endures as a symbol of resistance against the odds and a desire to maintain human dignity in the worst of possible conditions.

Ultimately, though, the German revenge was brutal and involved burning the Warsaw ghetto down building by building. A few dozen of the Jewish fighters survived by escaping the ghetto through underground sewage canals to reach the so-called “Aryan side” of the Polish capital. Mr. Spiegel and his future wife, Chaika Belchatowska, were among them. Others were sent to camps, where most died.

After surviving the ghetto uprising, Mr. Spiegel and his future wife joined the Polish partisans and also took part in the 1944 Warsaw Uprising, a larger citywide revolt against the occupying Germans.

“He was essentially an ordinary guy forced by circumstances to do things that were out of character,” Julius Spiegel told the Associated Press.

It’s not clear how many of the fighters are still living, but the number is certainly small.

When Poland held national ceremonies last month marking the 70th anniversary of the start of the ghetto uprising, officials in Warsaw said they believed there could be four survivors left. Only one, Simha Rotem, was visibly present at the ceremony, giving a speech and accepting a state honor from the Polish president.

Mr. Spiegel is survived by his son Julius, a retired parks commissioner for Brooklyn, and daughter Mindy Spiegel of Montreal. His wife died in 2002. ]]> Wed, 22 May 2013 02:18:12 -0400 http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130522/CITYANDREGION01/130529815/1116
Marjorie (Hill) Borowski, died May 19.

Gerald W. “Burkie” Burke, of Depew, a Vietnam War combat veteran, died May 20.

Jean A. (Conley) Cudney, of South Buffalo, died May 20.

Ida R. (Slatkowski) Drozdowski, of Cheektowaga, died May 20.

Eric M. Fontaine, 21, of West Seneca, member of the Air Force Reserve 914th Civil Engineering Squadron, died May 17.

Vera S. (Chapman) Fry, died May 19.

Catherine A. “Kitty” (Murrett) Gazda, died May 16.

Ray C. Haas Sr., 77, of Williamsville, died March 4.

Nicholas J. Helminiak, died May 19.



Cleo L. (Smith) Huff, of Lancaster, died May 20.

Richard W. Kiley, died May 19.

Marcus Richard “Dick” Mabee, died March 12.

Jean M. (Torrisi) McConkey, of Hamburg, died May 16.

Carole R. (Schottmiller) McGloin, died May 18.

John B. Morganti, of East Aurora, died May 19.

Dr. Frank L. Noyes, 78, executive director of Northwest Community Mental Health Services for 36 years, died May 16.

Raymond P. Prestine, died May 19.

Ella Mae Renckerkt, formerly of North Tonawanda, director of the Station Regional Office of the Office of Children and Family Services for 16 years, died May 19.

Donald W. Schneider, of Germantown, Wis., formerly of Orchard Park, service manager for Krusczka’s Service in Orchard Park, died May 18.

Judith E. Sepi, of Gowanda, formerly of Angola and Batavia, died May 19.

William J. Soltis, 90, of Wheatfield, a career military pilot in WWII and the Korean War, died May 17.

Theresa A. (Delgatto) Spinelli, of Buffalo, died May 19.

Dr. Carlos E. Villarini, of Hamburg, a pediatrician and coordinator of pediatric medicine at Mercy Hospital for 28 years, died May 18.

Frederick A. “Fritz” Warda, 77, died May 19.

Patricia (Harrah) Williams, 91, died May 20.

Sophia (Zegarac) Wright, 95, a WWII Army veteran and first female member of A.J. Jurek Post 1672, American Legion, died May 19.

Inez C. (Lorich) Zimmerman, died May 17.

Ginger Zych, died May 19. ]]> Wed, 22 May 2013 02:17:13 -0400 http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130521/CITYANDREGION/130529842/1116
Daniel J. Tomaka Sr., who owned and operated a beverage distribution company and several other businesses, died Sunday in his Lake View home after a battle with cancer. He was 75.

Born in Lackawanna, he was a graduate of Lackawanna High School. After working for many years in beverage wholesaling, in 1980 he founded Frosty Valley Beverages of Lackawanna, which provides soft drink and juice dispensing systems for restaurants, schools and day care and senior citizens centers in Western New York and Southern Ontario.

Mr. Tomaka also owned and operated Tomaka Auto Sales, Hydro Spray Car Wash and Oil Change Alley, all in Lackawanna, and assisted in Tomaka Technology.

He was a parishioner at Our Lady of Victory Basilica.

Surviving are his wife of 54 years, the former Claudette M. Kedge; a son, Daniel Jr.; two daughters, Cheryl Wojcik and Tracy Robel; a brother, Richard; and a sister, Lucille Evoy.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 10:30 a.m. Thursday in Our Lady of Victory Basilica, South Park Avenue and Ridge Road, Lackawanna. ]]> Tue, 21 May 2013 21:12:23 -0400 http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130521/CITYANDREGION/130529853/1116
John B. Morganti, Ph.D., of East Aurora, a professor emeritus of psychology at Buffalo State College, died Sunday. He was 73.

Dr. Morganti taught at Buffalo State for more than 30 years, retiring in 1999 as a full professor of psychology. Before joining Buffalo State in 1968, he was an instructor of psychology at the University at Buffalo for three years.

Upon his retirement, then-Buffalo State President Muriel Howard praised Dr. Morganti as having been “a campus leader, serving on or chairing vital committees, acting as an advocate for colleagues” through the United University Professions union.

A native of the Hickory Woods neighborhood of South Buffalo, Dr. Morganti was a graduate of School 28 and Hutchinson-Central Technical High School. He earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from UB and went on to receive his Ph.D. in social psychology in 1971 from UB.

Dr. Morganti was the author or co-author of more than 50 journal articles; made 60 presentations at professional meetings; was co-proposer of more than 20 funded grants or contracts with awards of almost $1 million; issued requests for research consultation from scientists in other institutions; and did grant reviews for the National Science Foundation and National Institute of Mental Health. He was a SUNY Faculty Exchange Scholar.

Dr. Morganti was involved in the United University Professions and Buffalo State College. In 2004, he received the UUP’s highest honor, the Nina Mitchell Award for Distinguished Service,

Among his other honors and awards were the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching and the New York State/United University Professions Excellence Award.

In his retirement, he enjoyed fishing, book club meetings and morning get-togethers with his Elma coffee group.

Surviving are his wife of almost 48 years, the former Judith Keller; two daughters, Elissa Banas and Laura Cotton; a sister, Sharon Kimaid; and two brothers, Ronald and Joseph.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 9:30 a.m. Thursday in Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, 520 Oakwood Ave., East Aurora. ]]> Tue, 21 May 2013 18:12:06 -0400 http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130521/CITYANDREGION01/130529854/1116
William J. Soltis never considered himself a guardian angel, but that’s how South Korea came to view the North Tonawanda man.

After 100 combat missions during the Korean War, including one in which he was shot down, Mr. Soltis was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross by the Air Force and Korean Medal of Peace by the South Korean government.

During a ceremony in Seoul in 2001, on the 50th anniversary of the war, a South Korean general looked at Mr. Soltis and five other veterans and said, “You all deserve to be called the guardian angels, who preserved the tradition and history of Korea and truly the freedom and lives of its people.”

Mr. Soltis died Friday at his home in North Tonawanda. He was 90.

“My father was typical of the Greatest Generation in that he loved his God, his country and his family,” said Linda Soltis, who chronicled her father’s return to Korea for The Buffalo News in 2002. “In serving his country and United States Air Force, he got the ‘bonus prize’ because it allowed him to pursue his other great love, which was flying.”

A native of Albion, Pa., Mr. Soltis developed his love of flying at an early age and, when World War II started, he followed his brother Daniel into the armed services and flew P-38 fighters while stationed in the Aleutian Islands. His brother died in 1944, when his B-17 bomber crashed in Italy on takeoff.

Mr. Soltis stayed in the Air Force and, as a flight leader during the Korean War, was shot down on his 69th combat mission in 1951, crash-landing in the Han River near Seoul. He escaped unhurt.

In the citation that came with his Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Force cited Mr. Soltis’ role that day in leading two other F-51s to the Kumwha area of North Korea, where they discovered a large collection of enemy troops, vehicles and gas supplies.

“Despite accurate ground fire, Lt. Soltis continued to press his attack on this target,” the citation says. “In sustaining ground fire, Lt. Soltis was struck in the engine of his ‘mustang’ causing the loss of oil and coolant. With calmness and resourcefulness, he nursed his damaged aircraft across the bomb line and was forced to crash-land in the Han River.”

Even after the war, Mr. Soltis continued to fly, and after completing jet training in 1952, he was assigned to the Niagara Falls Air Force Base. He lived at the time in Snyder, across the hall from American Airline stewardesses, one of whom was his future wife, Mary Newland of Toronto.

Mr. Soltis ended up making the Air Force his career – he retired as a major – and later flew the McDonnell F-101 Voodoo supersonic jet fighter, F-102 and Lockheed F-104 Starfighter. He was no stranger to breaking the speed of sound.

After his retirement in 1963, he and his wife settled in Wheatfield, and Mr. Soltis began a second career in the field of Civil Defense for the City of Niagara Falls. He retired again in 1976.

His survivors include his wife, Mary; a son, Michael; a daughter, Linda Lee; and two brothers Robert and Gilbert. His daughter Andrea died in 1992.

A memorial service will be at 4 p.m. Thursday in North Presbyterian Church, 168 Payne Ave., North Tonawanda. ]]> Tue, 21 May 2013 18:04:31 -0400 http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130521/CITYANDREGION01/130529886/1116
Alfred A. Funk, 89, died May 18.

Patricia Ann Fusco, died May 7.

Max Gabriel, died May 19.

Janet L. (Wisler) Gavin, died May 15.

Mary A. (Klemenich) Grgas, died May 17.

Martha (Colton) Hy, 81, of North Tonawanda, died May 18.

Patricia A. (Doedema) Kerber, died May 18.

Alexander Laverne Kroecker, died May 17.

Carolyn M. (Scarozza) Nowak, vice president and co-owner of Jenlee Enterprises, died May 17.

Dolores Mae Paige, died May 17.

Dorothy G. (Stevens) Pannullo, died May 18.

Roy Petri, 79, died May 18.

Joseph Piccola, died May 5.

Dolores (Paolucci) Preston, died May 18.



Lora M. (Badger) Reilly, died May 19.

Anita L. (Brey) Smith, of Eden, died May 19.

Kenneth Sparks, died April 27.

Daniel J. Tomaka Sr., of Lake View, died May 19.

Ellis Ware Sr., died April 17.

John Thomas Zieja, fire direction specialst in Bravo Battery, Army 82nd Airborne Division, died May 10. ]]> Tue, 21 May 2013 02:23:13 -0400 http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130520/CITYANDREGION/130529925/1116
Alfred A. Funk, a retired Buffalo Fire Department division chief and a World War II prisoner of war, died Saturday at his home in Canterbury Woods, Amherst, after a short illness. He was 89.

Born in Portsmouth, Iowa, one of eight children, he left home after high school and worked in the Civilian Conservation Corps in Iowa, then joined one of his brothers, who had found a job in Buffalo.

Mr. Funk worked for Trico, then joined the Army and fought in World War II in Europe. Captured by the Germans during the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944, he was liberated five months later.

Returning from service, he worked again for Trico, then began a 38-year career with the Buffalo Fire Department, advancing to division chief. He retired in 1985.

His wife of 58 years, Betty M. Kain Funk, died in 2004.

Survivors include a son, Gary, and two daughters, Carol Weber and Susan Taylor.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday in the chapel of St. Mary Catholic Church, 6919 Transit Road, Swormville. ]]> Tue, 21 May 2013 09:48:15 -0400 http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130520/CITYANDREGION01/130529924/1116
A Mass of Christian Burial for Lawrence E. Liput, a retired mechanic for the Town of Tonawanda and former volunteer fire chief, will be offered at 11:30 a.m. Saturday in St. Christopher Catholic Church, 2660 Niagara Falls Blvd., Town of Tonawanda.

Mr. Liput died Jan. 19, 2013, in Naples Hospeace House, Ontario County. He was 65.

Born in North Tonawanda, Mr. Liput was a graduate of Cardinal O’Hara High School. He worked several years as a mechanic for the town’s Water Department, retiring in 2002.

Mr. Liput served several years as a firefighter with Brighton Volunteer Fire Company 5, where he was fire chief in 1976 and 1983.

His hobbies included showing his classic cars, particularly Chevrolet Chevelles. In retirement he lived in Naples, where he participated in cruise nights.

Survivors include two sisters, Joyce Gallagher and Lorraine Power. ]]> Mon, 20 May 2013 19:02:33 -0400