Reta Shumway, 85
Reta Shumway passed away peacefully at her home in Piercefield on Tuesday, April 5th.
Reta was born to Raymond and Mary (Hatch) Shurtleff on June 25th 1931 at Shurtleff House Hotel in Shurtleff, New York.
Reta married Donald Shumway on October 7th 1950 at Holy Name Church.
She was town justice for 16 years and worked as a staff accountant for Ernest Wood and later for Raymond Martin until her retirement.
Reta made her home welcome to family and friends.
She was predeceased by her husband Donald in 1999 and her brother Donald in 2004.
She is survived by her children Susan (Philip) Ferrara, Ann Shumway, Raymond Shumway, granddaughters Shauni and Alexa Shumway and daughter in law Judy Shumway.
A calling hour was held Monday, April 11th at 10am at St. Alphonsus Church followed by a funeral mass at 11am. Burial will be in Gale cemetery.
Arrangements are with the Stuart-Fortune-Keough funeral home in Tupper Lake.
Harold E. Blake, 87
Harold E. Blake, 87, passed away, Saturday, April 2 at the Adirondack Medical Center in Saranac Lake.
Born May 25, 1928 in Lansing, MI, he was the son of Nicholas and Laverna (Clark) Blake. He attended public schools in the Detroit area and then the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
He had an early career as an operative with Pinkertons, and as a counter-intelligence Special Agent in Germany.
He was married to Lavern Gibson of Sacramento, California in 1955 at Lake Lugano, Switzerland.
After returning to the United States with his wife, he became a Michigan State licensed electrical contractor. He sold his businesses in Michigan in 1963 and moved his family to Florida.
Lavern passed away in 1993. He returned to work as a career Civil Servant, working as an mechanic and engineer with the US Postal Service development and implementation of automated mail processing equipment and in Postal Data communication.
He was a life member Freemason and a member of Egypt Shrine, Tampa.
Since his retirement from the Federal Service in 1988, he became active as a researcher in natural disasters and medical support. His life activities were principally as an electrical engineer and investigative researcher.
He recently married his longtime dear friend, Gloria St. Onge. Upon moving to Tupper Lake, Gloria and Harold where avid hikers enjoying the outdoors and researching every aspect of the Adirondacks including the APA which he didn't really agree with. He is survived by his wife Gloria St. Onge of Tupper Lake, four children; Daniel E. Blake of Rogers, Arkansas, Wayne J. Blake of Plant City, FL., Delores E. Darpel of Covington, KY., and Diane E. Mannis of Dade City, FL., Also surviving are several grandchildren and nieces and nephews.
He was pre-deceased by his first wife Lavern, one son Eugene, one brother Donald and a sister Doris Osbourn.
Calling hours are scheduled for Thursday, April 7 from 2p.m. to 4p.m. at the Stuart-Fortune-Keough funeral home followed by a funeral service at the funeral home. Entombment will be at Chapel Hill Gardens in Dade City, Florida.
Samuel E. Gaff
Samuel E. Gaff died peacefully surrounded by his family April 2, 2016 in Rochester.
Sam was predeceased by his father, William. He is survived by his wife, Alberta (West) Gaff; children, Samuel Jr. (Tina), Aimee Torres, David, Suzette (Gary) Rogers and Michael (Jennifer) LaMartina; mother, Rolande (Marie) Gaff; 13 grandchildren; 2 great-grandchildren; brothers, Bill (Vivian) and John (Diane) Gaff; sister, Joy (Bob) Borghi; several nieces and nephews.
Friends may call Thursday 4-7 at the funeral home, 777 Long Pond Road (between English & Latta). Service and interment will be at the convenience of the family.