Dr. William H. Boucher passed away on July 8, 2006. He was 81.
Born on April 30, 1925 in Lake Huntington, Dr. Boucher attended elementary and high schools in the Catskills. He served in the Naval Air Corps from 1943 to 1945. After the war, and upon the recommendation of his father who graduated from West Chester Normal School, Dr. Boucher attended West Chester State Teacher’s College graduating in 1948 with a bachelor’s degree in education. Dr. Boucher later earned a master’s degree in education from the University of Pennsylvania.
During his college years at West Chester, Dr. Boucher was involved in numerous academic and extracurricular activities including the Student Activities Association, Veteran’s Club, and baseball and basketball intramural teams. His experiences at the College resulted in a life-long affiliation with his alma mater.
Following graduation, Dr. Boucher taught mathematics at Mount Pleasant High School in Wilmington, Delaware. He remained in that position for 35 years helping students master mathematics. His influence as a teacher and mentor was so great that one of his former students, James Griffin, established an academic chair in Mr. Boucher’s honor at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.
While teaching at Mt. Pleasant High School, Dr. Boucher began various businesses, including two land development companies, which proved very successful. His most noteworthy partnership was B&B Company, which was established in 1968. B&B Company developed many notable residential subdivisions throughout southeastern Pennsylvania and New Castle County, Delaware.
Dr. Boucher held strong beliefs in hard work, self-determination and conservative values. One of his greatest pleasures was to give a start to young entrepreneurs, especially young builders. Many of these young people went on to become some of the region’s best and brightest builders in their own right.
Dr. Boucher’s community service and philanthropy were considerable and extended to many educational and service organizations throughout Chester County and the State of Delaware. He also donated land for a new high school in his childhood hometown in New York and served on numerous boards including the Sanford School in Hockessin, Delaware and the Delaware Mutual Insurance Company.
Among his recreational interests, Dr. Boucher was an accomplished fly fisherman. He traveled across the United States and Canada as well as overseas on fishing expeditions, and willingly shared his skills with others.
But among his many interests, Dr. Boucher was most active with his beloved West Chester University. His loyalty to his alma mater was legendary as he served on scores of committees and boards to advance the University. In addition to being a trustee of the WCU Foundation and the Fund for WCU, Dr. Boucher was a member of the University’s Development Council and served on the search committee that recommended current WCU President Madeleine Wing Adler.
Dr. Boucher was also a tireless supporter of WCU athletics attending most home football, women’s and men’s basketball, and baseball games. He also encouraged students to attend West Chester including his granddaughter.
In recognition of his service and support, Dr. Boucher received an honorary Doctor of Public Service degree from WCU in 1995. He and his wife received the President’s Award for Service in 2003 and Dr. Boucher was elected to the Sturzebecker Hall of Fame in 1999. Also, the Tania K. and William H. Boucher Science Center is named in honor of his wife and him.
Reflecting on Dr. Boucher’s legacy, WCU President Madeleine Wing Adler stated “Bill is among the heroes of West Chester University. His decades of loyal service to his alma mater have benefited students over the years and for generations to come. No alumnus has been more committed to this University than Bill and his absence will be felt by the entire community.”
Dr. Boucher will be greatly missed by his family friends, students and associates. In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to the West Chester University Foundation, 628 South High Street, West Chester, PA 19383.
He is survived by his wife, Tania K. Boucher; his children, William H. Boucher, Jr. of Lake Huntington, Pamela B. McCarty of Bristol, RI and Joshua C. Boucher of Centreville, Del.; four grandchildren; four step-grandchildren; and two step-great grandchildren.
His funeral service will be held at Lower Brandywine Presbyterian Church, 100 Old Kennett Rd., Centerville, Del. on Saturday, July 15 at 3 p.m.
A family greeting will be held with refreshments, following the service in the Church Social Hall.
An extended graveside service will be held for family and friends at 1:30 p.m. Monday, July 17 at the United Methodist Church of Fosterdale Cemetery in Lake Huntington. Arrangements are being handled by the Kuzo & Grieco Funeral Home Inc. of Kennett Square.

Elisabeth (Van Ophemert) Ostermann of Ormond Beach, Fla. formerly of Glen Spey, died March 14, 2006 at Mayfield Heights, Ohio. She was 99 years old.
Elisabeth was married to the late Klaus Ostermann, she was born in Koblenz, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany on February 6, 1907. She was a longtime resident of the area, and a lifelong member of The Schwartwald (Black Forest) German American Club in Glen Spey.
Survivors include one son, Carl H. Ostermann and his wife, Margaret of Philadelphia, Penna.; one daughter, Betty Szirony and her husband, James of Cleveland, Ohio; grandchildren, Evan A. Szirony and Michael K. Ostermann; sister-in-law, Margot Peterson of Glen Spey.
Graveside services will be held Friday, July 14, 2006 at 2 p.m. in The Black Forest Cemetery, Glen Spey.
The family will have a reception following the service at the Black Bear Inn to honor and celebrate Mom's life.
Burial will be in Black Forest Cemetery, Glen Spey.
Contributions may be made to Hospice of Western Reserve, 300 E. 185th St., Cleveland, Ohio 44119 of the American Heart Assoc., 1689 E. 115th St., Cleveland, Ohio 44106.
Funeral arrangements by Knight-Auchmoody Funeral Home Inc., Port Jervis.

Audree B. Lucas of Woodridge, formerly of Buffalo, died Thursday, June 29, 2006. She was 82.
The daughter of Robert and Amy Lubner Bennett, she was born October 7, 1923 in Buffalo.
Audree was a registered nurse and worked at the Buffalo VA Hospital. She was a charter member of the Deerhurst United Presbyterian Church in Kenmore, a member of AARP, National Active and Retired Federal Employee’s Assn and the Kenton YMCA in Tonawanda.
Survivors include a son, Frank L. Lucas of Rochester, a daughter, Margaret “Peggy” Beirne and her husband, Joseph, of Woodridge; two sisters, Alice Spink of Orchard Park and Margery Jackson of Calif.; a sister-in-law, Helen Luksic of Springville; six grandchildren, Eric, William, Jeffrey and Robert Beirne, Pamela Gardner and Brynn Lucas; four great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
Burial of the cremains will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, July 15 at the Elmlawn Cemetery in Kenmore.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, July 18 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Liberty Rev. Audrey Pedersen will officiate.
Memorial contributions may be made to The Masonic Care Community, 2150 Bleeker St., Utica, NY 13501 or to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 26 Chestnut St., Liberty, NY 12754.
Funeral arrangements by Ramsay’s Funeral Homes Inc. of Liberty.

Helen Prusinski Hegeman, a lifelong resident of Mountaindale, died July 11, 2006 after a brief illness. She was 84.
Helen was born in Mountaindale on November 9, 1921 to Mike and Anna Maliga, the second of six children and their only daughter.
She was a devout child whose faith sustained her through life and to a peaceful death. After graduating from Mountaindale High School, Helen travelled to Oklahoma and California to assist in the war effort. Born with a sense of adventure, she toured the U.S. and Cuba before returning home to assist her parents with her younger brothers and their fledgling bungalow colony. She ultimately took a job with the NYS Unemployment Office and in recognition of her skills became the first female regional manager for Sullivan and Orange counties. It was her brother, Tom, who introduced her to fellow NYS Trooper Zigmund Prusinski. They were married in 1948 and Zigmund happily left the Bronx for life in the country with a welcoming family.
Helen retired from State service to raise a family but remained active in local politics and various organizations including the Mt. Dale Action committee, Rails to Trails, RSVP, the VFW and the SC Historical Society. She served as president of the Mountaindale/Woodridge Senior Citizens for over 15 years. All will miss her strength, beauty and extraordinary sense of humor.
She is survived by daughters Ann Prusinski of Mountaindale and Rita Prusinski of Stone Ridge, Rita’s husband, Phillip, and their twin daughters, Lara and Claire, age 4; her loving companion, Harry Baer of Mountaindale; her brother, Fred of North Carolina; 21 nieces and nephews; and the remaining two cats of all of those she spayed, fed and sheltered over the years. She was predeceased by a son, Paul in 1950, her husband, Zigmund in 1971, her husband, William Hegeman of Ellenville in 1978 and her brothers, Thomas, John, Robert and Joseph.
Friends may call from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Friday at Colonial Memorial Funeral Home, Woodbourne.
A Funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 15 at St. Mary’s and St. Andrew’s Catholic Church in Ellenville. Burial will be in Fantinekill Cemetery in Ellenville.

Justus Matthew Asthalter, better known as “Dutch,” a lifelong Sullivan County resident, died Wednesday, July 12, 2006 at the Sullivan County Adult Day Care Center. He was 93.
The son of George and Minnie Countryman Asthalter, he was born January 5, 1913 in Neversink. He was the widower of Nellie Hotchkin Asthalter who died in 1987.
Dutch retired from Local 825 Operating Engineers Union. He was a member of the Liberty United Methodist Church, a World War II Army veteran, a member of the Corporal Russell D. Sprague Post #109 American Legion of Liberty, the Clarence Hoyt Post #9217 VFW of Liberty, Cornell Cooperative Extension and the New York and Pennsylvania Maple Syrup Producers Ass’n.
In a family statement it was said, “Our ‘Daddy’ was a loving husband and a wonderful father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, trapping and especially making maple syrup, which he did most of his life. After retiring, he began a second career delivering corn. He could often be seen traveling around Sullivan County with a truckload of corn or pumpkins with no room to spare. He lived life to its fullest. He will be dearly missed by his loved ones and all who knew him.”
Survivors include his two daughters, MaryLou Boyes and her fiance, Anthony Primiano, of Liberty, and JoAnn Dean and her husband, Michael, of Neversink; a sister, Wilma Bonnell of Liberty; four grandchildren, Sean Boyes and his wife, Dawn, Carrie Gorton and her husband, Eugene, and Natalia and Joseph Dean; six great-grandchildren, Aurora Lorraine, Aric Justus Boyes, Hauk Matthew Boyes, Bryan Gregory, Violet Louise Gorton and Aiden Grace Gorton; and several nieces and nephews.
Friends may call from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. on Friday, July 14 at Ramsay’s Funeral Home, 275 S. Main St., Liberty.
Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 15 at the Liberty United Methodist Church. Rev. Richard Guice and Rev. Larry Powell will officiate. Burial will be made in Rural Cemetery in Grahamsville.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Liberty United Methodist Church, 170 N. Main St., Liberty, NY 12754; to the Neversink Fire Dept. – EMS Dept., Route 55, Neversink, NY 12765; or to Hospice of Orange and Sullivan Counties, 800 Stony Brook Court, Newburgh, NY 12550.

Clarice I. Yates of Liberty, a retired teacher from Liberty Central High School and a 51-year area resident, died Sunday, June 25, 2006 at the Sullivan County Adult Care Center. She was 94.
The daughter of Clara and William Simmons, she was born February 13, 1912 in Elizabethtown.
Clarice was a 51-year member of the Liberty United Methodist Church and served on various committees. She was a life member of the S.C. Golf Club, an avid skier, a member of AARP, Sullivan County Retired Teacher’s Ass’n. and the American Ass’n. of University Women.
Clarice and her family would especially like to thank the staff at the Sullivan County Adult Care Center for all her care.
Survivors include her daughter, Ann Bier of Middlesex; two grandchildren, Charmain Bassett of Middlesex and Charity Chrysler of Scammon, Kan.; and seven great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her husband, William H. Yates; a son Harry W. Yates; and a brother, Gerald F. Simmons.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, July 15 at 11 a.m. at the Liberty United Methodist Church with Rev. Larry Powell officiating.
Burial of the cremains will be made in New Russia Rural Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to Liberty United Methodist Church, 170 N. Main St., Liberty, NY 12754 or to The Family Care Council, c/o Sullivan County Adult Care Center, PO Box 671, Liberty, NY 12754.
Funeral arrangements by Ramsay’s Funeral Homes Inc. in Liberty.

James Sethares of Monticello, a former Baker’s Assistant at the Concord Hotel, died Sunday, July 9, 2006 in Laurel Lake Care Center, Lee, Mass. He was 58 years old.
The son of Ruseta and Gloria Rummarge Sethares, he was born June 8, 1948 in Hyannis, Mass.
He was a United States Army veteran, having served during Vietnam.
Survivors include his mother, Gloria Vezina and stepfather, Al Vezina, of Port St. Lucie, Fla.; sisters, Bette Ann Young and her husband, Donald, of Grahamsville and Roxanne Valenzano of New Windsor; nieces and nephews, Isabella Scaglione, Sandra McGowan, and Charles Grant Jr.; grandnieces and nephews also survive.
A graveside service was held Thursday at the Sullivan County Veterans Cemetery, Liberty. The Rev. Robert Pinto officiated.
Donations may be made to the Huntington’s Disease Society of America, 158 West 29th St., 7th Floor, New York, NY 10001-5300.
Arrangements by Loucks Funeral Home, Inc., Ellenville.

Frances M. Olcott of Wurtsboro died Monday, July 10, 2006 at the Orange Regional Medical Center, Horton Campus in Middletown. She was 68.
The daughter of the late Harold Thompson and Blanche Helm Thompson, she was born April 26, 1938 in Middletown.
Fran was a lifelong resident of Wurtsboro and wintered in Bayonet Point, Fla. She was an 8th generation American whose family was pioneers in Mamakating and was related to Manuel Gonsaulis, the first settler of Mamakating. Along with her husband and after her retirement, she toured all of the United States and Canada in their truck and travel trailer. They visited all of the National Parks and took a short jaunt to Mexico. They also visited Puerto Rico in case they became a state, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the national park there and the Caribbean.
She was a homemaker for most of her life and raised four children. She also worked for the Wurtsboro Pharmacy, Wurtsboro Variety Store and was a clerk at the U.S. Post Office in Bloomingburg before she left to travel with her husband. She was also active in the Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, Wives of Elks and Women of the Moose in her earlier years.
She is survived by her husband of 46 years, Robert J. Olcott, at home; two daughters, Dawn Babcock Vitiello and her husband, Perry, of Westbrookville and Laura Froehlich of Callicoon; two sons, Robert Olcott and his wife, Theresa, of Monroe Township, NJ and George Olcott and his wife, Priscilla, of Wurtsboro; a brother, Harold Thompson of Wurtsboro; eight grandchildren, Ellen Babcock, Peter Vitiello, Jamie and Jenny Froehlich, Gabrielle, Samantha and Alyssa Olcott and George Olcott Jr.; one niece, Kathy Pilecki; and a nephew, James Thompson.
She was predeceased by a sister, Mary Thompson of Middletown.
Her funeral service will be held Thursday evening at 8 p.m. at the VanInwegen-Kenny, Inc. Funeral Home in Wurtsboro.
Burial of her ashes will be held at the convenience of the family.
Memorial contributions may be made to a charity of one's choice.