Blog Archives

Mary Kennedy

3/31/2022

    Mary Kennedy, 79, passed away peacefully on the evening of March 31, 2022, surrounded by her loving family while overlooking her favorite place in the world, Skaneateles Lake. Moments later, the sky cleared, and we were treated with the most spectacular blue and pink sunset as we knew she was being welcomed into heaven and reunited with the love of her life, Patrick Kennedy.
    She leaves behind daughter, Cindy (Garry) Payne and Kim (Andrew) Baldwin, grandchildren, Matthew and Chloe Payne and Allie and Emily Baldwin, her 2 sisters, Kay (Jack) Larmer and Alicia (Greg) Yowell, many nieces and nephews, cherished friends, and her beloved dog, Shandy who was often seen riding in the passenger seat holding her hand.   There are many special things that we have all learned from Mary... Her love for playing games was infectious, she loved a good competition, especially golf, pitch, and family games. Christmas Charades was a favorite family tradition with many laughs. She brought out the competitive spirit in all of us where nothing was impossible, it was just a matter of putting together a plan and getting it done...
    She loved unconditionally and if you were in her circle, you knew it.   Sunday dinners were not negotiable, all attended and world problems were solved, birthdays were celebrated, and the love of our family was felt all around the table. Memories to last a lifetime.
    She was an ambassador to Skaneateles. She would meet people from all over the world and invite them to Skaneateles and her home. Especially those that had a “wee” bit of Irish in them.
    She made strangers feel like friends, friends feel like family and her family was the center of her world. She loved being Nana and absolutely adored her grandchildren, setting up traditions from day one. She will be forever missed...
    In any event that Mary planned, she prioritized creating a special ambiance whether it was through themes, decorations, music, cocktails or clothing. We would like to continue this in the celebration of her life by asking all of her guests to wear green to honor her Irish heritage, or blue to remember her beautiful blue eyes and her favorite color.
    Calling hours will be on Sunday, April 3rd from 1 to 4pm at Robert D. Gray Funeral Home, Skaneateles. Funeral Mass will be on Monday, April 4th at 10am at St. Mary’s of the Lake Church with private burial to follow in St. Mary’s Cemetery. To view the mass live go to the bottom of Mary’s obituary at www.robertdgrayfuneralhome.com
    The family will have a reception to celebrate her life on Saturday, April 9th at 1pm at Skaneateles Country Club.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to an organization near and dear to Mary’s heart; Syracuse University InclusiveU Gift Fund.
Link to Donate
To send condolences, visit robertdgrayfuneralhome.com.
youtu.be/uT51TWCp1Kg
The live stream link is above. It will not activate until the start of the mass. You may need to refresh your browser if it does not activate after 10am.

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Cindy Ann Wooster Edwards

3/26/2022

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    Cindy Ann Wooster Edwards, 64 of Skaneateles passed away at her home on Saturday, March 26, 2022.
    She graduated from Skaneateles High School in 1976. She married Herbert William Edwards III her High School Sweet Heart and were married for 43 years. Cindy received 2 Associate degrees, first was at Cayuga Community College in Manufacturing and the second was at Onondaga Community College in Architecture.
   Her hobbies included sewing historic costumes, quilts and family history were her passions. Her sharp wit will be missed on Facebook.
   She is predeceased by her parents Lester and Annie (Lewis) Wooster and a grandchild Jackson.
    Cindy is survived by her loving husband of 43 years Herbert William Edwards III, 5 children Meghan, Patience, Heather, Katia, Liam and 14 grandchildren.
    Services will be held on Saturday, April 9th with calling hour at 12:30pm with a service to follow at 1pm at the Church of Jesus Christ and Latter-Day Saints on Miller Road Auburn, NY with a reception to follow. Cindy will be buried in Lake View Cemetery, Skaneateles.
To send condolences, visit robertdgrayfuneralhome.com.

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Patricia S. DeWitt

3/25/2022

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Patricia S. DeWitt, 79, of Dresserville Road, Moravia, passed away suddenly Monday, March 21, 2022 at Auburn Community Hospital.
Pat was born January 3, 1943 to Lucille Marie Bell and Glenn Stuart Aylesworth Jr. of Liverpool, NY.
She was predeceased by her parents, her brother Lee Aylesworth Sr. , and her infant daughter Suzanne Marie Slater.
You may know Pat from when she waitressed at Mandana Inn, cooked and bartended at the Colonial Lodge, or delivered your mail for the Skaneateles Post Office. She held a variety of jobs throughout the years and loved spending time with her circle of friends and family.
Pat also enjoyed bingo, following Tom “Elvis” Gilbo and his music, and, in her earlier years, dancing on folding chairs to the Lone Ranger theme song. Her favorite activity was watching her grandchildren play sports. She was always in the stands or on the field cheering them on.
Surviving Pat are her children, Tammy Slater-Smith (Graham) of Skaneateles, Thomas G. Slater-Tinklepaugh (David) of Cicero, and Kimberly Sue Hill-Giacolone (Chad Swartwood) of Weedsport. Her grandchildren Trevor (Charlotte ), Rachel, Arieanna and Bryson, and one great-granddaughter, Penelope.
Funeral services will be held at the family's convenience.
Calling hours are being held Saturday, April 2, 2022 from 12:00-3:00 at the Robert D. Gray Funeral Home, 49 Jordan Street, Skaneateles, with a celebration of her life starting at 3:30 at the Skaneateles Legion, 3808 Jordan Road, Skaneateles.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the American Lung Association or American Heart Association in Pat’s name.

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Martha (Mimi) Koller Phillips Pierre

3/24/2022

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     Martha (Mimi) Koller Phillips Pierre, a longtime resident of Skaneateles, died peacefully with her family at her side on March 24th, 2022. She fought a valiant 10-year battle with cancer and was considered a miracle patient.
         Mimi was born on May 23, 1935, to Emil and Martha Koller. She grew up in Weehawken, New Jersey in a house overlooking the Hudson River and the New York City skyline. When she was 16, her parents bought a dairy farm in Pompey Center, and the family moved to Central New York.
    Mimi married in 1957, and had 3 children: Colleen (Hyland), Mary Ellen (Wiley), and Jim Phillips.
    When the children were grown, Mimi graduated from Syracuse University and worked as a Social Worker at the Syracuse Housing Authority until her retirement in 2000. She always went above and beyond her duties and many of her clients became her friends.
    Both of her parents were born in Switzerland and Mimi was very proud of her Swiss heritage. She became an avid traveler, visited many countries around the world, and maintained a passionate interest in politics and current events.
    Mimi will be remembered for her constant love, her generosity, and her passion for helping others.
     In addition to her parents, Mimi was predeceased by her younger brother Eddie. Her sister, Debbie Donigan, passed away in August. She is survived by her sister Jeane (Bob) Rinker and brother-in-law Steve Donigan.
    Mimi is also survived by her beloved daughters Colleen (Peter) Hyland and Mary Ellen (Randy) Wiley and by her favorite son Jim (Mary Parker) Phillips.
    Mimi will be lovingly remembered by her grandchildren: Whitney (Mike) Adams Carlson, Lauren (Jon) Adams Vecchiarelli, Nick Hyland, Max Bregande, Stephen (Desiree) Yakey-Wiley, Eric Yakey-Wiley, Kendra Yakey-Wiley, Mike (Amanda) Phillips, and Eric (Katie Angel) Phillips, great grandchildren: Reese and Will Carlson, Max Vecchiarelli, Stephen Yakey-Wiley, Henry Phillips, and Charlotte Angel Phillips, nieces: Nancy (Joe) Rinker Kaplan and Mallory (Mike) Donigan Lesch, and nephews: Craig (Beth) Rinker, Jeff (Morgan) Donigan, and Kelly (Molly) Donigan.
    We would like to say a special thank you to Dr. Jeffrey Kirshner and Maracia Nodine and all the staff at Cottage 31 of The Cottages at Garden Grove, Cicero for their compassionate care, love and friendship.
     A funeral mass will be held on Thursday, December 22nd at 10am at St. Mary’s of the Lake Church, Skaneateles.
     A celebration of life will be held on the anniversary of her death on Saturday, March 25th, 2023 at 11am at The Sherwood Inn, Skaneateles.
     In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Mimi’s memory to Skaneateles Outreach, 24 Jordan Street, Skaneateles, NY 13152.
To send condolences, visit robertdgrayfuneralhome.com.

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Mary Katherine (Eckel) Shane

3/21/2022

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Mary Katherine (Eckel) Shane
September 23, 1925 – March 21, 2022
    Mary Kate was a remarkable, civic-minded person, who was devoted to her family, community, her beloved New York State. She was born to Jacob and Rhea Eckel (Clark) and raised in Solvay with her three siblings. She married Clifford John Shane in Skaneateles in June 1953 and settled there to raise their four children. She started her professional career in the late 1940s as an instructor in the Sociology Department at Syracuse University and later as the Executive Director of United Cerebral Palsy Association of San Francisco. She joined the teaching staff in the Skaneateles Central School (SCS) District in 1967 and later became a SCS High School Guidance Counselor from 1970 until 1985.
    She valued education for herself and others. Mary Kate received her undergraduate degree from Syracuse University in 1946 and then enrolled in a summer program at Oxford University in England. She returned to NY State to attend a graduate program in Guidance Education at Cornell, where she completed her master’s degree in 1948. She later returned to her graduate studies working toward an Ed.D. degree.
Mary Kate was an active volunteer but more importantly, she helped make the vision of others a reality. Her numerous accomplishments earned her the Post Standard Woman of Achievement in Volunteer Service award in 1963. She helped to create the Skaneateles Mothers Club and Nursery School in the early 1950s and then decades later, she was a founding member of the Laker Limo service, helping seniors and those with disabilities in need of accessible transportation. She rose through the ranks of local non-profits into leadership positions, becoming the Junior League President (1963-65), Vice Chair of the Volunteer Center of Onondaga County (1964-66), Chair of the Onondaga County Youth Board (1983), and Chair of the Metropolitan Commission on Aging (1990-1998). She also served as the Chair of the NYS Governor’s Advisory Committee on Aging (1995 – 2005), following in the footsteps of her mother Rhea Eckel Clark.
    Deciding in 1975 that she could best serve her community by becoming a member of the Village Board, Mary Kate ran for office, won several terms, and served in that capacity until March 1981. During that time, the Village leadership faced challenges around water quality and wastewater treatment, so she leaned in and learned about those key environmental issues.
In her free time, she enjoyed spending time with family and friends and volunteering. She was an expert knitter and avid reader, frequenting the library and swapping novels with friends. She has an active member and leader in the Skaneateles Leisure Hour, a women’s study group started in 1892, and her book club.
    As a devout Catholic, she was particularly honored to hear Pope John Paul II speak at Trinity College (Washington, DC), along with her mother, in 1979. She was a member of St. Mary’s of the Lake Catholic Church in Skaneateles for nearly seven decades.
    She was predeceased by Cliff, her husband of 59 years, and her son-in-law Robert Carey. She is survived by her four children (Kathryn, Susan, Betsy and John), three in-laws (Kevin, Charlie and Jennifer), and her six grandchildren (Shane, Christina, Kate, Graham, Erick and CJ).
    A Celebration of Life Ceremony will be held on Saturday, October 22nd at 10am at St. Mary’s of the Lake Church, Skaneateles.
    In lieu of flowers, please consider contributing to the Laker Limo, a local nonprofit that she loved. You can reach out to their website at Laker Transportation Project | A Spirited Community Project (wordpress.com) or mail a donation to PO Box 644, Skaneateles, NY 13152. Notes to the family can be sent to 1 Wicklow Drive, Skaneateles, NY 13152.
To send condolences, visit robertdgrayfuneralhome.com.

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Gary A. LeFevre

3/8/2022

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    Gary A. LeFevre, 81, of Baldwinsville passed away peacefully Tuesday at his home surrounded by his family. Born on September 26, 1940 in Auburn, NY to the late Edward B. and Helen (Caines) LeFevre. He was raised in Owasco, NY and attended Skaneateles High School. He was a volunteer firefighter for the Owasco Fire Department at Station 2 for many years during his early adulthood. After high school, Gary began his 41year long career at Carrier Corporation in 1959 and moved his family to the Syracuse area in 1965.
    A lover of all thing’s cars, he enjoyed spending time restoring multiple classic cars in his custom workshop at his home and showing them at the Syracuse Nationals. He and his wife, Marie, enjoyed many years attending the Daytona 500 while staying in Florida for the winter months. He was also an avid sports fan who always had a sports channel on at home. As a lifelong CNY resident his favorite teams were of course the NY Yankees, the NY Giants, and the SU Orange basketball team. He was a kind, easygoing man with a sense of humor like no other who loved his family and friends dearly.
    Gary is predeceased by his parents and his brother Edward O. LeFevre. Left to cherish his memory are his loving wife, Marie (Brown) LeFevre, his adoring daughter and son-in-law Tara and Dennis Virginia of Baldwinsville, NY, granddaughter Kayla (Jeff) George of Freeville, NY, grandson Sean Virginia of North Syracuse, NY, sister Kay (Andy) Anderson of Union Springs, NY, brother Robert (Diane) LeFevre of Owasco, NY, sister-in-law Merle LeFevre of Owasco, NY, along with several nieces, nephews, and dear friends.
    Honoring Gary’s wishes, there will be no calling hours and services will be private for immediate family. A memorial celebration in his honor will be held at a later date with details forthcoming.
    In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Owasco Fire Department at 7174 Owasco Rd, Auburn, NY 13021 or Hospice of CNY online at HospiceCNY.org
To send condolences, visit robertdgrayfuneralhome.com.