12/20/2005

Obituaries: 12/20/05

Barbara A. Tobin

CADYVILLE -- Barbara Tobin, 78, of Cadyville, died peacefully Saturday, Dec. 17, 2005, surrounded by her children.

She was born in Plattsburgh on Dec. 13, 1927, the daughter of Harold and Mary (Daley) Winch.

She was married to Frank Tobin of Cadyville for 42 years who predeceased her in 1994.

Barbara was a loving and devoted wife, mother and homemaker. She was a communicant of St. James Parish in Cadyville.

Her greatest joy was her family. She was happiest when she was in her home surrounded by her family. She enjoyed cooking, sewing and most of all family gatherings.

She is survived by seven children, Colleen West and her husband Jack of Cadyville, Tim Tobin and his wife Pam of Colonie, Marty Tobin and his wife Liz of Wrightstown, N.J., Kathleen Freeman and her husband Pat of Cadyville, Tom Tobin and his wife DeeDee of California, Md., Mike Tobin and his wife Diane of St. Albans, Vt., and Tricia Liberty and her husband Ed of Saranac, N.Y.; her 20 grandchildren, Todd West, Mike Tobin, Michael Alessi, Jordan and Shauna Freeman, Steve and Tom Dowdney, Dominic, Daniel, Damien, Dana, Ben, Marty, Abby, MaryGrace, Quentin and Calvin Tobin, Corrina Duprey, Carolyn and Jacob Liberty; three great-grandchildren, Ashley and Jackson Dowdney and Marissa Duprey; a brother, Earl (Maxi) Winch and his wife Claire of Cadyville; a sister, Nevada Smith of Bothel, Wash.; three sisters-in-law, Lois Winch of Arizona, Betty Carter of Plattsburgh and Kay Simpson of Elmont, N.Y.; and several nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by her parents; her two brothers, Carl and Jerome Winch; and her sister, Annabelle Lintner.

Calling hours were held Monday, Dec. 19, 2005, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Brown Funeral Home on Park Row in Cadyville.

A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated Tuesday, Dec. 20, at 12 noon at St. James Parish Church in Cadyville by Monsignor Deno. Burial will be in the spring of 2006 in the parish cemetery.

Donations in her memory can be made to Alzheimer's Research or Hospice of the North Country.

Ephrim Coburn

OKEECHOBEE, Fla. -- Ephrim (Red) Coburn, 70, died in Okeechobee, Fla., on Dec. 7, 2005.

Red was from Mineville, N.Y. He was the son of Beulah (Bessey) Coburn and Francis Coburn who predeceased him, as did his brother, Lloyd on Dec. 4, 2005.

Red is survived by his wife of 50 years, Janice Mitchell Coburn; and by his daughters, Connie Marianetti (Tom) and Kim Nokleby (Jerry); and a son, Ephrim Albert Coburn Jr.; four grandchildren, Stacy, David, Ronnie and Cody; and one great-granddaughter, Jesslyn. He is also survived by his brother, Bernard Colburn (Doris); and two sisters, Maybelle Gregory and Rita Mitchell (Gary).

Red owned and operated Coburn's Auto in Okeechobee, Fla.

He was a member of the Baptist Church, the past governor of the Moose Lodge and a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

He will be greatly missed by his family and friends.

Ralph L. Atwell Jr.

WESTPORT -- Ralph L. Atwell Jr., 78, of Eagle Lane, Westport, died Monday, Dec. 19, 2005, at the Horace Nye Nursing Home in Elizabethtown.

He was born in Moriah, March 23, 1927, the son of Ralph Sr. and Grace (Stevenson) Atwell.

Ralph served in the United States Army during World War II and was stationed in Czechoslovakia and Germany for three years. He married Margaret Marie Merrow, Oct. 30, 1948, in Wadhams.

Ralph retired from Mobile Oil in Burlington, Vt., following many years of dedicated service. He was an active member of the Westport Volunteer Fire Department of over 50 years, member of the American Legion in Westport, the Fish and Game Club and the Westport Hunting Club.

He was an avid NASCAR fan and especially enjoyed Mark Martin, but his true love was his family and spending time with his grandchildren.

Survivors include his wife of 57 years, Margaret M. Atwell of Westport; his four children and spouses, Randy and Dora Atwell of Westport, Rick Atwell and Evelyn Baker of Westport, Bonnie Hathaway and David Westover of Hudson Falls and Terry and Jana Atwell of Westport; six grandchildren and spouses, Colleen and Mike Caezza of Hunterville, N.C., Bradley and Nicole Hathaway of Raleigh, N.C., Morgan Atwell of Boston, Mass., Matthew Atwell of Rochester, and Tyler and Taylor Atwell of Westport; one great-grandson, Dominic Caezza of Hunterville, N.C.; two sisters, Helen Shedd of Florida and Evelyn Trapasso of Warrensburg; one brother, Donald Atwell of Westport; and several nieces and nephews.

He was predeceased by his parents.

Calling hours will be held Wednesday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at the Hamilton Funeral Home in Westport. A funeral service will be held Thursday at 10 a.m. at the Westport Federated Church with Rev. Arthur B. Goyette, pastor, officiating. Burial will be in the Black River Cemetery.

Donations in his memory may be made to the Westport Fire Department or Emergency Squad.

Margaret E. LaPier

PLATTSBURGH -- Margaret E. LaPier, 85, of Oak Street, Plattsburgh, passed away on Sunday, Dec. 18, 2005, at Meadowbrook Healthcare Facility in Plattsburgh.

She was born in Green Island on Feb. 25, 1920, daughter of Francis and Edith (Caron) Gagne.

Margaret was a member of St. Peter's Church in Plattsburgh and a member of St. Peter's Altar and Rosary Society.

Margaret is survived by her husband, Theodore F. LaPier of Plattsburgh; four children, Theodore and Patricia LaPier Jr. of Asheville, N.C., Bryan and Joan LaPier of Plattsburgh, Cynthia and Dr. Richard Lacki of Plattsburgh and Dr. Terrence and Meredith LaPier of Georgetown, D.C.; four grandchildren, Marlene Tucker, Elizabeth LaPier, Brenden LaPier and Elliott Lacki; two great-grandchildren, Matthew Tucker and Caroline Tucker; and several nieces and nephews.

Margaret was predeceased by seven siblings, Herman, Frank and Robert Gainer, Catherine Rood, Rose Dupuis, Claire Backus and Yvonne Rock.

Calling hours will be Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2005, from 12 noon to 2 p.m. at the Emmaus Room at St. Peter's Church in Plattsburgh. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 2 p.m. from St. Peter's Church in Plattsburgh. Burial will be next spring in St. Peter's Cemetery.

Donations in Margaret's memory may be made to St. Peter's Church for the Emmaus Room.

Arrangements are with Brown Funeral Home in Plattsburgh.

Michael Savage

PLATTSBURGH -- Mr. Michael Savage, 62, of Route 3 in Cadyville, passed away Saturday, Dec. 17, 2005, at the CVPH Medical Center in Plattsburgh.

He was born in Buffalo on July 6, 1943, son of the late Dr. Clarence J. and Lorette (Neale) Savage.

Michael was a graduate of Saranac High School. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army serving in Vietnam.

Michael is survived by two daughters, Kristin Busbee and her husband Grant and Jennifer Savage; one son,

Sean Savage; two grandchildren, Danyelle Lorette Busbee and Collin Busbee, all of Jacksonville, Fla.; one sister, Loret Kollitides and her husband George of Charlestown, R.I.; and a stepbrother, James Savage of Buffalo.

There will be no calling hours. Funeral services will be private and at the convenience of the family.

Burial will be later next year in the St. Joseph's Cemetery in Dannemora.

Donations in his memory may be made to Saranac Volunteer Fire Department.

Arrangements are with the Brown Funeral Home in Plattsburgh.

Benny A. Butinski

ELIZABETHTOWN -- Benny A. Butinski, 86, of the Lincoln Pond Road, Elizabethtown, N.Y., died Saturday, Dec. 17, 2005, at the Horace Nye Nursing Home in Elizabethtown, where he had been a resident for five and a half years.

He was born on May 9, 1919, in Witherbee, N.Y., the son of Stephen and Stella (Wojciukiewicz) Butinski.

He was a retired employee of Republic Steel Corp., Mineville, N.Y., a Naval veteran of World War II and an avid fisherman.

He is survived by his daughters, Nona and Thomas Yandon of Saranac Lake, N.Y., Mikie and Alphonso Cross of Westport, N.Y., and Casa Grande, Ariz.; his brother, Stephen Bourecksky of Spring Valley, Calif.; six grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

He was predeceased by his wife, Hazel Butinski in 1973.

At his request there will be no calling hours. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2005, at 1 p.m. at the Church of All Saints, Mineville, N.Y. Burial will be in St. Peter and Paul Cemetery in the spring.

Memorial donations in Benny's memory may be made to the Horace Nye Nursing Home Activity Fund.

John G. Brien

ELIZABETHTOWN -- John G. Brien, 67, of Elizabethtown, N.Y., passed away Saturday, Dec. 17, 2005, following complications of Lou Gehrig's disease.

John was born in Plattsburgh, N.Y., on Oct. 4, 1938, the son of Abe and Margaret (Hamel) Brien.

After graduating from Mount Assumption Institute in 1956, he started his professional career with AT&T. He worked with the company for over forty years becoming network manager. After retiring, he consulted for Verizon as a project manager for a number of years.

He married Betty Prescott of Lewis, N.Y., in 1957 and was predeceased by her in 1990.

John loved Elizabethtown and was very involved with the community. He served as a councilman on the town board and the zoning board for over 30 years. He was a member of St. Elizabeth's Catholic Church.

Survivors include son, David Brien of Colchester, Vt., and his wife Kathleen; two grandchildren, Alexis and Matthew; two sisters, Doris Gursin of Rochester, Mich., and Shirley Mohan of Lady Lake, Fla.

Calling hours will be today, Tuesday, Dec. 20 from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at W.M. Marvins Sons Funeral Home in Elizabethtown. A funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 21 at St. Elizabeth's Catholic Church.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Elizabeth Catholic Church, Court Street, Elizabethtown, NY 12932.

Donald Shonyo Collins

MALONE -- Donald Shonyo Collins, 88, of Malone died Dec. 18, 2005, at his home in the care of his family and Hospice of the North Country.

He was born in Burke, N.Y., Dec. 8, 1917, the son of Clarence and Sybil Shonyo Collins.

A 1936 graduate of Franklin Academy, Mr. Collins continued his education receiving his associates degree in Agriculture from Cornell University. He married the former Jeanne Finney, who predeceased him June 19, 1982.

He married Nancy Smith at the Community Methodist Church in Okemos, Mich., on July 30, 1983.

Mr. Collins was a lifelong farmer with a talent for breeding and developing registered Holsteins. The most famous of his Holstein herd was Collins -crest Ivanhoe Triune J. He developed the Collins-crest prefix and showed his home bred cows regionally and nationally. His keen eye and developed talent for cattle earned him the privilege of judging over 100 local, national and international cattle shows. He was a 40 year member of New York State Holstein Association and a lifetime member of the National Holstein Association.

He was one of several official classifiers for the National Holstein Association and a consultant for Carnation Genetics. He served as a director of the National Holstein Association 1968-1976 and chaired a committee to develop the revised true type model of the Holstein cow. He was a recipient of the National Dairy Shrine award in 1974. He was awarded the retired master breeder award by the New York State Holstein Association in 1983. He was honored for his cattle breeding ability by the Franklin County Holstein Club and the Franklin County Agricultural Society. He was also a member of the Centenary United Methodist Church and a 50 year member of the Malone Masonic Lodge.

Besides his wife, Nancy of Malone, he is survived by one son and daughter-in-law, Donald F. and Linda Collins of Canandaigua, N.Y.; two daughters and sons-in-law, Mrs. June and her husband Gene Childs of Bangor and Mrs. Marcia and her husband Dr. George Merrill of Malone; one sister, Mrs. James (Carolyn) Parker of Palm Bay, Fla.; one sister-in-law, Carolyn Collins Walker of Malone; six grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

He was predeceased by his parents; a brother, Robert Collins; two sisters, Bette Hargette and Virginia Johnson.

There will be no calling hours. A memorial service will be announced in the spring.

Memorial contributions in his memory may be made to Hospice of the North Country.

Arrangements are by the Spaulding Funeral Home of Malone.

James H. Collins

ESTERO, FLA. -- James "Jay" H. Collins, 68, of Estero, Fla., died Saturday, Dec. 17, 2005, lovingly surrounded by his family and the caring staff at the Hope Hospice Center in Bonita Springs, Fla., after a cerebral hemorrhage.

He was born in Gallagher, W.V., on Aug. 22, 1937, to the late Howard and V. Maxine (Estep) Collins.

Jay graduated in 1955 from Hurricane High School. It was there he met his lifelong sweetheart, Shirley A. Porter Collins. Additionally, Jay graduated from Florida State University with a degree in Meteorology.

Jay, with the support of his wife and family, enjoyed a 20 year career in the United States Air Force, living in England, New Hampshire, Nebraska and New York. A Vietnam veteran, he was the commander of the Weather Detachment at Plattsburgh Air Force Base serving there until his retirement. He was especially proud that his son, Matthew and great-nephews also chose the military as a career.

Following his retirement from the service, Jay began his second career as a computer consultant, eventually moving to New Jersey. After his second retirement, he and Shirley moved to Estero, Fla.

Jay was a former member of the First Baptist Church of Plattsburgh.

Jay is survived by his devoted wife, Shirley, to whom he was married for 48 wonderful years. He is also survived by his three children, their spouses, and his grandchildren. Daughter, Marjorie Light and her husband James of Plattsburgh; his son, Mark Collins and wife Tricia of Foster City, Calif.; and his son, Matthew Collins and wife Lori of Fayetteville, N.C.; His grandchildren, who called him Popta, loved and admired him, Stephanie and Craig Light, Alyssa and Ryan Collins, Stephen Auer, Dylan Hensley and Katie Collins. He is also survived by many extended family members and friends.

Jay loved boating on Lake Champlain, fly fishing and golfing. He was known for his great sense of humor and his quest for lifelong learning.

A memorial service will be held at the First Baptist Church of Hurricane, W.V., on Thursday, Dec. 22, 2005.

Jay's cremated remains will be scattered both in his home state of West Virginia and his long time residence of New York next summer.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the First Baptist Church, PO Box 27, Plattsburgh, N.Y., or Joanne's House at Hope Hospice, 27200 Imperial Street, Bonita Springs, FL 34135.

Anita LeClaire

PLATTSBURGH -- Anita LeClaire, 79, of Plattsburgh passed into the arms of the Lord Sunday, Dec. 18, 2005, at the CVPH Medical Center.

She was born Aug. 8, 1922, in Easthampton, Mass., the daughter of the late Edward and Mary (Monette) LaBarge.

She retired from the Champlain Telephone Company in 1985.

She is survived by her loving husband of 43 years, Louis LeClaire; two daughters, Gloria J. Hunt and Jeannette Veivia; three grandchildren, Lisa Cluette, Bobby Hunt and his wife Suzanne, Tina Wilson and her husband William; six great-grandchildren, Rebbeca and Austin Hunt, Kelly Worman, Ashley, Nick and Chelsea Draper; four stepgrandchildren, Rebecca, Tommy, Shawn and Bobby LeClaire. One great-great-granddaughter and one great-great grandson.

Her father, mother and twin sister predeceased her.

Calling hours will be Thursday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at the Clark Funeral Home in Champlain. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated 11 a.m. Friday at St. Mary's Church in Champlain.