•Allen, John L., July 16, 2012. Survived by his loving wife of 58 years, Mary; son, John (Laurie Speciale); two grandchildren, Jonathan and Jacqueline; brother-in-law, Earl Hinkson; several nieces and nephews. John was a U.S. Navy Veteran of the Korean Conflict.
A Memorial Mass was said July 20 at St. Pius the Tenth Church, Chili. Contributions can be made to St. Pius the Tenth Church or the Alzheimer’s Association, 435 East Henrietta Road, Rochester, NY in his memory.
HAMLIN
•Allen, Rebecca R. “Becky,” July 15, 2012 at age 20. Predeceased by her mother Pamela Allen. She is survived by her father and step-mother Wayne and Michelle Allen; sister Beth Allen; brother Zack Allen; step-sister Shelby Bowman; grandparents; niece Riley Speece; many other family and friends.
Services will be held at a later date. Contributions in her memory can be made to the family to help with funeral expenses.
•Bower, John W., July 17, 2012, age 61. Predeceased by his parents, Harvey and Lucille Bower; brother, Michael Bower, Mike’s fiancee, Lynn Lemmon. Survived by his brothers, Gerald and Ricky (Terry) Bower; sister, Lena (Don Frederick) Bower; sister-in-law, Sheryl Bower; nephews, Matthew (Joann), Timothy (Stephanie), Ricky, Austin and Timmy Bower; nieces, Elizabeth (Jamie) Thulin, Sarah and Ashley Bower; his aunt, Phyllis Bower Curtis; several cousins and many friends. John raised Show Pigeons since he was 15 and was a member of the National Pigeon Association.
Funeral Services were held July 28 at the Thomas E. Burger Funeral Home, Inc., Hilton. Private interment, Parma Union Cemetery. Contributions can be made to Open Door Mission or National Pigeon Association in his memory.
•Lyons, Jo Ann, on July 12, 2012. Predeceased by her parents Joseph and Marjorie Buckler. She is survived by her daughters, Pam (Jim) Simboli, Denise (Rick) Hare; grandchildren James (Caitlin) Simboli, Joe (Jess) Simboli, Brian Fessler, Christy Fessler, Holly Hare; great-grandson Tanyon Simboli; sister Gerry (Joe) Edwards; several nieces and nephews.
A Funeral Service was held July 16 at the Hamlin United Methodist Church. Interment, private. Contributions can be made to the Aurora House, 2495 South Union Street, Spencerport, NY 14559 in her memory.
HILTON
•Arnold, Susan J. (Brady), on July 11, 2012 at age 89. Predeceased by her husband John B. and her son John. She is survived by her children William, Susan (Mark) Wilson, James (Cheryl), George (Elizabeth), Ruth (Rick) Bantelman, Ed (Cindy), Mike (Terry), Paul (Kathy), Mary (Bob) Boccaccio, Larry (Sue); 29 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; two brothers; three sisters; many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.
A Funeral Mass was held July 17 at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church, Hamlin. Interment, private. Contributions can be made to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church, 3747 Brick Schoolhouse Road, Hamlin, NY 14464 in her memory.
•Fritts, Dolores M., July 14, 2012 at age 74 after a long courageous battle with cancer. Predeceased by her mother Thelma M. Bartlow. Survived by her children: Michael (Deborah) Remillard, Michelle (Robert) Peown, Mark (Krystyna) Remillard; grandchildren: Dena, Shawnna, Michael, Frank (Teri), Sunni Jo, Brittany (Dave) and Matthew (Katie); great-grandchildren: Jordan, Alex, Raymond Madison and Charles; brother: C. Taylor Fritts; nephew: Taylor; nieces: Vicki, Carolyn and Alicia.
A Memorial Service was held July 18 at New Comer Funeral Home, Greece. Private interment. Contributions can be made to the American Cancer Society in her memory.
•Krause, Hans J., July 5, 2012. Survived by family and friends. Graveside prayer service was held July 17 at Oatka Cemetery, Scottsville.
HOLLEY
•Caswell, David A., July 11, 2012 after a courageous battle with cancer. He is survived by his wife Ann (Gentile) of 45 years; children, Douglas (Micky) Caswell of Penfield, Diana (Kevin) Buchholtz of Buffalo, Kris (Julie) Caswell of Chili; grandchildren, Justin DiNapoli, Olivia and Greyson Caswell, Alexandra and Nora Buchholtz. He was predeceased by his sister Sandy Patton.
A Celebration of his Life was held July 21 at the Merrill-Grinnell Funeral Home, Holley. Interment at the convenience of the family. Contributions can be made to Hospice of Orleans or the American Cancer Society in his memory.
NORTH CHILI
•Brink, Peter H., July 16, 2012 at age 63 with his loving and devoted wife of 30 years, Patti at his side. He is predeceased by his father, Harvey and sister, Joyce. Survived by his mother, June; son, Ian (Billie Jo); daughter, Tia Junot; granddaughter, Abby; brother, Harvey Jr.; mother-in-law, Peg Schneider; sister-in-law, Susan (Bob) Klueber; brother-in-law, Ron Schneider; and many nieces and nephews. Peter was a United States Air Force Veteran who served during the Vietnam War, a member of the VFW Post #6703, Hamlin and a member of the American Legion Post #1315, Avoca, New York.
Funeral Services were held July 20 at the New Comer Funeral Home, Greece. Interment, Holy Sepulchre Cemetery. Contributions can be made to Caring Bridge Donation Processing Center, P.O. Box 6132, Albert Lea, MN 56007-6632 or to G.R.A.S.P., P.O. Box 26421, Rochester 14626 in his memory.
ODGEN
•Loughlin, James G., On July 10, 2012. Survived by his loving wife of 59 years, Anne; children, Linda (Mike) Davis, Thomas (Bonnie) Loughlin, Kathy (Rex) Millslagle and Sue (Matt) Palermo; grandchildren, Rebecca, Kristina and Thomas Jr. Loughlin, Nicholas and Anthony Palermo; great-grandson, Noah Loughlin; several nieces and nephews.
A Graveside Service was held July 14 in Parma Union Cemetery.
SPENCERPORT
•Colangelo, Jeanette Barbato, on July 15, 2012, after a brief illness. Predeceased by her parents, Mary and Antonio Barbato; sister, Elizabeth; beloved grandson, Daniel Colangelo. Survived by her children, Louis (Mary) Colangelo, Marie Ann Colangelo and Steven Colangelo; daughter-in-law, Donna Colangelo; grandchildren, Greg, Giacchino, Lyndsey (Matt) Kamm, Scott (Kelly) Colangelo, Stephanie (Amiee) Colangelo-Story; great-grandchildren, Kylee, Brody, Colby, Sebastian, Bella, Paige and Alexander; sister, Jean (Tom) Raisbeck; several nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.
Her Funeral Mass was celebrated July 28 at St. John the Evangelist Church, Greece. Interment in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery.
•Colby, Reta B. (Bauch), July 14, 2012 at age 83. Reta was predeceased by her husband of 51 years, James A. Colby and her twin sister, Ruth Holman. She is survived by her children, Jean Colby, Charles (Colette), Richard (Darlene), and Robert Colby; grandchildren, Margarita, Chadwick, Camille, Scott, Marc, Sarah, James and Alexander Colby; sister, Marie (Rev. Donald) Cario; brother-in-law, Willard Holman; sister-in-law, Virginia (Joseph) Skrabak; many nieces and nephews, cousins and dear friends.
A Memorial Service was held July 18 at the First Congregational UCC “White Church,” Spencerport. Interment was held privately. Contributions can be made to the First Congregational UCC or the Leukemia Society in her memory.
•Eberlin, Paul K., of Rochester, formerly of Spencerport, died March 4, 2012 at age 55 after a courageous battle with cancer. Predeceased by his parents, Kenneth and Doris and brother, Lee. Survived by loving wife, Linda; brother, Donald (Ruth); step-children, Kenneth Spencer and Kriste (Matt) Viele; niece and nephew, aunts, uncles, cousins and dear friend, Don Colucci. Paul worked at RTS for 35 years as a bus mechanic.
A Graveside Service will be held Saturday, July 28 at 1 p.m. at Mt. Hope Cemetery, Rochester. A reception will follow. Contributions can be made to Hildebrandt Hospice, 2652 Ridgeway Avenue, Rochester 14626 in his memory.
•McMann, Lee J., After a long and courageous battle with cancer on July 12, 2012 at age 70. Lee was predeceased by his mother Dorothy Maynard. He is survived by his wife of 30 years, Robin O’Brien; his children, Brenda (Chuck) Rozzano, Michael (Sheila), Peter (Christine) and Richard McMann, Thomas (Kristie) O’Brien, Lori (Joseph) Gillett and Tammy O’Brien; his 12 grandchildren; siblings, Harold (Nancy) McMann and Gary (Pat) Stratton; many nieces and nephews; his best friend and dog “Rolen.” Lee owned and operated Peck Collision Inc., with his son Peter McMann for 30 years.
All services will be held at the convenience of the family. Contributions can be made to James P. Wilmot Cancer Center or Lollypop Farm in his memory.
AREA
Erma Pettis, co-founder of Pettis Pools
Erma Pettis A good friend, Mary Lou Rockow, made a FROG (Fully Rely on God) comfort quilt for Erma late this winter. Erma treasured the quilt and took it with her to chemo treatments. Her former pastor, Rev. Albert Zoller, says she lived a thankful and grateful life. The Rochester business community suffered a great loss May 18 with the death of Erma Pettis, who along with her husband, Larry, opened Pettis Pools & Patio 50 years ago, in 1962.
“My mother was the hardest working person I have ever known,” says daughter Julie Pettis, president of Pettis Pools & Patio.
Erma was diagnosed with cancer in December 2011, just five months before her death. She will be deeply missed by her family, friends, employees, business associates and all who knew her.
Julie says her mother was born in Dunkirk, New York in February 1930. Growing up during the Great Depression taught her “If it’s to be it’s up to me.”
Erma went to Brockport State and became a teacher. After starting her family, she worked for the Suburban News part-time.
“Money was tight and my father (who was also a teacher) worked summers painting houses and whatever else he could,” Julie says. “Being entrepreneurial at heart, my parents were looking through the ‘business opportunities’ section of the newspaper one Sunday morning and saw the ad that would change our lives: “Fox In-Ground Pool Distributorship Available.”
The first Pettis Pool sign The first “retail store” opened in 1963 in the Pettis’s garage and by 1968, the first retail location was opened in Greece. The East Rochester store opened in the late 1980s.
Pettis Pools & Patio has been recognized 25 times for excellence both locally and nationally and has been voted “Rochester’s Choice #1 Pool Company” for the past ten years. The business continues to be family owned and run and is thriving. Pettis has the largest Softtub division in the United States and employs over 75 people during the summer season.
“She truly was the matriarch of Pettis Pools & Patio,” Julie says. “Her influence has shaped everyone at Pettis Pools & Patio and we will continue to follow her example and make her and my father (Larry died in 2003) proud.”
Mary Lou Rockow, an advertising representative for Westside News, has been the rep for Pettis Pools & Patio for about 30 years, she says. Erma and Mary Lou became good friends over that time.
“She always knew what she wanted and when,” Mary Lou remembers. “I tend to be pushy, and she would remind me gently who is the boss – the customer. She always had beautiful, precise ads.”
Erma and Larry Pettis, founders of Pettis Pools & PatioMary Lou also remembers that anytime Erma would launch an advertising campaign, she would ask for a good deal. The deal was never finalized until after Erma would ask, “Is that your best price?”
When Mary Lou’s family put in a pool, it was Mary Lou who turned the tables on Erma and asked her for a good deal. After Erma gave Mary Lou the price, Mary Lou was sure to ask, “Is that your best price?”
“She was so special, so professional,” Mary Lou says. “She taught me a lot. She was so proud of her employees and told me, ‘Don’t ever retire.’ She never did and I don’t plan to. You have to keep working your brain. Erma loved life and lived it to the fullest.”
Erma and Mary Lou were excited the day they realized they shared the same faith: Missouri Synod Lutheran.
When Erma was diagnosed with cancer, Mary Lou made her a FROG comfort quilt. The letters FROG stand for Fully Rely On God, something Mary Lou says she does and Erma did. Erma treasured the quilt and told Mary Lou she took it to chemo treatments. It has now been passed on to daughter, Julie.
Mary Lou says the folks at Pettis Pools are crediting Erma with a brisk business during all the hot weather this summer. “They know Erma talked to the Big Guy,” Mary Lou says.
Erma’s long-time pastor at St. Paul Lutheran in Hilton was Albert Zoller. He says Erma truly understood the difference between the church as an institution versus the Body of Christ.
“She knew that the Church of Christ was perfect and that the institution was saddled with human weakness. Consequently, she knew the gift of grace and forgiveness that comes through the Body of Christ. Because of her faith in Jesus as her Lord and Savior, and the blessings that are inherent in the Gospel, she lived a very thankful and grateful life, being fully aware of the gifts and blessings entrusted to her from her heavenly Father.”
Dan Kubit works at M&T Bank in Hilton and says Erma always came in personally to do banking because she wanted to see everybody in the branch.
“It was a hard loss,” he says of Erma’s death. “I considered her a friend. She touched everybody that she met and always had a smile. She was the sweetest woman you would ever want to know.”
Kubit says Erma’s three children are the same way.
“She lived by the Golden Rule – (she felt) it’s the right way of doing things in life,” he says. “She would always leave a person better off than they had been before. I always felt good about things after talking to Erma.”
SUNY Brockport always had a special place in Erma’s heart, daughter Julie says. She was active in the Class of 1953 scholarship fund. Tom Taber, a member of the Brockport Class of 1953 says after the 45th reunion of the Brockport State Class of 1953, it was decided to endow a scholarship for students planning to become teachers, to be presented at their 50th reunion as a class gift.
“Erma was enlisted to write fund raising publicity and she produced a series of brochures. We were aiming to raise $5,000 – a lofty sum for retired school teachers. Thanks largely to her efforts, we had over $20,000 by the 50th reunion. Since then, with continued contributions and accrued interest, the sum is now over $60,000. We are now able to give three scholarships annually, with perhaps more in the future,” Taber says.
Erma was also a major force behind a memory book from the 50th, doing much of the organizing and writing, Taber notes. “I give her the lion’s share of the credit for the great success of these ventures. She was a great organizer, a tireless worker, a great classmate and friend.”
Taber remembers that for much of Erma’s life she was called Norky – a childhood nickname. “In the last couple of years, we began calling her Evangeline, a name she chose for Facebook. Whatever the name, she will be long remembered.”
ARCHIVES – WEEK OF JULY 15, 2012
LOCAL NEWS – WEEK OF JULY 15, 2012
Oath of office administered to two board members
by Kristina Gabalski
Mary Ann Thorpe administers Oath of Office to newly elected Trustee Bill Andrews. Photograph by Kristina Gabalski.Brockport’s newest village trustee took the oath of office during the July 10 regular meeting of the village board.
Bill Andrews asked former mayor Mary Ann Thorpe to administer the oath (Andrews had been officially sworn-in by Village Clerk Leslie Ann Morelli earlier in the day).
Thorpe remembered when Andrews came to visit her during her term as mayor. He didn’t come to complain, she said, but to volunteer his services to the village.
Thorpe said she asked herself at the time, “Can this guy be real?”
Andrews said tongue-in-cheek that he asked Thorpe to administer the oath because, “Mary Ann is more responsible than anyone else for getting me into this mess.”
On a more serious note, he explained that, “I observed and admired her leadership style.”
Brockport Village Clerk Leslie Ann Morelli administers oath to Trustee Margaret Blackman. Photograph by Kristina Gabalski.Andrews thanked his running mate Margaret Blackman (who was re-elected to the board) and the members of the committee who worked on the election campaign.
He also thanked “the 575 voters who expressed their confidence in my ability to do this job.”
During his first report Andrews announced he regards his service to the board, “as a volunteer activity,” and will donate his salary to “various good causes within the village.”
Trustee Margaret Blackman was administered the oath of office by Village Clerk Leslie Ann Morelli.
She said she is looking forward to her new term and welcomed Trustee Andrews to the board saying she admires “his even-handedness in decision making.”
Code enforcement issues continue
During their reports, board members briefly discussed a plan by Mayor Connie Castaneda to move the Office of Code Enforcement from the Police Department back to the Village Hall in the wake of the defeat by voters of a referendum which would have switched supervision of the code enforcement officer from the mayor to the police chief.
Trustee Margaret Blackman said the move would create an unnecessary expense and is “not in the best interest of the village. Code Enforcement has been functioning more effectively, efficiently and productively than before.”
Trustee Carol Hannan asked that the issue of moving the office back to the Village Hall be put on the agenda for the next Village Board work session which is scheduled for August 7.
She read a statement from Police Chief Daniel Varrenti warning that if the Code Enforcement Office is moved back to the Village Hall, $3,983.89 in Federal Asset Forfeiture Funds would have to be reimbursed.
Trustee Hannan noted expending that amount of money “would require board approval.”
Mayor Castaneda said the concerns of the trustee would be forwarded to village attorney Robert Leni. She cited an email sent by Leni to trustees dated July 5 regarding the board’s ability to expend funds and direct department heads.
The mayor said she had stated that the village board should wait until the referendum was approved before making the move.
“The public has made a mandate,” Mayor Castaneda said. She argued that the motion made by trustees to move the code enforcement office was an “illegal motion” and that trustees had “no authority to do so.”
