Obituaries

Laura L. Elam, 71 of Batavia, passed away peacefully on Sunday (April 2, 2023) at United Memorial Medical Center in Batavia, NY.

She was born October 16, 1951 in Rochester, NY, a daughter of the late Clarence and Loretta Elam.

Laura was a L.P.N. and also enjoyed reading, cooking and playing bingo.

She is survived by her grandchildren, Steven Copeland of Batavia, Brittani Soles and Joseph Copeland. Sister, Diane Deaton of North Carolina.

She was predeceased by a daughter, Stacey Laurie.

Funeral services will be held privately at the convenience of the family. Expressions of sympathy may be shared with the family at www.mcandrewfuneralhomes.net.

ARRANGEMENTS WERE ENTRUSTED TO THE J. LEONARD McANDREW FUNERAL HOME, LLC, 2 BOGUE AVE., BATAVIA, NY 14020. RONALD KONIECZNY II, DIRECTOR.

 

 

Ha​rold E. Knapp, 85, of Lyndonville NY went to be with our Lord and Savior on Monday, April 10th, 2023 at his home. Born on November 30 th,1937 in Syracuse NY, he was the son of the late Edward and Rose (Hildreth) Knapp.

Harold moved and attended Attica Central School, and was later employed at General Electric / Black and Decker until they closed. He then went to work at Genesee Community College in the maintenance department. He enjoyed raising and breeding poultry for exhibition, where he showed with-in NYS and beyond. He worked with the youths of 4H for 2-1/2 decades sharing his passion of poultry and showmanship. When not doing 4H shows, you could find him spending time with his lovely wife, and in his garden where he planted a variety of vegetables and flowers. He was an active member of Alabama Full Gospel Fellowship Church in Medina NY.

He is survived by his children Edward (Hope) Knapp of Alexander, and Donald Knapp of Indiana. James and Robert Vanderwoude, both of Medina, Linda (Henry Azcue) Vanderwoude of Brooklyn, 3 grandsons, Jonathan (Amirose) Knapp of Leroy, Michael (Nicole) Knapp of Batavia, Joshua (Brandy) Knapp of Bethany, granddaughter in-law Shannon Daugherty of North Adams MA, Travis Vanderwoude of Florida, along with 8 great-grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews. Besides his parents, he is predeceased by sisters Mary Nelson, Pat Williams and Joyce Knapp.

Friends and family are welcome to attend a memorial service in Harold's honor at 11:00 AM on Saturday, May 13 th, 2023 at the Alabama Full Gospel Church, 5329 Gravel Road Medina, NY 14103. Memorials may be made in Harold's name to the AFGF at the address listed above. Arrangements were entrusted to the Bogan & Tuttle Funeral Home, 226 Pearl St. Medina, NY 14103. Please light a candle or share a memory of Harold at: www.bogantuttlefunerals.com

Oakfield - Thomas Graney, 56 of Oakfield passed away on Monday April 10, 2023.

Tom was a long time resident of the Arc GLOW, South Main St. residential home in Oakfield, NY.

He was a lifelong Buffalo Bills fan and enjoyed his days at the Arc GLOW day habilitation center. He will be lovingly remembered for his ability to cheer up his friends and caregivers when they needed it most, his attention-seeking antics in the home and for being a good friend.  

Tom is preceded in death by his mother, Mary Anne Graney; and sister Anne Graney.

He is survived by his father, Charles F. Graney and stepmother, Clarice Parrag Graney; siblings, Ted (Jill) Graney, Molly (Michael) George, Becky (Brendan) Harris and Frederick (Jamie) Graney; step-siblings, Christopher (Andrea) Parrag and Ian (Tanya) Parrag; and many nieces, nephews and great-nieces and nephews.

Tom is also survived by loving friends, caregivers and housemates at the Arc GLOW residential home on South Main in Oakfield and the Day Habilitation Center in Elba.

There are no calling hours. A celebration of life will be held at a later date. In Lieu of flowers, please make donations to Arc GLOW, 64 Walnut Street, Batavia, NY 14020 to support the Mary Anne Graney Scholarship Fund.

Arrangements for Tom were entrusted to the Bohm-Calarco-Smith Funeral Home, 308 East Main Street in Batavia. To leave a message of condolence for Tom's family, please visit www.bataviafuneralhomes.com.

Batavia - Richard L Foster, 87 of Batavia passed away on Thursday, April 13, 2023 at Batavia VA Medical Center surrounded by his loving family

Mr. Foster was born Tuesday, July 23rd, 1935 in Batavia, New York a son of the late Elmer and Marian (Hammond) Foster.

He was a lifelong member of The Alexander Fire department and the Grange. Richard enjoyed farming, hunting, fishing, trapping, and spending time with friends and family.

Richard graduated from Alexander High School and met the love of his life, Shirley Roll, who he married in 1960. Richard proudly served his country in the United States Army from 1960 to 1965. He was a hard worker, running a dairy farm and raising four wonderful children, with his wife Shirley.

Surviving are his children, Vincent (Tammy) Foster of Attica, Denise Foster of Alexander, Dirk (Kelly) Foster of Attica, Cheryl Foster, and her fiancé, Lance Swader, of Darien; 10 grandchildren, 25 great grandchildren, 1 great great grandchild, and one on the way. brother Dean (Ann) Foster of North Darien.

In death Richard is reunited with his wife, Shirley; parents, Elmer and Marian Foster; brother, Don Foster; sisters Dorothy (Bill) Hall and Betty (Bob) Hampton.

There will be a celebration of life on May 6,2023 at 11:00 a.m. at the First Baptist Church, 306 E Main St, Batavia, NY 14020.

Arrangements are under the care and direction of H. E. Turner & Co., Inc. Funeral Home. 

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Batavia VA Hospital, Attn: Volunteer department, 222 Richmond Ave Batavia, NY 14020. Please leave a condolence, share a story, or light a candle at www.bataviafuneralhomes.com.

John Arthur Fox, of Batavia, passed into the arms of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on Tuesday, April 11, 2023 at the age of 72 after a short but courageous battle with cancer.

John was born on December 7, 1950, to the late John William and Margaret Ferne Fox. John is survived by his beloved wife Linda; two daughters, Michelle (Bill) Wagner and Brenda Tracy; three brothers, Jim Fox, Kevin (Karen) Fox and Karl (Dixie) Fox and one sister, Debbie Fox. He also leaves behind numerous nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews and great-great nieces.

A true music lover and gifted singer, John could often be found performing solos at church’s and singing the National Anthem for baseball games. John also loved to play competitive Scrabble and was at one time a state ranked player. He also enjoyed genealogy, WWE wrestling, The 3 Stooges and above all else, spending time with his family and friends.

After having worked for over 38 as a toll taker for the NYS Thruway, John prided himself on never forgetting a face. He would often astound frequent patrons by not only recognizing them, but also recalling dates and times when he met them.

While John will be sadly missed on earth, his loved ones take comfort in knowing he is now singing harmony with the angel choir and cracking puns with the saints.

Family and friends may call on Sunday, April 16 from 3 to 5 p.m. at the C. B. Beach & Son Mortuary, Inc., 4 East Main Street, Corfu, New York. Funeral services will be held on Monday, April 17 at 11 a.m. at the First Baptist Church of Batavia, 306 E. Main Street, Batavia. Burial will be in East Bethany Rural Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, please send memorials to the First Baptist Church of Batavia. 

Lydia Torres, formally of Medina entered rest on April 9, 2023. Mrs. Torres was born in Guatemala on August 16,1936 to the late Damien Soria and Sofia Doering.

In early 1980's, Lydia emigrated to the United States to be with family and friends. In 1989 she married Justo Torres. She attended the Alabama Full Gospel church for many years until she returned to Guatemala. She enjoyed working at the Medina Shirt Factory as a seamstress. She found much joy in cooking for family and friends.

She was predeceased by her husband Justo Torres.

Left to cherish her memory, her daughter Mirna Castrillo and her children who all reside in Guatemala. Locally, she has several nephews and their significant others. Hans Soria (Diane), Cedrik Soria (Karen) and Walter Soria (Maribel ). As well as her niece Nataly Soria.

A Funeral will be held in Guatemala at the cemetery Flores on April 11, 2023.

Richard B. Nichols, "Dick," 81, of Batavia, passed away on Saturday, April 1, 2023 at the Gateway House in Attica.

Richard was born July 28, 1941, in Batavia, a son of the late R. Dayton and Gladys (Sheffer) Nichols.

Dick was a firefighter for the City of Batavia for 31 years.  He loved motorcycles and raced them into his 60's.  He enjoyed rollerskating, camping and was a Cub Scout leader.

Surviving are his wife, Helen Nichols of Batavia; sons, Rodney B. (Nancy) Nichols of Rochester, Edward B. (Julie) Nichols of Batavia, Ken (Mary) Nichols of Bergen and Ronald D. (Jennifer) Nichols of Niagara Falls;  grandchildren, Emma, Erin, Connlan, Caleb, Abby and Logan; his sister, Gloria Helfeldt of Hurst, TX and several nieces and nephews.

Preceded in death by his half-brothers, Robert Cheeseman and Warren Cheeseman and his nephew, Bobby Cheeseman.  

Richard's Memorial Service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 3, 2023 at the Stafford United Methodist Church,6134 Main Road in Stafford.  

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Gateway Home, 91 Main Street, Attica, NY 14011, www.gatewayhomeattica.org.  

Please leave a condolence, share a story, or light a candle at www.bataviafuneralhomes.com.

Arrangements for Richard were entrusted to the H.E. Turner & Co. Funeral Home, Batavia, (585) 343-8868.

Judith A. Piscitello, 70, Dowling Park, FL passed away on Wednesday, April 5, 2023. She is preceded in death by her husband; Charles Joseph Piscitello.

Mrs. Piscitello is survived by her step-son; Dominic Robert Piscitello (Tracy); sisters Carol Fife (Joseph), Barb Shepherd (Michael); brothers David Ingram (Karen), Richard Ingram; grandchildren JoAnna Pang (Christopher), Emily McCullorgh (Ron), Dominic Piscitello (Sarah), Paige Piscitello; great-grandchildren Adeline, Abigail, Henry, Samuel, Madelyn, Elijah, Dominic, Guiliana, Giselle; several nieces & nephews.

There will be no prior calling hours as Services will be held at the Village Church in Advent Christian Village in Florida. Judith will be laid to rest in Grand View Cemetery in Batavia.

To leave an online message of condolence please visit www.gilmartinfuneralhome.com. Arrangements completed by Gilmartin Funeral Home & Cremation Company, Inc. 329-333 West Main Street, Batavia, New York 14020.

LeRoy ~ Donald L. Freeman, age 88, of Gilbert Street, passed away at home unexpectedly on Saturday, April 8, 2023.

   

  He was born October 21, 1934 in Wyoming, N.Y., a son of the late Ralph and Elsie Stevens Freeman.

     Don will be remembered as a loving husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and dear friend to many.  He served proudly in the Army National Guard.  He was a 69 year member of the Stafford Fire Dept., a charter member of the exempts, and a member of the Western New York Fire Police Association.  He was also very involved with the Stafford Carnival corvette raffle ticket sales.  Don was a retiree of Lapp Insulator Company, providing them with 42 years of dedicated service.  He was also a avid Buffalo Bills fan.

     He will be sadly missed by his loving wife of 56 years, Diane Scott Freeman; his sons, Jeffery (Yvonne) Freeman and Todd (Rachel) Freeman; grandchildren, Ashley (Gary), Zachary, Schuyler, Teaghan, Noah and Thomas; great-grandchildren, Bruce, Max and Nora; sister, Barbara (Lester) Mullen, along with many nieces and nephews.

     In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his brother, Raymond (Joyce) Freeman.

     There will be no prior visitation and services will be held at the convenience of the family.

     Memorials may be made to Don’s family.  Your memories and condolences may be shared with Don’s family at www.falconefuneralhome.com.

Alice Dix, 91, of Alabama, NY, was welcomed with opened arms by her husband Bob and son Bill early morning on Friday, April 7, 2023. 
Alice was born on July 25, 1931 at the Starkweather homestead in Alabama, NY, daughter of the late Myron and Mary (Crosby) Starkweather. Her Husband, Robert Dix, a talented craftsman and previous owner of J.E. Potter Lumber in Corfu, NY, passed away on July 19, 2010.

Alice was a member of the Alabama Basom United Methodist Church in Alabama, NY. She devoted so much of her life to caring for others, starting with earning her Nursing Degree at Deaconess in 1948. She worked as a Registered Nurse for 30 years in various doctors offices and hospitals. Alice enjoyed watching the Buffalo Bills, knitting, crocheting, and painting in her spare time, She especially loved sharing her love for art with her grandchildren. Alice and her husband Bob were married for 59 years and met their goal of traveling to all 50 states together. For many years they split their time between western New York and the West coast of Florida. They enjoyed traveling the world, listening to concert music, and spending time with their family and friends.  Alice was loved by many and will be missed by all.

Alice is survived by her daughter Denise (late Jeffrey) Schwarz, daughter-in-law Mary (Borgal) Dix; grandchildren, Jennifer (Taylor) Wood, Robert (Amanda) Dix, William (Capri) Dix, and Thomas Dix; as well as 14 Great Grandchildren. Preceded in death by her Parents Myron and Mary Starkweather; her six siblings; Husband Robert Dix; son William Dix; and several nieces and nephews.
    
Family and friends are invited to call on Wednesday, April 12th, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at the C. B. Beach & Son Mortuary, Inc.,  4 E. Main St. Corfu, NY. Funeral services will be held on Thursday April 13th at 11:00 a.m.  at the Alabama Basom United Methodist Church, 1392 Church Street Alabama NY, followed by burial at Alabama Cemetery. Relatives and friends are invited to a luncheon following the burial at The Alabama Hotel 1353 Lewiston Rd. Basom NY to celebrate the life of Alice Dix. Memorials can be sent to Alabama Basom United Methodist Church.  

Mr. Rodney K. Papke, age 89 of Homosassa, Florida, died Thursday, February 9, 2023 in Homosassa, FL. He was born February 2, 1934 in Le Roy, NY, son of Raymond and Genevive (Ackley) Papke. He was a US Army veteran and Presbyterian by faith. Rodney worked at Niagara Mohawk in the Hydro Electric Generator Maintenance Division.  He moved to Homosassa, Florida from Stafford, NY in 1994. Rodney loved to build and ride motorcycles, build and fly airplanes and was excellent at building, inventing and doing things with his hands. He enjoyed being on the water fishing and especially loved spending time with his family.  Rodney was preceded in death by his parents and his loving wife, Constance Papke. Survivors include sons, Keith R (Jerri) Papke  and  Michael J (Karen) Papke, 3 sisters, 2 brothers, 3 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren.
Memorial Donations in Rodney's name may be made to Veterans 4 A Cause (Citrus County) www.veterand4acause.org. Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.HooperFuneralHome.com.

Karen Ruth Porter Vereecken passed away peacefully at the age of 79.  Karen was born in Batavia, NY at St Jerome’s Hospital on December 18, 1943.  After graduating from high school from Elba Central School, in Elba NY, she worked as a bookkeeper until she married her high school sweetheart, Bruce on May 29, 1965.  They had 3 children Kathy, Joe and David. They moved to Cleveland, OH in 1969 and then to Akron in 1973 where they remained lifelong residents.

Karen was a member of St Hilary Parish where she enjoyed singing in the Choir until her health declined and she could no longer participate.  Recently, she greatly enjoyed her bible study group and the many friends she made there. Her greatest joy was being a wife, mother and grandmother.  She was a wonderful cook and baker.  She always made everything from scratch. She learned to cook Italian style from her Italian mother-in-law and always had a big pot of spaghetti sauce cooking.  Many of the kids’ friends enjoyed afternoons having pasta at the Vereecken kitchen table. She passed the recipe on to her grandchildren who continue the tradition.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Duane and Dorothy Porter.  She was also preceded by 3 of her 6 brothers, Craig, Kris and Kevin Porter.  She is survived by brothers, Casey, Clay and Keith Porter.

Karen leaves behind her husband of 57 years Bruce, children Kathy (Victor) Lane of Akron, OH, Joe (Laine) Vereecken of Fairlawn, OH and David (Heather) Vereecken of Akron, OH. She treasured her 7 beautiful grandchildren, Christopher Lane, David Lane, Amy Lane, Drew Vereecken, Heidi Vereecken, Isabelle Vereecken and Vincent Vereecken. 

The family will receive friends on Thursday, April 13, 2023, from 5:00 – 8:00 pm at Hummel Funeral Home, 3475 Copley Road, Copley OH. A Mass of Christian burial will be held at 12:30 on Friday, April 14, 2023, at St. Sebastian Church, 476 Mull Ave, Akron OH.  A burial will immediately follow at Rose Hill Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice Cleveland Clinic who took wonderful care of her at home in her final days.  The family is very thankful.  Contributions could also be made to St Jude Hospital or Shriners, two organizations Karen always supported.  Visit www.HummelCares.com to view full obituary and sign the online guestbook.    

Lynn (Miles) Draves of Attica, N.Y., born March 12, 1959, passed peacefully at UMMC Batavia on April 1, 2023.

She leaves behind the love of her life, Richard Draves Jr., and her four children, Kevin (Jen) Draves of Darien, Neil (Jess) Draves of Alexander, Hope Draves of Attica and Dawn (Joe) Draves of Pavilion. Lynn was the daughter of late Robert and Linda Miles of Corfu and the sister of Kathy Miles of Corfu, Ron (Kellie) Miles of Corfu, Ginger (Joe) Pepper of Alden, and Dan (Jody) Miles of Batavia. Also leaving behind her grandchildren Nikki, Ashton, Layne, Katelynn, Savannah, Sean and Mason. She loved them all along with all of her nieces and nephews.

Lynn was the rock of the family and loved everyone very much. She was the secretary for the family business Draves Tree Service for many, many years. She loved gardening, watching her birds and most of all her family.

There will be no calling hours but a celebration of life at a later date.