Sullivan County Democrat
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  OBITUARY ARCHIVES Established 1891 Callicoon, New York  
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November 7, 2006

Josephine M. Lodi
Homemaker, 65

Josephine M. Lodi, a homemaker and 40-year resident of the area, died Thursday, November 2, 2006 at her home. She was 65.
The daughter of Ralph and Josephine Giambrone Inserra, she was born September 7, 1941 in New York.
In a family statement, it was said: “Mom was the rock of our family. She truly believed in the bonds of family and friends. She lived her life to its fullest and made it her life's work to embrace everyone. Mom always felt a hug and a good meal would help with anyone”s problems. Her zany sense of humor would always make you laugh. An avid Yankees fan, she never missed a game on TV and caught the encore the next day. To love and be loved was all Mom wished for everyone. ‘You're full of sugar’ was her best one-liner. We are forever rich in love and of family because of her.”
Survivors include her husband, Alexander G. Lodi, at home; a son, Alexander Lodi of New Windsor; two daughters, Georgette Dwyer and her husband, Neil, of Monroe and Josephine Monroe and her husband, John, of Monticello; her parents of Center Moriches; a brother, Albert Inserra and his wife, Lois, of Holbrook; two sisters, Marie Puco and her husband, Steven, of Center Moriches and Ann Risicato of Yonkers; a grandson, Neil Dwyer Jr.; and nieces and nephews.
A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Sacred Heart Church, 26 Still Rd., Monroe with the Rev. George C. Lodi officiating.
Burial will be made in Cemetery of the Highlands, Highland Mills.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Orange & Sullivan Counties, 800 Stony Brook Court, Newburgh, NY 12550.
Arrangements are by the Smith, Seaman & Quackenbush, Inc. Funeral Home in Monroe.

George Chanov, 50

George Chanov, a former resident of Liberty, died October 30, 2006 in Cooperstown. He was 50.
He was born in Suffern on January 19, 1956 to Kiprian and Maria Chanov.
George lived in Stony Point before moving to Liberty, and lived the last two years in West Davenport.
He is survived by his parents; three brothers, Michael, Corky and Paul; three sisters, Chris, Natalie and Mary; and several nieces and nephews.
Funeral services were held Friday at Novo DiVeevo Russian Orthodox Church in Spring Valley. Burial was made in the church cemetery.
Arrangements were by Hannemann Funeral Home, Inc., Nyack.

Geraldine Marcus
Ret. Office Manager, 68

Geraldine Marcus of Liberty, a retired office manager at the former Sullivan’s Dept. Store in Liberty, died Saturday, November 4, 2006 in Catskill Regional Medical Center in Harris. She was 68.
The daughter of George and Myra Segal Sadovsky, she was born September 12, 1938 in Freehold, NJ.
She is survived by her loving husband, Sigmund, at home; a son, Jeffrey S. Weiner of Howell, NJ; two stepsons, Howard I. Marcus and Edward A. Marcus; a brother, Dr. Roy Sadovsky of the state of Florida; and five grandchildren.
Graveside services were held Monday at the Sullivan County Veterans Cemetery, Liberty.
Funeral arrangements by Joseph N. Garlick Funeral Home Inc. in Liberty.

Gloria A. Cassas
Homemaker, 72

Gloria A. Cassas, a homemaker and resident of Dallas, Ga., formerly of Monroe, died Wednesday, November 1, 2006 at Wellstar Paulding Hospital in Dallas, Ga. She was 72.
The daughter of the late Luis and Macolina Sanchez, she was born September 16, 1934 in New York.
She was a devoted mother and grandmother with the utmost energy and dedicating time to her family. She was recently a member of Celebration Church of God in Dallas, Ga., a longtime member of Calvary Assembly of God in Monroe, and an active member of Quilting Grannies.
Survivors include her husband of 49 years, Calixto Cassas; sons and daughters-in-law, Reuben and Lorene Obenreder Sanchez of Montgomery, Calixto Cassas Jr. and his wife, Sylvia, of Tampa, Fla., Augustin and Jill Cassas of Middletown, Mark and Lisa Cassas and granddaughter, Ivelisse of Harriman, Nicholas Cassas and Carol LaBarbera of Rock Hill, and Ivan Cassas of Central Valley; a daughter, Gloria Jackson and her husband, Barry, of Newburgh; a sister, Pauline Sanchez of New York City; three brothers, Luis Sanchez of Long Island, James Sanchez of Spring Valley and John Sanchez of Wallkill; 14 grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.
Friends may call from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 7 at Calvary Assembly of God, 1118 Route 17M in Monroe.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the church, with Pastor Gary Pignaloso officiating.
Burial will be made in Seamanville Cemetery in Monroe.
Arrangements were by Smith, Seaman & Quackenbush Funeral Home, Monroe.

Helen Shields-Shepherd
Homemaker, 78

Helen “Babe” Shields-Shepherd of Luhue, Hawaii, formerly of Liberty, died September 23, 2006 at Garden Island Healthcare, Island of Kauai, Hawaii. She was 78.
The daughter of James and Helen Weber Shields, she was born April 12, 1928 in Liberty. She was the widow of Peter Shepherd.
She was a homemaker and a singer/entertainer at Grossinger’s Hotel. She was predeceased by a sister, Florence Wheeler of Liberty.
She is survived by daughters, Leanne Mangabang and Paul Chin of Monticello, and Tracy Pandiscia of Carmel; six grandchildren; one great-grandchild; a brother, James Shields of North Carolina; and numerous nieces and nephews.
A graveside service will be held at the convenience of the family.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church, P.O. Box 572, Lihue, HI 96766.

Nancy M. Secrest
Bus Driver, 62

Nancy M. (Stadier) Secrest of Glen Wild, a bus driver for Ellenville Center School, died November 2, 2006 in Orange Regional Medical Center, Horton Campus, Middletown. She was 62.
The daughter of the late Benjamin Secrest and Elizabeth Hamann Secrest, she was born January 13, 1944 in Temple, Texas.
She attended the Church of St. Mary & St. Andrew in Ellenville.
She is survived by her mother, of Evans, Ga.; two sons, Donald Secrest and his wife, Kathleen, of the Bronx and James Kleiser and his wife, Katie, of Vancouver, Wash.; a brother, Warren Secrest of Knoxville, Tenn.; four grandchildren, Kali and Jessica Secrest and Nathan and Tabitha Kleiser; and one nephew, Benjamin Secrest.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 7 at the Church of St. Mary & St. Andrew, 137 S. Main St., Ellenville.
Burial will be made in St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Wurtsboro.
Arrangements are by Loucks Funeral Home Inc., Ellenville.

Helen B. Cuhaj
Hospital Attendant, 84

Helen B. (Van Kat) Cuhaj of Bloomingburg, formerly of Walden and Washington Township, died on Thursday, November 2, 2006. She was 84.
She was born in New York City and lived in Washington Township for 25 years, then Walden for nine years before settling in Bloomingburg for the past eleven months. She was the widow of Adolph Cuhaj who died February 1956.
She was a hospital attendant for Bergen Pines County Hospital for 17 years, retiring in 1991.
She is survived by one son, Michael and his wife, Laura, of Walden; one daughter, Alice Hofmann of Bloomingburg; one brother, Joseph Van Kat and his wife, Charlotte, of West Paterson, N.J.; three sisters, Ruth Holowka of Fords, NJ, Dorothy Parmi and her husband, Edward of Lodi, NJ and Mrs. Carol Rabe of Rochelle Park, NJ; three grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Funeral services were held Monday at the Patrick J. Conte Funeral Home Inc., Elmwood Park.
Burial was made in Calvary Cemetery, Paterson, NJ.
Arrangements made by Patrick J. Conte Funeral Home, Elmwood Park, NJ.

Mary Smith
Registered Nurse, 97

Mary Smith of Newburgh, entered into rest on Thursday, November 2, 2006 at Benedictine Hospital, Kingston. She was 97.
The daughter of the late Edward and Nettie Amthor, she was born February 28, 1909 in Lackawack.
She worked as a Registered Nurse at Ellenville Hospital.
She is survived by a son, Eugene Smith of Woodburne; five grandchildren, Harold, Raymond, Mary, Robin, and Dean Smith; several great-grandchildren; several great-great-grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and family friends.
A Funeral Service was held Monday, November 6 in the Brooks Funeral Home.
Entombment followed at Cedar Hill Mausoleum, Newburgh.

Winifred Helfers, 73
Ret. Crossing Guard

Winifred “Wini” Helfers of Hankins, a retired School Crossing Guard for Nassau County Police, died Friday, November 3, 2006 at Wayne Memorial Hospital in Honesdale, Pa. She was 73.
She was born to the late Charles and Florence Quinn Crowley February 5, 1933 in Westbury.
Survivors include her husband, Edward “Rip” Helfers, at home; a son, Edward R. Helfers and his wife, Anne Marie, of Long Island; a daughter, Patricia Hirsch and her husband, Robert, of Hankins; and two grandchildren, Maureen E. Helfers and Thomas J. Helfers.
A Memorial Mass will be held at 8 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 12 at St. Mary’s Church in Obernburg. Father Gus Richardson will officiate. Following Mass, there will be a luncheon at 11 a.m. at the Hankins-Fremont Fire Hall.
Memorial contributions may be made to the charity of one’s choice.

Virginia Brown, 57
Licensed Practical Nurse

Virginia Octavia Brown of Monticello, a 50-year area resident, passed away Tuesday, October 31, 2006 at her home. She was 57.
The daughter of the late Hosea and Myrtle Cleveland Horace, she was born January 23, 1949 in Bayminette, Ala.
She was an LPN at Catskill Regional Medical Center, and worked as a private duty nurse for Dr. Eric Shapiro and Camp Jened in Rock Hill.
Survivors include two daughters, Fay Brown and Niaka Brown-Alston, both of Monticello; a stepdaughter, Tamara Jo Brown of Charlotte, N.C.; three brothers, Harold Horace of Jacksonville, Fla., Gary Horace of Monticello and Rubin Collins of the Philippines; two foster brothers, William Merchant of Monticello and Steven Merchant of Jacksonville, Fla.; four sisters, Ethel Mason of Rochester, Helen Bonner of Plainville, Conn., Janette Williams of Monticello and Roberta Horace of Roosevelt; nine grandchildren, Jene-Qua, Sham-Brial, Zarius, Kyrell, Dorian, De-Andry, Korey, Shania and Brandon; several aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews and friends. She was predeceased by three brothers, Edward Kennedy, Hosea Horace Jr. and Carl Horace; and three sisters, Jurdine, Patricia and Leona Horace.
Funeral services will be held at noon Tuesday at King’s Chapel Mission Church, 15 Spring St., Monticello. Bishop Leon Williams will officiate.
Interment will be made in Rock Ridge Cemetery, Monticello.
Funeral arrangements are by Ramsay’s Funeral Homes, Monticello.

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