Published: 3/10/05

ROUSES POINT — Rita M. Sterling, 81, of 104 Choiniere Road, Rouses Point, N.Y., passed from life into Eternal Glory to be with her Lord and Savior on Wednesday, March 9, 2005.

Rita was a wonderful loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and great-great-grandmother. She loved her family and enjoyed crocheting, quilting, sewing, listening to country music and she loved to write letters to her 60 plus pen-pals throughout the country.

She was a member of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church and Catholic Daughters.

Rita retired from Delagars after 20 years of loyal service.

Rita was predeceased by her parents; brothers, Alvin, Arthur, Lean and Richard Gonyo; and her sister, Jean Mooney.

Rita is survived by her husband of 63 years, Edwin L. Sterling; their four sons and their spouses, Loyal and wife Barbara, Paul and wife June, Rodney and wife Arlene and Robert and wife Marie; their five daughters and their spouses, Susan and husband William Desotelle, Brenda and husband William Kirk, Elaine Guadette, Cheryl and husband Ronald Pigg and Denise and husband Michael Morrison. Rita is also survived by two sisters, Ruth Parrotte of Plattsburgh and Joyce Rushford of Nevada; 21 grandchildren; 27 great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren.

Arrangements are with Clark Funeral Home, Lake Street, Rouses Point, N.Y. Calling hours are Friday, March 11, 2005, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, March 12, 2005, at 11 a.m. at St. Patrick’s Church, Rouses Point, N.Y.

Donations can be made in Rita’s name to both the local Diabetes and Breast Cancer Foundations.

Hollywood, Fla. — Stuart Robbins, 66, died Feb. 5, 2005, at Hollywood Medical Center due to an auto accident.

Stuart Robbins was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., on March 9, 1938, son of Jack and Etta Robbins. He served in the U.S. Army Reserves from 1960 to 1964.

He moved to Plattsburgh in October 1975 and worked at Arpak Plastics and many local country bands as a drummer for many years. He moved to Hollywood, Fla., in 1988, where he retired and continued to play his country music.

He is survived by his parents, Jack and Etta Robbins of Florida; two daughters, Audrey Bodden and son-in-law Kevin Bodden of Boca Raton, Fla., and Mindy Robbins and companion Dale Lavarnway of Cadyville; his sister, Donna Weiss of Queens, N.Y.; two grandsons, Dylan and Devon Bodden of Boca Raton, Fla.; Beverly Robbins of Plattsburgh; and many nieces and nephews.

A graveside service was held on Feb. 8, 2005, at Star of David Memorial Chapel, North Lauderdale, Fla.

Donations in his memory may be made to the Make -A- Wish Foundation.

Essex, N.Y. — Gerald E. Benway, 71, of Essex, N.Y., died at the Horace Nye Home in Elizabethtown on March 8, 2005. He was born in Jay, N.Y., on June 15, 1933, the son of Kenneth and Angela (Brusso) Benway.

He was a U.S. Army veteran and a member of St. Joseph's Church, Essex. He retired in 1998 from the Town of Essex as a heavy equipment operator.

Mr. Benway is survived by his wife Doreen (Waczkowski) of Essex; his children and spouses, Charlton and Theresa Benway of South Dakota, Norman Benway of Essex, Valerie and Thomas Breyette of Morrisonville, Anna Benway of Beekmantown and Barbara Jo and James Mitchell of Lewis; his brothers and wives, Kenneth and Patricia Benway of Willsboro, Frank of Whallonsburgh, James and Shirley Benway of Clifton Park and Thomas and Carol Benway of Wayne, N.J.; 14 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

He was predeceased by his parents; and three sisters, Roseann Cole, Joan Gill and Joyce Bertch.

Calling hours will be held at Huestis Funeral Home on Saturday, March 12th, from 1 to 3:30 p.m. A funeral service will be held at the funeral home at 3:30 p.m. with Rev. James Delbel officiating.

The family has requested that in lieu of flowers, donations in his memory be made to the National Kidney Foundation.

Plattsburgh — Mrs. Marian E. Jock, 83, of Lakeview Towers, Plattsburgh passed away Tuesday, March 8, 2005, at the Fletcher Allen Health Care Facility in Burlington, Vt.

She was born in Clintonville, N.Y., on Oct. 9, 1921, the daughter of Rev. Mills and Lula (Havens) Perkins.

Marian enjoyed shopping, traveling to casinos, but most importantly, spending time with her family.

Marian was married to Benjamin Jock for more than 53 years. She was predeceased by him in 1995; and a brother, Richard Perkins in 2002.

She is survived by a son, Peter Jock of Plattsburgh; a daughter, Carolyn St. Clair and her husband Richard of Plattsburgh; four grandchildren, Melodie St. Clair and her companion Mark St. Denis, Todd St. Clair and his wife Paula, Krista Jock Boule and her husband Christopher, all of Plattsburgh and Steven Jock and his wife Melissa of Rochester, N.Y.; six great-grandchildren, Jennifer and Nicholas St. Clair, Ryan Tripp, Dillan and Alana Jock and Georgia Boule; a brother, Raymond "Pete" Perkins and his wife Eleanor of Clintonville, N.Y.; a sister, Mildred Bombard; and a sister-in-law, Leota Perkins, both of AuSable Forks; and several nieces and nephews.

Calling hours will be Friday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at the Brown Funeral Home in Plattsburgh. A funeral service will be held Saturday at 12 noon at the Brown Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. John Yonkovig, pastor of St. Peter's Church officiating. Interment will be at a later date in Evergreen Cemetery in Keeseville.

Friends wishing may make donations to Make-A-Wish or the American Heart Association.

DanNEMORA — Jennie E. Spence, 89, of Dannemora, died Tuesday, March 8, 2005, at the home of her son-in-law, Gary Haines in Williamstown, N.J.

Born in Granville, N.Y., on July 23, 1915 she was the daughter of Owen and Annie (Roberts) Jones.

Jennie graduated with a bachelor's degree from Plattsburgh State Teachers College. She taught at Saranac Central School for over 25 years and was a member of the New York State Retired Teachers Association. She also taught in Morrisonville.

She is survived by her son-in-law, Gary Haines and his wife Helen; six grandchildren, Lisa Miller and her husband Michael, Michelle Wickman, Gina Scabet, Steven Haines and his wife Stasie, Michael Haines and his wife Tammy and Samantha Scabet; five great-grandchildren, Kimber, Kaitlin, Brandon, Sean and Jeffery.

Her husband, George G. Spence died Jan. 23, 1998; and her daughters, Sandie Spence and Linda Haines, also died before her.

There will be a memorial service on Saturday, March 12 at 11 a.m. from the Dannemora United Methodist Church with Rev. Megan Stowe, pastor, officiating.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Muscular Dystrophy Association at mda@mdausa.org

The O'Neill-Redden-Drown Funeral Home in Plattsburgh is in charge of arrangements.

Carroll M. Yard, 86, of Kiwassa Road, Saranac Lake, N.Y., died Monday, March 7, 2005, at the Adirondack Medical Center.

He was born on Dec. 30, 1918, in Chicago, Ill., the son of Fred and Sally (Sykes) Yard.

Calling hours will take place at the Fortune-Keough Funeral Home in Saranac Lake on Friday from 1 to 3 p.m. A veterans service will immediately follow at 3 p.m. at the funeral home.

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