Rockwell (Rocky) Mason
Jan. 2, 1918-Jan. 20, 2012

Rockwell (Rocky) Mason passed away peacefully at home on Friday, January 20, 2012 at the age of 94. While spending most of his years in great health, recent weeks found him failing. Until very recently he could be seen meeting friends for a morning coffee at McDonald’s or getting some exercise walking around and shopping at Wal-Mart.
Rocky was born in the Bronx, New York on January 2, 1918 but his family then moved to Brooklyn where he grew up in Bensonhurst. He then moved to Monticello in 1948, met Esther Willenberg and they married in 1950. Together they built and ran Mason’s Country Club Cottages, a thriving summer bungalow colony that they sold in 1971. Rocky also was the owner of REM Real Estate and Monticello Employment Agency. Early on, he also was a builder of cement swimming pools – a very busy man, indeed.
Rocky Mason is a U.S. Army veteran of World War II and was stationed at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii at the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Most recently, Mr. Mason was the Building Inspector for the Town of Thompson and also the Building Inspector for Wurtsboro and the Towns of Mamakating and Woodridge. He was also Fire Code Inspector for Monticello and also enjoyed working with the horses at Monticello Raceway before that as an inspector. Rocky had an association with the JWV, Jewish War Veterans, and had belonged to the Elks for a number of years. He also sat on the Board of Friends and Advocates for Mental Health.
Rocky is survived by his wife, Esther Mason and his children, Michelle Mason Sarnoff and her husband Cary, and there children, Marisa Sarnoff, David Sarnoff and his wife Raven; Shari Mason Dalconzo and her husband, Larry and there children, Elle Dalconzo and Jesi Dalconzo; and his beloved son, Nelson Mason.
Funeral services took place Monday, January 23, 2012 at Joseph N. Garlick Funeral Home, 388 Broadway, Monticello, with interment at Sullivan County Veteran’s Cemetery on Sunset Lake Dr., in Liberty, immediately following the service.
A strong and private man, Rocky and his big smile and wry sense of humor will be missed by all who knew him. His wife and children will always cherish the days they had with him in the week before he passed
Funeral arrangements by Joseph N. Garlick Funeral Home Inc. Monticello. For directions or to send the family a condolence note visit our website at www.josephngarlickfuneral home.com.

Ruth Manouse

Career woman, Homemaker, devoted wife and mother, Ruth Manouse, 75, of New Milford, CT, formerly of Winter Haven, FL and Callicoon, NY, passed peacefully January 20, 2012 with her family by her side. Ruth was born on September 16, 1936 in Astoria, New York, the daughter of the late Anna and Andrew Kurzweil.
She attended Delaware Valley Central School in Callicoon, and was a Delaware Valley Central graduate in 1953; she excelled in academics by graduating High School in 3 years and participated in athletics.
She married Thaddeus “Ted” Manouse on September 9, 1956 in Callicoon, NY at St. Joseph’s Seminary. They were married 54 years.
She started raising a family, and she co-owned and successfully operated a dairy farm with Ted in the Beechwoods, located in upstate NY. Ruth moved her family to Connecticut in 1971; there she began a twenty year career with American Bell Telephone Company of NY and then SNET of CT subsequently AT&T. She was busy with gardening, raising her four boys and helping out with Pop Warner Football.
She enjoyed reading, cooking, baking, motherhood, listening to music, traveling and spending time with her grandchildren.
Ted and Ruth moved to Florida in 1998. She returned to New Milford, CT in 2010 after the passing of her husband Ted to be closer to family.
Ruth is survived by her sons John of Bridgewater, CT, Chris of Naugatuck, CT, Todd of Holly Springs, GA, and Robert and Jennifer of New Milford, CT; grandchildren Bradley, Mary, Christian, Aaron, Jack and Brady; sister Elinore Sieczkowsky of Riverdale, NJ; in addition to numerous nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her husband Ted, Brother Andrew, and Sisters Anne Fleury and Lee Forman.
Memorial donations may be made to the National Heart Association; www.heart.org
A private memorial service is planned for the spring. Ruth celebrated life as a loving, affectionate mother of 4 boys and dedicated herself to her husband.