http://www.buffalonews.com Latest stories from The Buffalo News en-us Tue, 21 May 2013 05:23:15 -0400 Tue, 21 May 2013 05:23:15 -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/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 http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130520/CITYANDREGION/130529925/1116
Albert 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 a.m. Wednesday in the chapel of St. Mary Catholic Church, 6919 Transit Road, Swormville. ]]> Mon, 20 May 2013 19:01:06 -0400 http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130520/CITYANDREGION01/130529926/1116
Hattie Elizabeth Merriweather Baker, a church leader, died Thursday in ElderWood Nursing Home after a short illness. She was 98.

Born Hattie Merriweather in Alabama, she moved to Lackawanna in 1937.

In 1944, the family moved to Buffalo, where they joined Macedonia Baptist Church.

Mrs. Baker was a choir member at the church and served as president of the senior choir. She also taught the Young Adult Mission and was president of the Missionary Society.

She led the missionaries in visiting the sick in their homes and at hospitals, and the group took Christmas baskets to the Erie County Home.

Mrs. Baker also taught Children Evangelism for four years at the church and was the first person to teach the Flannel Board sessions, craft-making and reed baskets.

For 14 years, she taught Children Evangelism and Release Time Classes – an after-school program – in her Buffalo home.

She was a Grey Lady at Deaconess Hospital and attended Bible study at the Buffalo Youth Time Center.

As a member of the Deacon’s Alliance of Western New York, for 10 years she took 30 to 40 children camping.

Mrs. Baker moved to a 27-acre farm in Irving after her husband retired from Bethlehem Steel. There, she continued to be active in her community, organizing the senior citizens and serving as the organization’s president.

She was a family care program provider for Gowanda State Hospital for 20 years.

Her husband of nearly 48 years, Henry Levi Baker Sr., died in 1978.

Surviving are five sons, Oscar, Ivor, DeWayne, Garry and Ralph; and two daughters Gertrude Thedford and Joni Mae Vinson.

A service will be at 11 a.m. Friday in Macedonia Baptist Church, 237 E. North St. ]]> Mon, 20 May 2013 19:00:58 -0400 http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130519/CITYANDREGION/130518957/1116
James J. Murray, a former Catholic priest and an administrator in the Erie County Probation Department, died Friday in his Orchard Park home after a struggle with cancer. He was 65.

Born in Buffalo, he was a graduate of the Diocesan Preparatory School. He earned a master’s degree in theology from the University of Louvain, Belgium, and a master’s in public administration from Buffalo State College.

Ordained as a priest, he served in Holy Cross Church in Buffalo, Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Clarence and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church in Orchard Park.

In the 1980s, Mr. Murray left the priesthood and became a mental health administrator for Erie County. Later, he was a probation officer supervisor. He retired in 2006. For several years, he also taught a course for drunken drivers at Erie Community College.

An avid reader and a theater and concert supporter, he traveled extensively in Europe and was a dedicated gardener who surrounded his home with numerous gardens. He was a member of the Birthday Group for more than 35 years.

He and his companion of 30 years, William J. Roof, were married in 2011.

Survivors also include three sisters, Mary Goodspeed, Pam and Annie; and a brother, Patrick.

A Memorial Mass will be offered at 10 a.m. Friday in Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church, 3148 Abbott Road, Orchard Park. ]]> Sun, 19 May 2013 23:59:51 -0400 http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130519/CITYANDREGION/130518982/1116
Ruth Lippes, the widow of prominent Buffalo attorney Thomas Lippes, died Saturday at the Weinberg Campus, Getzville. She was 98.

Born in Rochester, the former Ruth Landsman came to Buffalo with her family as a child. She was a graduate of Lafayette High School.

Mrs. Lippes was a longtime volunteer at the former E.J. Meyer Memorial Hospital and a member of the former Temple Emanuel.

She also was active in Hadassah.

Mrs. Lippes enjoyed dancing and playing bridge, which she said kept her mind sharp. She continued jogging into her 80s.

Her husband of 59 years died in 1997.

Survivors include two sons, Gerald S. and Richard J.

Services will be held at 11 a.m. today in the Sisterhood Chapel at Temple Beth Zion, 805 Delaware Ave. ]]> Sun, 19 May 2013 21:40:28 -0400 http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130519/CITYANDREGION01/130519009/1116
NEW YORK – Activist Cynthia Brown, one of the guiding forces at the international advocacy group Human Rights Watch, has died at age 60 after fighting cancer.

Brown started with Human Rights Watch as a researcher in 1982, focusing on the Americas. In 1990, she went to Chile for two years for the organization. In 1993, she became its first program director, overseeing every report it published.

Human Rights Watch, which said Brown died last Sunday in Manhattan, describes its mission as striving to protect human rights worldwide by focusing attention where those rights are violated and giving voice to the oppressed.

Executive Director Kenneth Roth said Thursday that Brown “played a central role in establishing the high standards that have come to define Human Rights Watch.”

“She was principled and uncompromising – and played a big part in making Human Rights Watch that way,” he said.

The organization credited Brown with helping to create its strategy of putting together documentation of abuses along with advocating in Washington, D.C., for the U.S. government to withhold military and political support of governments in other nations accused of violations.

Brown also was instrumental in the formation of Human Rights Watch’s division dedicated to women’s rights, involved in putting together the framework and helping get money for it and finding the staff for it.

She remained in the position until 1999 and then continued to work with the organization in roles on the policy committee and elsewhere.

Human Rights Watch said Brown is survived by her daughter and two sisters. ]]> Sun, 19 May 2013 07:59:38 -0400 http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130519/CITYANDREGION01/130519010/1116
BUENOS AIRES – Former Argentine dictator Jorge Rafael Videla, who presided over that country’s so-called dirty war in which up to 30,000 dissidents were murdered or disappeared, died Friday while serving a 50-year prison sentence. He was 87.

He died of natural causes at Marcos Paz prison in Buenos Aires state, according to official announcements.

Videla was born Aug. 2, 1925, in Mercedes in Buenos Aires state and entered the national military academy in 1942. He rose through the ranks to serve in the presidential guard and then as director of the military academy. In 1975, President Isabel Peron, successor and widow of the late Gen. Juan Peron, named him army commander in chief.

In March 1976, Videla along with Navy Admiral Emilio Eduardo Massera and Army Gen. Orlando Ramon Agosti led rebel military forces in overthrowing Peron amid political and economic chaos that was gripping the country. The junta shut down congress, prohibited political parties and suspended freedom of the press.

Videla then installed a reign of terror lasting seven years in which thousands of leftist politicians and activists were taken from their homes and workplaces, often in the dead of night, tortured and killed.

The military junta that Videla led as president until 1981 was finally toppled in 1983 after public dissatisfaction grew as a result of economic instability and the country’s loss of the Falklands War with Britain, costing hundreds of lives.

Military reaction to leftist insurgencies and poor economies led to dictatorships not only in Argentina but also Chile, Brazil, Uruguay and Peru in the 1970s. Argentina and other countries are still coming to grips with atrocities committed during that period: Argentina, for example, is still trying to account for the seizing of 400 to 500 infants and babies taken from imprisoned women who were killed after giving birth.

An unrepentant Videla issued a harangue in March urging his former military colleagues to confront leftist President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, whom he accused of using human rights issues as “an instrument of political pressure.”

A tall, mustachioed and blade-thin army general, Videla was serving his third prison term for his role in the coup and dictatorship.

In 1985, two years after the return of democracy, Videla and his accomplices were sent to prison but then pardoned in 1990 by then-President Carlos Menem as part of a reconciliation gesture that included pardons for members of a leftist insurgent group, the Montoneros.

But in 1998, Videla was imprisoned again when it was determined that he and other military leaders had committed crimes against humanity that were not subject to pardons. At first he was allowed to serve out his sentence at home but in 2008 was sent to a common jail. Then in 2010 he was again freed when a judge found the sentence to be unconstitutional.

Videla was re-incarcerated last year when a federal judge condemned him to 50 years for “generalized and systematic baby theft,” for his role in the taking of hundreds of children from captive mothers during the 1976 to 1983 dictatorship.

Many of the children were turned over to military families to be raised and were never told who their real parents were. In recent years, DNA testing has helped many relatives of terror victims identify the offspring. ]]> Sun, 19 May 2013 07:59:13 -0400 http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130518/CITYANDREGION01/130519062/1116
Mary Ardelle Pitkin, a French teacher at Iroquois Central School in Elma from 1965 to 1992, died May 9 in Orchard Park. She was 96.

Mrs. Pitkin, known as “Dell,” was the daughter of Augustus Hunt Shearer, a University of Buffalo history professor, head of the Buffalo Grosvenor Library and founder of UB’s first Library Science program, and Inez Rogers Shearer, a well-known local artist and member of the Garret Club of Buffalo. Mrs. Pitkin was born in Evanston, Ill., but raised in Buffalo.

She graduated from the Park School of Buffalo in 1934. She first visited France with her family as a teenager, then attended the Sorbonne in Paris in 1937 while she was an undergraduate at Smith College, leading to a lifelong love for France and the French language.

After graduating from Smith with a bachelor’s degree in 1938, Mrs. Pitkin taught at the Park School and then at Ashley Hall in Charleston, S.C. In September 1939, she returned to France to begin work as a teacher, but was evacuated in November to escape the Nazi invasion.

On May 11, 1942, she married Lt. Cmdr. John Townsend Pitkin, a Navy flight surgeon whose postwar career as a psychiatrist concentrated on work with children. Her husband died in 1989.

Mrs. Pitkin was active in Eastern European refugee relief after the war.

The Pitkins lived in Ann Arbor, Mich., from 1949 to 1957, and Mrs. Pitkin earned a master’s degree at the University of Michigan in 1954.

The family returned to Western New York, and from 1965 to 1992, Mrs. Pitkin taught French at Iroquois Central School, occasionally teaching classes in Latin and New York state history. She also taught French in adult education classes at East Aurora High School.

Mrs. Pitkin was a longtime member of the League of Women Voters and the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of East Aurora, as well as the Ecumenical Book Club.

Mrs. Pitkin traveled extensively through the United States and Canada, as well as China, Austria and Italy and throughout Europe, especially France.

She is survived by four children, Anne, Sarah, Kit and Ben; and a brother, David H. Shearer.

A memorial service will be held at a later date. ]]> Sat, 18 May 2013 18:39:30 -0400 http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130517/CITYANDREGION/130519106/1116
Joan L. Wells, of Elma, who had worked in advertising for The Buffalo News, and as a waitress and seamstress, died Friday in Sisters Hospital after a brief illness. She was 86.

The former Joan Lorenz, who was married to the late Robert L. Wells, lived in the Elma-Alden area her entire life.

She was invited to the White House by President George W. Bush in 2007, when he was talking about Medicare Part D, the government prescription drug plan.

“Before this, I couldn’t buy a gosh darned pair of socks,” Mrs. Wells told the president in praise of the program.

She worked in the Advertising Department of The News for 20 years and also spent 10 years as a waitress at the West Alden Kitchen.

She also was a seamstress in her hometown.

She is survived by a son, Robert M., and a daughter, Susan Rodgers.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 10 a.m. Monday in St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Sandridge Road, Alden. ]]> Fri, 17 May 2013 22:10:59 -0400 http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130517/CITYANDREGION/130519107/1116
Russell M. Alessi Jr., of the Town of Tonawanda, a vice president at M&T Bank, died Sunday in Buffalo General Medical Center after a three-year battle with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He was 45.

Mr. Alessi grew up in Amherst, attending Amherst High School and earning a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Medaille College. He also was an Eagle Scout.

He graduated from the Marine Reserve Officer Candidate School.

Mr. Alessi was a member of to Salem Lutheran Church. He was a fan of the New York Yankees fan, Bills and Sabres.

Survivors include his wife, Kim; his mother, Judy; four sisters, Elaine Ramesh, Diane Phelps, Marlene Seifert and Nadine Beacham, and two brothers, Christopher and Timothy.

A memorial service will be at 11 a.m. June 29 in Salem Lutheran Church, 10 McClellan Circle. ]]> Fri, 17 May 2013 22:10:50 -0400 http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130517/CITYANDREGION/130519108/1116
Sister Joanne Fuchs, a Sister of Mercy for more than 66 years and a longtime nurse, died Thursday in Mercy Health Care Unit. She was 89.

Born Johanna Fuchs, she entered the Sisters of Mercy on April 16, 1947, a year after graduating from Mercy Hospital School of Nursing. She made her perpetual profession on Dec. 21, 1952.

Born in Dade City, Fla., Sister Fuchs moved with her family to Fulton, where she attended elementary, junior high and high school, graduating in 1942.

She worked for a year and attended the Mercy nursing school before earning her bachelor’s degree in nursing from D’Youville College. She worked at Mercy Hospital, Kenmore Mercy and St. Jerome Hospital in Batavia, where she spent more than 50 years as a nurse supervisor.

She is survived by three sisters, Christine Ostrowski, Rosemarie Meiers and Bertha Palamar.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 4 p.m. Monday in Mercy Center Chapel, 625 Abbott Road. ]]> Fri, 17 May 2013 22:10:46 -0400 http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130517/CITYANDREGION01/130519246/1116
Sarah C. Degnan, an active civic volunteer in the Hertel Avenue area and a former special-education teacher and teacher trainer, died Tuesday after a long illness. She was 61.

Born Sarah Klemann in Lockport and raised in Pendleton, she graduated from DeSales High School and, after attending Buffalo State College on a National Merit Scholarship, graduated with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education and special education.

Mrs. Degnan worked for Niagara Orleans BOCES as a special-education teacher, and as a teacher trainer for Erie 1 BOCES, specializing in computer applications.

She later owned S.C. Degnan Consultants in Buffalo, where she helped school districts maximize Medicaid reimbursements from the federal government before she retired in January.

Mrs. Degnan was a co-founder of ZTV, a community service organization that helped strenghen the Hertel Avenue area and reduce crime, and co-founded a local farmers’ market.

She was a board member of the Buffalo Laboratory Theatre, a member of the Buffalo chapter of the American Sewing Guild and enjoyed photography, music, gardening, travel and reading scientific and literary works.

Survivors include her husband, Michael S.; a daughter, Devin M.; a son, Michael E.; and a brother, Peter.

A memorial service will be at 1 p.m. Saturday in C. Mertz and Son Funeral Home, 911 Englewood Ave., Town of Tonawanda. ]]> Fri, 17 May 2013 06:14:17 -0400 http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130517/CITYANDREGION01/130519250/1116
Laura J. Bernard, of Arcade, died May 12.

Thomas J. Billings, died May 13.

Alice R. Cabaj, 95, of Cheektowaga, died May 15.

Norma A. “Myrt” (Swimline) Capan, died May 10.

Pete B. Cothran, 84, died May 11.

Mary Jane DeFazio, 76, of Youngstown, died May 14.

Sarah C. Degnan, died May 14.

JoAnn D. (Smith) DellaSala, 75, died May 11.

Mary A. (McCarthy) Dow, died May 9.

Virginia Marie (Rogers) Forrestel, died May 14.

Eddie Gathers, died May 10.

Irene A. (Kargul) Grzelewski, of Cheektowaga, died March 10.

Dwon T. House, of Buffalo, died May 12.

Anglenell Jackson, of Buffalo, died May 11.

Helen M. (Gardner) Krieger, 76, died May 11.

Marie M. Krueger, 75, of Buffalo, died May 13.

Cecelia “Lala” (Golebiewski) Kubala, died May 14.

Eugenia (Mischij) Lukowskyj, of West Seneca, died May 14.

Joseph I. Merii, of Buffalo, died May 15.

Renato Morello, of Buffalo, died May 8.

William G. Packard Sr., of Lackawanna, died May 15.

Robert F. Polanowski, of Belfast, died May 14.

Frederick E. Rudin, of Elma, died May 14.

Jennie M. Seier, died May 5.

Elder Paul C. Stewart, died May 10.

Genevieve (Zaworski) Tarapacki, died May 14.

Anthony C. Teresi, died May 15.

Richard C. Tussing, 86, of North Tonawanda, WWII U.S. Navy veteran, American Legion Wheatfield Post member, Gratwick Hose Fire Company member, died May 15.

Alexander Voronin, of Tonawanda, died May 15. ]]> Fri, 17 May 2013 01:38:14 -0400 http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130516/CITYANDREGION/130519275/1116
Pete Bonciani Cothran, a retired teacher of Spanish and health, and a decorated war veteran, died unexpectedly Saturday at his home in Amherst. He was 84.

Born in Rome, Pete Bonciani grew up in Florence. He was adopted at the end of World War II by Donald Cothran, a colonel in the U.S. Army, and his last name was changed to Cothran. They came to live in the United Sates in 1949.

He attended preparatory school in Arden, N.C., and later graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was an All-American athlete in soccer.

He enlisted in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. His leadership skills were quickly recognized, and his service earned him the Korean Service Medal with three bronze service stars, as well as a United Nations Service Medal and a Merit Unit emblem.

Recognition for his military career continued throughout Mr. Cothran’s life, as he was awarded the Korean War Service Medal by the Republic of Korea in 2003. In 2008, he received the New York State Medal for Merit for his military career.

A longtime Clarence resident, Mr. Cothran lived in the Buffalo area for about 45 years, most recently moving to Amherst.

Mr. Cothran worked his entire career at Amherst Central High School, teaching Spanish and health for 22 years.

His efforts continue to be recognized in the form of the Peter Cothran Award, which has been given yearly since 2000, to students whose achievements in Spanish study are deemed outstanding.

Mr. Cothran’s wife of 16 years, Arlene Rose Battista, died in 1986. She taught in the Maryvale School District.

In retirement, Mr. Cothran remained a dedicated athlete, playing tennis and golf.

He is survived by a son, Pierluigi Cothran, with whom he traveled frequently to visit family in Italy.

A memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Saturday in Amigone Funeral Home, 5200 Sheridan Drive at Hopkins Road, Amherst. ]]> Fri, 17 May 2013 01:38:34 -0400 http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130516/CITYANDREGION01/130519345/1116
Paul C. Stewart of Grand Island, an elder and associate pastor at Greater Refuge Temple of Christ Church, died Friday in Buffalo General Medical Center. He was 74.

Born in Raleigh, N.C., Mr. Stewart had a 38-year career with General Motors, working in Kansas City, Kan., and the Town of Tonawanda.

While in Kansas City, he was an associate pastor of Greater Pentecostal Temple.

He was member of Greater Refuge Temple in Buffalo for more than 20 years. He was pastor of the Women’s Ministry; assistant to Missionary Theresa Bonner of the Ministry of Compassion; pastor over communion at the Delaware Heights and Waterfront nursing homes; and pastor over bedside communion at Erie County Medical Center; and he conducted noonday prayer.

Mr. Stewart retired from General Motors in 2000.

Survivors include his wife, the former JoAnn Wiley; three daughters, Audresha Wilson, Deneen Goldsmith and Nicole; and a sister, the Rev. Janet Stewart.

A celebration of life will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday in Greater Refuge Temple of Christ, 943 Jefferson Ave., ]]> Thu, 16 May 2013 00:35:55 -0400 http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130516/CITYANDREGION01/130519346/1116
Claudia Mae Seay, a retired chef at D’Youville College, died Friday in her Buffalo home. She was 83.

Born Claudia Mae Young in Stockton, Ala., Mrs. Seay attend public schools in Alabama and Detroit, where she graduated from Northern High School.

After many years as the head chef at D’Youville College, she retired in 1988. D’Youville students honored her with a certificate of appreciation in recognition of her service. Also during the ceremony, she prepared a meal for then-President Ronald Reagan.

With her husband, Mrs. Seay assisted various pastors in establishing their churches, including the late M. L. Bowman, who was the senior pastor of Antioch Fire Baptized Church and the late James Kirkwood, pastor of the former St. Mark Church of God in Christ – now St. James Church of God in Christ.

For more than 35 years, Mrs. Seay was a member of St. James, where she was the president of the Bible study ministry and the assistant district missionary.

The Church of God in Christ Inc. in Memphis licensed her as an evangelist and missionary.

In 1997, the Northeast Ohio District of the Fire Baptized Holiness Church Organization honored Mrs. Seay for her service and support of foreign missions.

Mrs. Seay was a long-standing member of the Disabled American Veterans Auxiliary.

Her husband of 51 years, Ezelle, died in 2002.

Surviving are seven sons, Terry, Larry, Tommy, David, Samuel, Claude and Kelvin; two daughters, Rachel and Lydia; three brothers, Paul, Solomon and Benjamin; and five sisters, Inez Brand, Dorothy, Ruby Baines, Pearline Kirkland and Dolly Green.

A funeral service will be held at noon Friday in True Bethel Baptist Church, 907 E. Ferry St., following a wake there at 11 a.m. ]]> Thu, 16 May 2013 00:35:08 -0400 http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130515/CITYANDREGION01/130519376/1116
Robert L. Baker, of Williamsville, died May 12.

Matthew Michael Beck III, owner of Beck Development and Integrity Homes, died May 12.

Ann P. (Battaglia) Billittier, of Hamburg, died May 11.

Sean J. Boyle, of Orchard Park, died May 9.

Donald H. Cameron, 87, of Tonawanda, WWII veteran, died May 10.

Salvatore F. “Sam” Cappellino, died May 14.

Woodrow F. “Woodie” Christ, of Hamburg, died May 14.

John H. Cimerin, 65, died May 12.

Harold H. Connor, died May 14.

Sally B. Cordero, 72, died May 10.

Salustino H. “Jerry” Cordero, of Tonawanda, died May 13.

Wilbert Covington, died May 10.

Gerald J. Culhane, died May 7.

Mildred F. (Pignataro) Crimi, of Tonawanda, died May 13.

John Joseph DeMarco Jr., 77, Grand Island, died May 8.

Marianna DiMarco, 92, formerly of Buffalo, died May 13.

Benjamin Doyle, died May 8.

Madaleine (Rice) Gaume, of the Town of Tonawanda, died May 13.

Joseph R. “Joey” Gentile-Giovino, 24, of Cheektowaga, died May 14.

Stella “Shirley” Gill, 95, of Kenmore, died May 5.

Karen M. (Colby) Graham, of Lancaster, died May 14.

Dr. Samuel Graziano, 89, WWII Navy veteran, family practitioner for 51 years, died May 13.

Donald R. Greene, 76, formerly of Buffalo and West Seneca, Army Air Forces veteran, retired credit manager at Sears, Roebuck and Co., died Jan. 31.

Louise M. (Heinz) Gress, of West Seneca, died May 14.

David P. Guest, of Angola, died May 13.

Richard J. Gulczewski Sr., died May 11.

Winifred Halasz, 96, died April 3.

Teresa “Terry” J. Hutchinson, of Amherst, died May 12.

Gertrude (Dynarski) Ilecki, died May 12.

Callista M. (Williams) Jackson, 46, real estate agent, died May 11.

Paul R. Johnson, of Orchard Park, died May 10.

Harry P. Kowalski, of Angola, died May 11.

Emily H. (Swiatosz) Krazmien, of Buffalo, died May 14.

Albert A. Laufer, of Tonawanda, retired steamfitter, died May 14.

Kevin Norman Lawkowski, 44, died May 12.

Barbara L. Lohr, of Angola, died May 12.

Tony Massaro, of Hamburg, died May 12.

Josephine “Joann” A. (Arnone) Madigan, died May 13.

Thelma M. Mitchell, died May 12.

Ronald H. Mrozik Sr., of Alden, died May 13.

Spencer Howard Nease, 88, formerly of Buffalo, WWII Army veteran, died April 27.

Rebecca Ruth (Herzog) Nelson, died May 13.

Chester C. Nicometi, of Buffalo, died May 12.

Milton M. Pankiewicz, 82, Marine veteran, retired from Verizon, died May 12.

Terese B. (Pesany) Prigg, 90, died May 12.

Loretta (LoDestro) Parks, 91, died May 11.

Stanley F. Reczek, 82, formerly of Buffalo, retired plumber/pipefitter, died May 12.

Paul Reger, 75, of Grand Island, died May 11.

Sarah Rizzo, died May 12.

Richard “Big R” H. Roberts Sr., of Blasdell, died May 13.

Elisabeth “Liesl” Schiegg, of Lewiston, 90, died May 7.

Claudia Seay, died May 10.

Robert L. Spoelstra, of Ransomville, died May 12.

Stephen Tanchak, 93, died May 11.

Michael G. Ubaldini, 89, died May 12.

Thomas A. Virginia Sr., 87, died May 11.

Robert P. Vail, died May 12.

Bohuslav Zavrel, 93, of Buffalo, died May 6.

Norman J. Ziemer, died May 14. ]]> Wed, 15 May 2013 19:17:25 -0400 http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130513/CITYANDREGION01/130519557/1116
At a time when five and dime stores were going out of business, Robert S. Vidler Jr. and his younger brother, Edward, took over their father’s dry goods emporium on Main Street in East Aurora. Over decades, the brothers turned Vidler’s 5 & 10 into a beloved icon.

Late last month, Mr. Vidler died at his home in Ithaca. He was 88.

The Vidler brothers had worked to keep their business strong and their customers happy.

They expanded their space for toys, lunch boxes, stationery, sewing supplies and kitchen goods by buying three store fronts when those businesses closed, said Sue Rakow, his daughter.

“It was just a real deep desire to keep the store going that their father had begun,” she said. “Both he and his brother loved the store. They loved East Aurora.”

Rakow grew up working in the store with her sisters and cousins, including Beverly and Donald Vidler, who now manage the business. They were all encouraged to help customers and would often take the time to write letters for customers with developmental disabilities who came from a nearby home.

“I remember him sitting in the back. We’d run back and talk to him. He was a big part of our growing up,” she said. “He knew everybody, talked to everyone. It was like a community center. His people skills and his caring and kindness were his overriding qualities.”

As a young man, Vidler attended Penn State University for one year before enlisting in the Navy during World War II and started officer training at Cornell University’s Hotel School.

He was a supply officer on a submarine chaser, earned the rank of lieutenant and in subsequent years took charge of organizing shipmate reunions.

He served on the Village Board for several terms and was an active member of the Chamber of Commerce. He also loved the Welland Canal in Ontario and kept track of the ships he saw go through it.

He delighted in working at the annual Kiwanis Club chicken barbecues in Hamlin Park – so much so that the family procured the recipe for the dish so that Rakow could continue to make it for him once he moved to Ithaca in 2004 with Rakow’s stepmother, Alice Jean.

“We’d make the East Aurora chicken barbecue for him, and he loved it,” said Rakow.

He is survived by his brother Edward and two daughters, Rakow and Phebe Cook. His daughter Ann Fates died at 63 on April 19, a week before he did.

A burial for Vidler with military honors is planned July 12 in Sampson Veterans Cemetery, Romulus.

A reception is being planned for July 13 in East Aurora. ]]> Tue, 14 May 2013 13:39:20 -0400 http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130513/CITYANDREGION/130519604/1116
Louise Hutt, a former teacher and dairy store owner who was active in the community, died April 4 at her home in Sun City, Fla. She was 107.

She never suffered from a chronic illness and never had surgery. Mrs. Hutt played golf into her 80s, swam throughout her 90s and was still playing bridge when she was 105.

Born in an apartment on Niagara Street in Black Rock, she attended Buffalo Schools 20 and 50. She was a teenager during World War I and lived through the flu epidemic of 1918, although her aunt and uncle died within a day of each other.

She earned a degree in elementary teaching from Buffalo Normal School, where she joined Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority.

The former Louise Fraser graduated in 1925 and taught in Schools 45 and 66. She gave up the job when she married Lester Hutt in 1928.

The couple raised their family in Kenmore, where they lived for 40 years. Mr. Hutt was president of Hutt’s Dairy in Riverside. During World War II, the dairy bought a dairy store near the Bell Aircraft and Westinghouse factories.

At the request of the government, the store stayed open 24 hours a day to accommodate the three shifts of workers at the plants during World War II. Mrs. Hutt spent 12 hours a day supervising the store.

She was a leader in many community organizations, and co-chairwoman of the fundraising drive to build Kenmore Mercy Hospital, the first hospital in Buffalo’s northern suburbs.

She was chairwoman of the Kenmore division of the Community Chest, president of the Alumna Chapter of her sorority, a volunteer at Buffalo General and Kenmore Mercy hospitals and a member of the Kenmore Girl Scouts board and the Erie County Girl Scouts Council.

She was president of the Altar Guild at the Episcopal Church of the Advent and of the Episcopal Church Home Associate Board of Managers. At the conclusion of her term on the Church Home board, she was instrumental in combining the men’s and women’s boards into one joint board.

She and her husband moved to Sun City in 1966, where he died in 1968.

Survivors include a son, Peter B., and a daughter, Sally Nelson. ]]> Mon, 13 May 2013 22:45:25 -0400