David A. Kurtz Sr., a carpenter and lifelong area resident, died Monday, Jan. 16, 2006 at Bon Secours Community Hospital, Port Jervis. He was 61.
The son of the late George and Leila Quick Kurtz, he was born June 6, 1944 in Port Jervis.
He was a social member of Roosa-Fleming VFW Post #161, Port Jervis. David was an avid hunter and fisherman and a talented wood craftsman who enjoyed making many bird houses.
Survivors include his wife Dona Jacobs Kurtz at home; his daughter, Georgieann Quick and husband Ivan Sr. of Port Jervis; his son, David A. Kurtz Jr. and wife Stacey of Port Jervis; his daughter, Billie Jo Mann and husband Kenneth of Port Jervis, Jonathan Kurtz and wife Darlene of Cochecton; eight grandchildren Ivan Jr., Jennifer, Justin, Stephanie, Kristen, David, Brandi, McKayla; one great-granddaughter, Abbigale; five sisters, Barbara Ogrodnick of Sparrowbush, Nancy Howell of Port Jervis, Sheila Roberts of Reno, Nev., Betty Reilly of Port Jervis, Beth Morris of Sparrowbush; one brother, George Michael Kurtz of Port Jervis; and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by two brothers, Daniel and Thomas Kurtz and one sister, Julia Ellson.
Funeral services were held Wednesday at the Knight-Auchmoody Funeral Home, Inc. in Port Jervis.
Burial was private.
Memorial contributions may be made to Roosa-Fleming VFW Post #161, 47-51 Owen Street, Port Jervis, NY 12771.

Leonora “Lee” Mordin of Monticello, a restaurateur and a longtime area resident, died Sunday, January 15, 2006. She was 82 years of age.
She was born and raised in New York City. She married her one and only sweetheart, Sid, in 1945.
In a family statement, it was said, “In the ‘50s, they owned and operated a luncheonette on the lower east side of Manhattan. Lee’s father built a bungalow colony during this period on Cold Spring Road [in Monticello]. Loving the Catskills area, they moved to Monticello in 1958 and opened Sid’s on St. John St. near the old Monticello High School. The place was always packed with students at lunchtime and after school. No one ever went hungry when Lee was around for lack of money, as credit was readily disbursed and of course, Lee became a second ‘mom’ and a shoulder to lean on for all those puppy loves gone bad. Of course it did not end there, she became a den mother and confidant to many a new teacher who was having trouble adjusting to the rigors of teaching and small town life. Her house, like her heart, was always open for a home cooked meal or just some good laughs. Lee was also active in the Liberty Street synagogue sisterhood during this period. They sold Sid’s around 1963 and ran Frosty’s on Route 42 through 1964. They then started on a migratory path between Florida and Monticello where they ran businesses for a few years in each place. When Woodstock took place, they operated Sid’s Fountainlou on Broadway and wound up in an article in the Washington Post for giving food and beverages away to all those that were stranded and ran out of money. Lee’s caring and generous heart never wavered during her lifetime. After her husband’s death in 1974, Lee embarked on a new career working as an administrative assistant for Local 76 of HERE. It was a job made for her caring as she could assist many local members with their medical and pension problems. Lee worked for the union local for over 25 years, well into her late 70s. The last few years of her life were spent living on Kauai, Hawaii and Las Vegas. This past year the family created a foundation for the express purpose of keeping the family’s caring heart alive by awarding a yearly $2,000 scholarship to a graduating senior of Monticello High.”
She is survived by a son and daughter-in-law, Greg and Monica of Las Vegas, Nev., and several cousins.
A graveside service was held Thursday at Cedar Park Cemetery, Forest Ave., Paramus, N.J.
Shiva will be observed at the family home in Las Vegas.
Memorial contributions may be made to The Mordin Family Foundation, 2109 Boundary Oak Dr., Las Vegas, NV 89134.

Cecelia Rose McCormick of Greenwood Lake, a longtime resident of the area and a retired housekeeping manager at the conference center of Columbia University, died Monday, Jan. 16, 2006 at home. She was 64 years of age.
The daughter of the late John and Mary Gallagher Cullen, she was born on Nov. 22, 1941 in New York City. She was the widow of Thomas Francis McCormick.
She is survived by six sons, Thomas McCormick and his wife, Linda, of Barryville, Daniel McCormick and Eugene McCormick, both of Greenwood Lake, Shawn McCormick of Watertown, Patrick McCormick and his wife, Kelly, of Plattsburgh, and John McCormick and his wife, Miwa, of New York City; three daughters, Susan McCormick and Stephanie McCormick, both of Greenwood Lake, and Kelly Bendfeldt and her husband, Allen, of Hewitt, N.J.; a brother and sister-in-law, John and Helene Cullen of New York City; many grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
A Funeral Mass was celebrated on Thursday at Holy Rosary Church in Greenwood Lake.
Burial was made at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Valhalla.
Arrangements were directed by the Strong-Basile Funeral Home, Greenwood Lake.

Scott Moore Durland of Ash, N.C., formerly of Middletown and the former owner of Durland’s Florist, died Wednesday, December 28, 2005 in North Carolina. He was 58 years of age.
The son of the late Dolores Wolfe Durland and Robert Thomas Moore, he was born August 14, 1947 in Middletown.
A veteran of the U.S. Air Force, he served during the Vietnam War as a member of a helicopter rescue squad. He was a member of the Elks, the American Legion, and was a lifetime member of the V.F.W. He was a member of the Monhagen Fire Co. and was a veteran fireman.
He is survived by his wife, Kim, at home; his twin daughters, Tonilynn Durland Donato and her husband, Joseph, of Miami, Fla. and AmyLynn Durland and her husband, Sal Lamancusa, of Middletown; a brother, Paul Durland of Rock Hill; a sister, Donna Durland of Wolf Lake; a granddaughter, Antoinette Lamancusa of Middletown; a stepdaughter, Jaime McGar of Middletown; and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his adopted father, Donald Durland.
Friends may call from 7-9 p.m. on Friday at the Ralston-Lippincott-Hasbrouck-Ingrassia Funeral Home, Inc., 72 West Main St., Middletown.
A Memorial Mass will be celebrated at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday at St. Joseph’s R.C. Church in Middletown.
Burial will be made in the Orange County Veteran Cemetery in Goshen.

Dorothy Driver Armstead of Monticello, a certified nursing assistant, died Sunday, January 15, 2006 at the Seelig campus of Catskill Regional Medical Center in Harris. She was 74 years of age.
The daughter of Alberta Dahling Barrett and Joseph Driver, she was born March 11, 1931 in Philadelphia, Pa.
In a family statement, it was said, “Dot, or ‘Aunt Dot’as she was so often called, was always known for her kindheartedness to many people. She touched everyone’s heart in her life on this earth and will be missed very much.”
She is survived by her husband, Thomas, at home; two sons, Edgar Washington and James Johnson, both of Monticello; two daughters, Denise Gibbs of the Bronx, and Katherine Diggins of Monticello; nine grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; a son-in-law, Wayne Mitchell of the Bronx; a daughter-in-law, Semmie Johnson of Monticello; a sister-in-law, Sarah Washington of Philadelphia, Pa.; four nieces, Barbara Jean, Mabel, Phyllis & Victoria; three nephews, Herbert Jr., Tyrone, and William, all of Philadelphia; and a host of grandnieces and grandnephews, great-grandnieces and nephews, and friends.
Funeral services will be private and at the convenience of the family.
Arrangements are under the direction of the VanInwegen-Kenny, Inc. Funeral Home of Monticello.

Niela Drake of Grahamsville, died Monday, January 16, 2006 at home with her family by her side. She was 68 years of age.
The daughter of Daniel and Betty Drake, she was born October 29, 1937 in Hollywood, Calif.
Niela was a member of Sullivan ARC, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church and the Rose Valley Senior Center.
She is survived by her mother, Betty Freudenheim, and a sister, Lorna Drake Giles, both of Rego Park; a nephew, Morgan Giles and his wife, Nicole; one grandnephew, Taylor; one grandniece, Stephanie; and her beloved family at Crystal Run Village.
Funeral services were held Thursday at Colonial Memorial Funeral Home in Woodbourne with Rev. Joan Laliberté officiating.
Burial was made in the Woodbourne Reformed Cemetery.

Vera G. Niosi of Monticello, a retired secretary and a 15-year area resident, died Friday, January 13, 2006 at her home. She was 92 years of age.
The daughter of William and Barbara Gela, she was born January 20, 1913 in Passaic, N.J. She was the widow of Anthony John Niosi, who died July 23, 1973.
She had been a secretary at St. Joseph’s High School in West New York, N.J. and was a member of St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church in Monticello.
She is survived by two daughters and sons-in-law, Barbara and Chander Bhan of Monticello and Vera and John Breunig of Bricktownship, N.J.; four grandchildren, Grace Gillen, Douglas MacIntosh, and Joshua and Jared Breunig; a great-grandson, William A. Gillen; several nieces and one nephew. She was predeceased by six brothers and sisters.
Cremation was made at Cedar Hill Crematory in Middle Hope
A Memorial Mass will be held on Friday at 10 a.m. at St. Peter’s R.C. Church, Monticello, with Rev. Robert Ginel officiating.
Memorial contributions be made to Hospice of Orange & Sullivan Counties, Inc., 800 Stony Brook Court, Newburgh, NY 12550.

Edward Machnicki of Middletown, a retired heavy equipment operator for the Operating Engineers Local 825, Springfield, N.J., died Saturday, January 14, 2006 at his home. He was 78 years of age.
The son of Stanley and Mary Wronska Machnicki, he was born on September 1, 1927 in Chester.
He was a member of the Town of Wallkill Mid-Orange Lions Club, the Local Chapter of AARP, the NRA, the Mountaineers Hunting Club, and the Mt. Hope Seniors. He was past chief of Mechanicstown Fire Co., a member of the Middletown Elks Lodge 1097 and a longtime member of the County Seat Conservation Club.
In a family statement, it was said, “An avid sportsman, he enjoyed hunting, fishing, boating and camping. He was a Harvest Moon Dancer and loved his Polish music. He also loved a good giggle on Sunday mornings with the Sunday Comics, his favorite was the Lockhorns.”
He is survived by his wife of 12 years, Edna Howard Machnicki, at home; two sons, Edward Machnicki, Jr. of Middletown and William Manaco and his wife, Gabrielle, of Germany; a daughter and son-in-law, Carol and Shawn Allen of Westminster, Colo.; three brothers-in-law, John Smith of Goshen, John Szulwach of New Jersey, and William Howard and his wife, Eleanor, of Bloomingburg; one sister-in-law, Betty Machnicki of Durlandville; and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by a sister, Helen Szulwach and two brothers, Walter and Henry Machnicki.
Friends may call from 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. on Friday, January 20 at the Applebee-McPhillips Funeral Home, Inc., 130 Highland Ave., Middletown. Elks services will be held at 7:30 p.m. followed by Lions services at 7:45 p.m.
A Funeral Mass of Remembrance will be celebrated on Saturday at 2 p.m. at the funeral home.
Burial will be made in early spring in the family plot in Pine Hill Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to the David Curtis Heart and Lung Transplant Fund, c/o Middletown Elks Lodge 1097, 40 Prospect St., Middletown, NY 10940.

Joseph Hapij of Glen Spey, a retired worker at Carrier Corp. of Syracuse, died Sunday, January 15, 2006 at Bon Secours Community Hospital in Port Jervis. He was 97.
The son of Mykola and Maria Kruszelnycka Hapij, he was born January 31, 1908 in Smorze, Ukraine. He was the widower of Yaroslawa Pawluk Hapij who died September 28, 2005.
He was a member of St. Volodymyr’s Ukrainian Catholic Church in Glen Spey.
He is survived by a son and daughter-in-law, Ihor and Ksenia Hapij of Livingston, N.J.; a daughter and son-in-law, Bohdanna and Louis Feliciano of Wawarsing; six grandchildren, Lada Bidiak and her husband, Andrei, Adam Hapij and his wife, Marta, Dora Dekajlo and her husband, Orest, Sophia Celino and her husband, Anthony, Vira Berkobein and her husband, Alexander, and Nicholas Feliciano; and seven great-grandchildren, Maya, Mika, Ulana, Matthew, Damyan, Alexander II and Nicholas.
Friends may call from 6-9 p.m. on Friday at the Gray-Parker Funeral Home, 100 E. Main St., Port Jervis.
The Panachyda service will be held at 7 p.m. Friday at the funeral home.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, with a Liturgy Mass at 11 a.m. in St. Volodymyr’s Ukrainian Catholic Church in Glen Spey, with Rev. Mark Hirniak officiating.
Burial will be made in Glen Spey Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. Volodymyr’s Ukrainian Catholic Church, P.O. Box 108, Glen Spey, NY 12737.

Dorothy Marie Wood of Napanoch, a resident since 1963 and a former secretary and bookkeeper for the Raymond Wood Construction Company, died Jan. 13, 2006 in the Ellenville Regional Hospital. She was 82 years of age.
The daughter of Charles Edward and Anna Matilda Ader Wood, she was born Sept. 13, 1923 in New York City. She was the widow of Raymond Milton Wood.
In a family statement, it was said, “She devoted her life to her family. She was a proud Gold Star Mother through the loss of her son in Vietnam. Her lifelong goal was to always put a smile on the face of each person she met.”
She is survived by five daughters, Diane E. Turner of Wurtsboro, Ellen L. Ficurilli and her husband, James M., of Deposit, Kay M. Lobo of Jacksonville, Fla., Barbara A. Wood of Napanoch, and Beverly J. Terracciano of Sound Beach; 11 grandchildren, Brian Jared Turner, Andi McMicken, John Ficurilli, Kriss Rynearson, Charles Fibel, Tyler Ross Culver, Sean James Hart Sr., Roxanne Hart, Matthew Terracciano, Aaron Terracciano, Noah Terracciano; seven great-grandchildren, Justine Turner, Chase Ficurilli, Airin Rynearson, Raymond Rynearson, Sean Hart Jr., Demonique Lee Kladakis, and Gabriel Raymond Kladakis; a sister, Marion Felton of New York City; and several nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by a son, Marine PFC Raymond Charles Wood, and a brother, Charles Felton.
Funeral services were held Thursday at the Loucks Funeral Home in Ellenville.
Burial will be made in the Bloomingburg Cemetery.

Daniel James Sutton Sr. of Monticello, a local bartender and longtime area resident, died Monday, January 16, 2006 at Catskill Regional Medical Center in Harris. He was 64.
The son of the late Nathaniel James Sutton Sr. and Aretha Curry Sutton, he was born August 1, 1941 in Trenton, Fla.
He worked for many years at the Concord Resort Hotel, the Villa Roma, and Holiday Mountain Ski Area as a bartender and was a former member of the BPOE Lodge #1544 in Monticello. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army, serving from 1963-1965.
He is survived by three sons, Eddie James Sutton and David James Sutton, both of Monticello, and Daniel James Sutton Jr. of Yorktown; two daughters, Mildred Sutton of Tampa, Fla. and Tonya Sutton of Omaha, Neb.; his former wife, Rose Marie DiGirolamo of Cuddebackville; two grandchildren; two brothers, John L. Sutton of Sebring, Fla. and Nathaniel J. Sutton Jr. of Monticello, Fla.; two sisters, Louise Blue of Geneva and Earline Tuff of Miami, Fla.; a half-sister, Dora Williams of Orlando, Fla.; and several nieces and nephews.
Friends may call from 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. Friday at the VanInwegen-Kenny, Inc. Funeral Home, 401 Broadway, Monticello.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 15 St. John Street, Monticello with Rev. Steven B. Tate officiating.
Burial with military honors will be made in the Sullivan Co. Veterans Cemetery in Liberty.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Monticello Housing Authority Youth Program, 76 Evergreen Drive, Monticello, NY 12701.

George Smith of Liberty, a retired truck driver for Binder Oil Co. of Woodbourne and a lifelong area resident, died Monday, January 16, 2006 at the Sullivan County Adult Care Center in Liberty. He was 83.
The son of the late Joseph and Emma L. Moore Smith, he was born September 13, 1922 in Neversink.
He was a veteran of the U.S. Army, serving during WWII, and a life member of the Clarence Hoyt VFW Post #9217 in Liberty.
He is survived by three daughters, Georgeanna Davis and her companion, Anthony Cannone, of Liberty, Patricia J. Maas and her husband, James A., of Grahamsville, and Diana Crescimanno and her husband, Anthony, of Royal Palm Beach, Fla.; ten grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
Friends may call from 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. on Sunday at the Harris Funeral Home, West Street at Buckley, Liberty.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday at the funeral home with Rev. William Hagerty officiating.
Burial with military honors will be in the Grahamsville Rural Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Clarence Hoyt VFW Post #9217, Route 52, Liberty, NY 12754.

Robert Mullen, a Liberty native, died Thursday, January 19, 2006 at his home in Liberty following a long illness. He was 71 years of age.
The son of Philip and Margaret Mullen, he was born July 13, 1935.
Affectionately known as “Banker Bob” to his many friends and colleagues throughout Sullivan County, Bob was a fixture at many charity events and enjoyed golfing and darts.
Robert Ernst, former president of Sullivan County National Bank, remembered Bob as a good friend and banker.
Bob first worked for the U.S. Postal Service as a postal carrier in Liberty before joining Sullivan County National Bank in the early 1960s.
From there he was promoted several times to manager and later vice president, as Sullivan County National merged with Norstar and later became Fleet. Today the bank is called Bank of America.
He is survived by his lifetime partner, Carol Cook of Liberty; sons Brian Mullen and his wife, Loni, of Phoenix, and Thomas Mullen of Sitka, Alaska; and Todd Cook, and his wife, Lisa, of Liberty; daughters Tammy and her husband, John, of Reading, Pa., and Kelly Walerski and her husband, Dan, of Detroit; grandchildren, Emily Orischak, and Michael, Andrew and Christopher Cook; two brothers, Philip and William of Liberty, and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by a sister, Patricia.
Funeral arrangements, under the direction of Ramsay’s Funeral Home, 275 Main St., Liberty, were incomplete at presstime.

Rose Holtzman of Atlanta, Ga. died Thursday, January 5, 2006. She was 93 years of age.
She was born December 24, 1912 in South Fallsburg.
Known as “Aunt Rose” to the sorority sisters of Delta Phi Epsilon, U. of Florida, where she was housemother from 1980-1995, she was an incredible role model for all who knew her. For her commitment, she was awarded the Delta Phi Epsilon International Housemother of the Year award, and for the promotion of safety and security, she received the City of Gainesville Police Department’s first Public Citizens Award.
She attended State Teachers’ College at New Paltz, and taught for several years before becoming the “Girl Monday-Sunday” in the medical office of her husband, Dr. Samuel G. Holtzman, a general practitioner in a town of less than 500 residents. She loved being a part of the Borscht Belt culture and proudly shared the stories of life in the Catskills with listeners young and old. She was a founding member of the Fallsburg chapter of Hadassah, and a member of the Fallsburg chapter B’nai B’rith.
Following her retirement at age 85, she moved to Atlanta to be closer to her family. She worked full-time as a receptionist at Mature Mart, a company started by her granddaughter, Alexis Abramson. Her interests were broad, but her main passion was politics and the state of the world. Her petite stature and stylish appearance belied a fierce political analyst who bombarded the past 12 presidents and untold local politicians with letters of protest, praise, encouragement and some of Rose’s sage advice.
In a family statement, it was said, “Rose Holtzman was central to the lives of many friends and her family. She shared a wisdom and optimism that we would never have envisioned on our own. We are ever thankful for the life she chose to share with us.”
She is survived by two daughters and sons-in-law, Phyllis and Norman Abramson, and Jane and Melvin Weinstein; four grandchildren, Peter Abramson and his wife, Cara, Alexis Abramson, Jeffrey Berkman and his wife, Wendy, Lauren Berkman Merritt and her husband, Brock; and great-grandchildren, Max and Micah Abramson.
Memorial contributions may be made to Doctors Without Borders, P.O. Box 1856, Merrifield, VA 22116-8056.
Arrangements were made by H.M. Patterson and Son of Atlanta, Ga.