Edward D. McConnell Sr. of Sparrowbush, a retired employee of Gillinder Glass Factory and a lifelong area resident, died Tuesday, December 21, 2004, at the Bon Secours Community Hospital. He was 81 years of age.
The son of the late Charles and Lillian F. McCann McConnell, he was born November 9, 1923, in Matamoras, Pa. He was the widower of Elizabeth L. Rolles McConnell who died November 19, 1987.
Mr. McConnell was an Army veteran of World War II.
He is survived by his companion, Ida Steffanatos of Sparrowbush; a son and daughter-in-law, Edward D. Jr. and Mildred McConnell of Montague, N.J.; a daughter and son-in-law, Sheramy and Glen Seward of Port Jervis; a step-daughter and her husband, Michele and Clarence Conklin of Port Jervis; two sisters and brothers-in-law, Edith and Michael Transue of Delaware Water Gap, Pa., and Lillian and Robert Platt of Wurtsboro; five grandchildren; a great-grandson; and several nieces and nephews.
Private funeral services were followed by burial in the Pine Hill Cemetery in Sparrowbush.

Edith Kellam Judson of Middletown, a homemaker and a longtime area resident, died Thursday, December 23, 2004, at her home. She was 74 years of age.
The daughter of the late Frederick and Patricia Kellam, she was born February 5, 1930, in Pennsylvania. She was the widow of Chester Joseph Hudson III.
She is survived by three children, Michael Patrick Judson of Monticello, Daniel Judson of Kentucky and Sharon Debra Judson of Las Vegas, Nev.; four grandchildren; and her companion, Lewis Eckert. She was predeceased by a son, Robert Judson.
Services will be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday at the Ralston-Lippincott-Hasbrouck-Ingrassia Funeral Home, 72 W. Main St., Middletown.
Burial will be made in the Bullville Cemetery.

Alan Fishman of Livingston Manor, the owner and operator of the former Central Pharmacy in Livingston Manor and a lifelong area resident, died Wednesday, December 22, 2004, in DelRay Beach, Fla. He was 68 years of age.
The son of Lillian Fishman and the late Jack Fishman, he was born March 4, 1936 in Brooklyn. He was the widower of Susan Fishman.
He is survived by two daughters and sons-in-law, Leslie and Scott Heckel and Lauren and David Sedlack; a brother, Steven Fishman; a sister, Diane Stein; three grandchildren, Jessy, Jami and Justin; and several nieces and nephews.
Services were held Friday at Temple Agudas Achim in Livingston Manor.
Interment was made in the Agudas Achim Cemetery in Livingston Manor.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Livingston Manor Rotary Club of Agudas Achim Synagogue, both at Livingston Manor, N.Y. 12758.
Funeral arrangements were made by the Herbert C. Bryant Funeral Home in Livingston Manor.

William "Bill" F. Morgan of Port Jervis, a lifelong area resident, and a recent resident of Otisville, died Wednesday, December 22, 2004, at the Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, after a brief illness. He was 58 years of age.
The son of the late John and Margaret Morgan, he was born January 21, 1946, in Jersey City, N.J.
He is survived by a daughter, Kathleen Mann of Blooming Grove; three sons, William Morgan of Whiting, N.J., Timothy Morgan of Pennsylvania, and Daniel Morgan of Monticello; three sisters, Margaret Fink, Eileen Kwak and Catherine Esposito; nine grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by a brother, John Morgan Jr.
A Funeral Mass was offered at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Mahway, N.J., on Monday.
Interment was made at the Maryrest Cemetery in Mahway.

Earnest Burnett of Liberty, a cook at the Sullivan County Jail and a 38-year area resident, died Wednesday, December 22, 2004, at his home. He was 60 years of age.
The son of the late John B. and Lucille Jackson Burnett, he was born January 20, 1944, in Clay County, Ga.
He was a member of the Kennon Grove Baptist Church in Fort Gaines, Ga. Before working in the jail, Mr. Burnett cooked at many local hotels.
In a family statement, it was said, "He was a man devoted to family, loved to garden and enjoyed fishing with his grandsons."
He is survived by his wife of 34 years, Joyce A. Bazemore Burnett; two sons, Willie R. Burnett and Michael and his wife, Lamesha Burnett, all of Liberty; two grandsons, Khalil and Camron; four sisters, Mary A. Jackson, Johnnie B. Allen, Nettie Lucile Burnett, all of Ft. Gaines, Ga., and Betty S. Smith of Atlanta, Ga.; two sisters-in-law, Dora Downing of Montclair, N.J., and Barbara Bazemore of Paterson, N.J.; three brothers-in-law, Elmer Bazemore and his wife, Valerie, of Ellenville, Hersey Bazemore and his wife Diane, of Ahoskie, N.C., and George H. Bazemore of Randallstom, Md.; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. He was predeceased by a brother, Donald Burnett.
Homegoing services were held Sunday at the Harris Funeral Home in Liberty with the Rev. Edward Miller officiating.
Burial was made in the Liberty Cemetery.

Gail E. Gilmore of East Branch, a certified nurse's aide and a longtime area resident, died Friday, December 24, 2004, at the Delaware Valley Hospital in Walton. She was 54 years of age.
The daughter of Frederick G. and Marjorie E. Whitcher Shutts, she was born December 9, 1950, in Olean.
Mrs. Gilmore was a member of the East Branch Community Church; a member of the East Branch Water Company Board; an employee of the Roscoe Community Nursing Home; and a former Boy Scout leader.
In a family statement, it was said, "Gail was a devoted and loving wife, mother and grandmother. She enjoyed her work and loved the patients she attended as if they were part of her family."
She is survived by her husband, William R. Gilmore Sr., at home; two sons, William R. Gilmore Jr. of Deposit and Aaron C. Gilmore of Walton; a daughter and son-in-law, Carole Ann and Jason McGlone of East Branch; her parents of Roscoe; two sisters and brothers-in-law, Donna and Donald Kunze of Maybrook and Debbie and George Kiakis of Oneonta; a brother and sister-in-law, John and Linda Shutts of Rock Tavern; three grandchildren, Jaden, Conner and Zoey; and several nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday at the East Branch Community Church with the Rev. Paul Cicio officiating.
Burial will be made in the East Branch Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Peace Plantation Animal Sanctuary, St. Rte. 206, Loomis Brook, Walton, N.Y. 13856 or to the East Branch Community Church, East Branch, N.Y. 13756.
Funeral arrangement were made by the Harris Funeral Home in Roscoe.

Billie B. Smith of Newburgh, a homemaker and a lifelong area resident, died Saturday, December 25, 2004, at Elant of Newburgh. She was 74 years of age.
The daughter of the late John Q.A. Sr. and Dorothy E . Mansbach Butler, she was born July 3, 1930, in Newburgh.
She had dedicated 50 years of service as one of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Newburgh area.
She is survived by her husband of 56 years, George F. Smith, at home; a daughter and son-in-law, Billie B. and Phil Robson of Bloomingburg; a son, Charles B. Smith of New Windsor; three sisters and two brothers-in-law, Gail Sawotka of Orlando, Fla., Audrey and Anthony Valicenti of Walden and Dolores and Eugene Hamilton of Newburgh; two brothers, John Q.A. Butler Jr. and Karl Butler, both of Cody, Wyo.; a granddaughter, Brianne Daigneault-Morrison and her husband, Carter, of Bristol, N.H.; and several nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. on Tuesday at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses, 164 Plattekill Tpke., Town of Newburgh with the burial immediately following in Friends Cemetery in Plattekill.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer's Association, Mid-Hudson Chapter, 488 Main St., Poughkeepsie, N.Y. 12601.

Richard Hamilton, a more than 50-year charactor actor on radio, stage, screen and television and well- known for his wry humor, his versatile talent stretched from Shakespere to musical stock, memorably portraying a broad spectrum of characters in between, died at his home in the Catskills. He was 84 years of age.
Mr. Hamilton was born in Illinois in 1920. He grew up in California where he attended Passedinia Junior College and the Playhouse, and began his half-century theatrical career in west coast radio. He moved to New York where his stage debut was with Edna Best in "First Lady" at City Center in 1952.
He spent the next several decades on and off Broadway, most memorably as "Old Dodge" in the Pulitzer Prize winning production of Sam Shepard's "Buried Child" and as Carl in the 1982 Tony Award winning revival of "Morning's at Seven." A character actor, his last years were spent playing occasional roles in film and televistion. He was a longtime member of the Players Club.
In a family statement, it was said, "Devoted husband and adopted father of two, he imparted to family and friends a rich love of literature and the theatrical arts that was both infectious and inspirational. A man of open and generous nature, easily approachable by all he shared his wit equally without condition making everyone feel like an old friend. He enjoyed his last months peacefully at home with his wife of fifty years."
He is survived by his wife, Marilyn Morgan Hamilton, at home; a daughter, Hani Dzubas, and a son, Morgan Hamilton.
Memorial contributions in his memory may be sent to the Actor's Fund of America.
Arrangements wre made by the Stewart-Murphy Funeral Home in Callicoon.

Donna Ernst of Shortsville, a 15-year teacher of nursing at Wayne Finger Lakes BOCES, as well as doing respiratory care at various health care facilities in the area, died Thursday, December 23, 2004, at Hospice House in Naples. She was 55 years of age.
The daughter of Val and Jean Inderlied Ernst, she was born in Liberty.
A 1967 graduate of Jeffersonville-Youngsville Central School, she graduated from Finger Lakes Community College with a degree in nursing and continued her education at SUNY Oswego where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education. Mrs. Schaefer also did volunteer work for many years with numerous local drum corps, including Mighty St. Joe's of Batavia, and was the coordinator for individual and ensemble drum corps associates.
She is survived by her husband, Norman C. Schaefer, at home; her parents of Youngsville; a brother and sister-in-law, Lanny and Joan Ernst of Cochecton; two nephews, Ian Ernst and his fiancée, Jody Long, and Jeremy Ernst and his wife, Crystal; a grand-niece, Ryley Ernst; and a grand-nephew, Connor Ernst.
A Celebration of Her Life will be held on Sunday from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Turner-Schrader American Legion Post, Rte. 21, Shortsville.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice House, 7824 County Rd. 33, Naples, N.Y. 14512 or to Citizens Hose Co. P.O. Box 446, Shortsville, N.Y. 14548.

Nolua W. Dexter of Damascus, Pa., a retired teacher's aide at the Damascus School since 1980, died Monday, December 20, 2004, at the Wayne Memorial Hospital in Honesdale, Pa., after a brief illness. She was 84 years of age.
The daughter of the late Harry M. and Emily Leach White she was born November 2, 1920, in Adella, Pa.
A 1939 graduate of Damascus High School, she worked for the U.S. Postal Service and managed a movie theater in Narrowsburg during the years of World War II. She was a former Girl Scout leader in Damascus and touched the lives of many girls. In 1969, she became a charter member of the Damascus Township Volunteer Ambulance Corps and was an active first aider and trainer until 1983.
Mrs. Dexter served on the Board of Wayne County Children and Youth from 1989 to 1995. She was a member of the Damascus United Methodist Church and the United Methodist Women. Being a child of the light, she helped begin the tradition of luminaries in Damascus.
In a family statement, it was said, "She loved sharing her enthusiasm and knowledge of nature, especially birds and wildflowers. With warm smiles and twinkling eyes, she encouraged the best in others. Just one of her creative talents was building miniature furniture and houses. Her strong and gentle spirit was an inspiration to all who knew her. She gave freely of herself to her family, her church family, friends and neighbors. Her words of wisdom and gentle, strong spirit will be missed."
Mrs. Dexter is survived by her husband of 60 years, Ray Dexter, at home; a daughter, Faye; a sister, Vera Franklin of Clarks Summit, Pa.; nine nieces and seven nephews; many grand- and great-grand-nieces and nephews; and all the special friends who have touched her life. She was predeceased by a daughter, Raye Joan, and by two brothers, Harry White Jr. and Burl White.
There will be no visitation.
A Celebration of Her Life will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, January 8, in the Damascus United Methodist Church.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Damascus United Methodist Church, Damascus, Pa. 18415 or to the charity of one's choice.
Funeral arrangements were made by the Rasmussen Funeral Home in Narrowsburg.