Our Obituaries

Robert W. Cunningham, age 65, late of Godeffroy, NY, passed away Sunday, November 23, 2008 at Bon Secours Community Hospital, Port Jervis, NY.He was born on April 9, 1943 at Jerseyville, Illinois, the son of the late Grant and Katie Bick Cunningham. He married Joan Sutherland Cunningham, who survives.In addition to his wife, he is survived by his son, Cort H. Cunningham and his wife, Brenda of Godeffroy, NY and his daughter, Catrina M. Turnbull and her husband, Ronald of Virginia Beach, VA; two grandchildren, Robert W. Cunningham, II and Cort H. Cunningham, II; several nieces and nephews and his special dog, Fang.Bob was a retired draftsman for At&T Telephone Co., Monticello, NY. He proudly served our country from 1960-1963 with the United States Army. He became very active with the Town of Deerpark serving on the Board of Assessment Review from 1980 to 1983, member of the Town of Deerpark Town Council from 1984-1990 and was also Deputy Supervisor under James Garvey. He served as Supervisor from 1991-1993, appointed by the board to fill term of James Garvey until December 31, 1991 and was elected as supervisor to serve from 1992-1993. He was elected again in 1996 and served until 1999. He served as council member from 2004 to present and served as Deputy Supervisor 2008 to present under Gary Flieger. He was a member of the Cuddebackville Fire Dept., Cuddebackville Fire Police and Fire Commissioner. He delivered Meals on Wheels to many people, and chauffeured the Senior Citizen Shuttle for the Town of Deerpark for many years. He proudly served our country from 1960-1966 with the U.S. Army.Memories of Bob, reflections of his life, a prayer or a moment of silence may be shared at the Town of Deerpark Regular meeting on December 1, 2008 at 7:30 p.m. at the Deerpark Town Hall, Route 209, Huguenot, NY. Interment will be private.Memorial donations may be made to the Port Jervis Salvation Army or to the Port Jervis-Deerpark Humane Society, Route 209, Port Jervis, NY 12771.Arrangements are by the Knight-Auchmoody Funeral Home, 154 E. Main St., Port Jervis, NY. For information, directions or to send a condolence note to the family, visit knight-auchmoody.com.

Joan Skinner, 74, died November 19, 2008 after a lengthy illness. She was born September 8, 1934 in Matamoras, PA, the daughter of Harold and Francis Braisted. She married Donald Skinner in July of 1954. She worked for Andmore Sportwear and which she retired from. Don & Joan moved to Lakeland, FL in 2004 and enjoyed their retirement together meeting lots of special friends in their Park. Her interests included sewing, knitting, crocheting, needle point, swimming, cooking at the club house with the ladies, quilting and enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren, family and friends. She is survived by her husband, Donald Skinner; son, Bryan Skinner and wife, Chris of Murfreesboro, TN; daughter, Paula Buston and husband, George Buston of Rock Springs, WY; sister, Marion McCollum of Matamoras, PA; grandchildren: Danielle and Alex Skinner of Murfreesboro, TN, Shawn-Dee Tarufelli and Shane Buston of Rock Springs, WY; several nieces, nephews, cousins, sisters-in-law, Linda Skinner of Matamoras, PA and Gayle Skinner of Allentown, PA. She was preceded in death by her mother, father, brother, Harold "Brud" Braisted and sister, Irene Travis.Cremation took place in Lakeland, FL. Burial services will take place in Sparrowbush, NY at the convenience of the family.Arrangements by Knight-Auchmoody Funeral Home, Inc., 154 East Main St., Port Jervis, NY. For directions, information or to send a condolence note to the family, please visit knight-auchmoody.com.

Brian Henry Stevens, a beloved son, brother, friend and a lifelong resident of the area, died Saturday, November 22, 2008 in Mount Hope, NY. He was 18.The son of Richard Stevens and Laura Listwon Stevens, he was born December 23, 1989 in Warwick, NY.Brian was a 2008 graduate of Minisink Valley High School and a mechanic for Hatfield Brothers in Wappingers Falls, NY.In addition to his parents, survivors include his two sisters, Jennifer Stevens of Brooklyn, NY and Rose Stevens of the Town of Greenville; two brothers, Richard Stevens and John Stevens, both of the Town of Greenville; paternal grandmother, Marie Johnson of Pennsylvania, and maternal grandmother, Margaret Listwon of the Town of Greenville. He was predeceased by his grandfather, Leon Listwon; his great-grandmother, Minnie Cohn, and his great-grandfather, Tony Graziano.Visitation will be held on Tuesday, November 25, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Knight-Auchmoody Funeral Home, Inc., 154 E. Main St., Port Jervis, NY.Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m., Wednesday, November 26, at the funeral home with The Rev. Joseph Ianonne officiating. Burial will be in Manning Cemetery, Greenville, NY.Arrangements by Knight-Auchmoody Funeral Home, Inc. For directions or to send condolences, please visit Knight-Auchmoody.com or call 845-856-3312.

Eve M. Solimene, age 89, late of Matamoras, PA, passed away on Friday, November 14, 2008 at Belle Reve in Milford, PA. She was born on February 26, 1919 at Mountainview, New Jersey, the daughter of the late Lester Macdonald and Eva Mae Potter Macdonald. Eve was a retired Licensed Practical Nurse at St. Claire's Hospital, Sussex, NJ. She was married to the late Hugo Solimene. Eve is survived by her sister, Shirley Scheulen of Fairlawn, NJ; two nieces, Nancy and Judy, and three nephews: Ron, Andy and Bob. She was predeceased by two sisters, Viola Snelson and Josephine McDonald. Friends may call on Tuesday, November 18, from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Knight-Auchmoody Funeral Home, 154 E. Main St., Port Jervis, NY. Funeral Services will be held Tuesday Nov. 18, at 11 a.m. at the funeral home, with the Rev. Patt Kauffman officiating. Interment will take place at Laurel Grove Cemetery, Totowa, NJ.

Irvin Richard Weber, age 80, known to many as "Webb" or "Dick" of Port Jervis, NY, entered into rest on Friday November 7, at St. Teresa's Nursing Home, Middletown, NY.He was born May 7, 1928 in Dayton, OH, the son of the late Irvin Weber.Dick was a retired Purchaser for Wick-Hen Products, Dow Corning, Huguenot, NY. He was a veteran of World War II, proudly serving our country with the U.S. Navy. He was a member of Operation Hi Jump, Admiral Byrds expedition to Little America in Antarctica, 1947. He was a member of the Tri-States Naval Ship #7241, Port Jervis, the Marsch-Kellogg American Legion Post, Milford, Pa. and the Ontario Hose Co. #5, Middletown Fire Dept.He is survived by his former wife, Norma Oakley Weber of Middletown, NY; his sons, Richard Weber and his wife, Laurel of Middletown, NY, Douglas Weber and his wife, Francine of Sugar Loaf, NY, Karl Weber and his wife, Shirley of Worcester, MA; two daughters, Robin Gillette and her husband, Daniel of Monroe, NY and Jacqueline Weber of Middletown, NY; nine grandchildren: Kara, Kristen, Ricky, Rilee, Abigail, Harli, David, Daniel and Brandi; two great-grandchildren, Gerhig and Trevor; one niece; one nephew, and his friend and companion, Helen Brundage of Port Jervis, NY. He was predeceased by his brother, William Weber.Friends may call Tuesday, November 11, from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. at the Knight-Auchmoody Funeral Home, 154 E. Main St., Port Jervis, NY. Firematic services will be conducted by Ontario Hose Co. #5. on Tuesday evening at 7:30 p.m. at the funeral home.Funeral Services will be held Wednesday November 12, at 10:30 a.m. at the funeral home, with the Rev. Patt Kauffman officiating. Interment will take place at the Orange County Veterans Cemetery, Goshen, NY.Arrangements by Knight-Auchmoody Funeral Home. For information, directions or to send condolences, please visit knight-auchmoody.com or call 845-856-3312.

Georgianne I. Roberts Kessock, age 65, of Port Jervis, NY, passed away Saturday, November 1, 2008, at Community Medical Ctr., Scranton, PA.She was born March 9, 1943 in Port Jervis, NY, the daughter of the late Carl Irwin, Sr. and Hazel Westbrook Irwin.Georgianne was a retired assembler for Kolmar Labs, Inc., and a retired secretary for the Port Jervis Country Club, Port Jervis.She was married to the late Lloyd R. Roberts and then to the late Thomas S. Kessock. She is survived by her daughter, Earlene Goble and her husband, David Goble, Jr. of Matamoras, PA; her son, Lawrence Roberts and his wife, Michelle of Port Jervis; three sisters: Mickey Kowal and Carla Simmons, both of Port Jervis, NY and Christa Lovelace of Matamoras, PA; her brother, J.R. Irwin of Matamoras, PA; five grandchildren: Karina, David, Ryan, Megan and Tommy; several nieces and nephews.Friends may call Thursday, November 6, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Knight-Auchmoody Funeral Home, 154 E. Main St., Port Jervis, NY. Private internment will take place at Minisink Cemetery, Montague, NJ.Memorial contributions may be made to National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Southern New York Chapter, 2 Gannett Dr., Suite LC, White Plains, NY 10604. Arrangements by Knight-Auchmoody Funeral Home, Inc. For information, directions or to send condolences, please call 845-856-3312 or visit Knight-Auchmoody.com.

George E. Hamilton, age 57, of Port Jervis, NY, passed away on Thursday, October 30, 2008, at home.George was born December 4, 1950 in Port Jervis, NY, the son of George W. and Marion E. Hemmer Hamilton.George was a man who was the traditional unsung hero, working behind the scenes to make sure that the equipment and processes were up and running. He held a number of job titles in his 38 years at the Times Herald-Record in Middletown. Decades ago he was the one who made sure the paper got into type, fixed the machines that set the type, operated the camera that took pictures of the pages to send to the press.As technology advanced, he kept the system running so classified ads could get into the paper. He was a systems technician at the time of his death. In 1994, George came out from behind the scenes to work on the frontlines as he joined newsroom staff in covering the 25th-anniversary Woodstock celebration in Saugerties. For five days and nights, George hunkered down in a tent with a jerry-rigged transmitting unit, sending pictures taken by the five-man Record photo team. Working long into the night George moved more than a hundred photos that chronicled the event in the next day's Times Herald-Record. As the team packed up to leave George commented that it was the most fun he'd had in newspapers in years.George was paid for what he knew, but it was who he knew that was most important to him. At the Times Herald-Record, George knew everyone, talked with everyone and made people throughout the building a part of his circle of friends, acquaintances, folks to talk with.He found a real home in the tech services department and his friends there - Jason, Keith, Fred and Jesse - remember him as a gentle bear of a man, a genuinely good-hearted person who could always be counted on when something needed to be done. To them he was an old dog who was always learning new tricks, and someone who always spoke his mind. It didn't matter whether it was to his friends, ad takers in the classified department or the CEO, George let people know what he was thinking.George had special talents rare among tech crews. He could make even the most novice user feel that they hadn't caused a problem. "The computer got stupid," he'd say, and a reboot would make everything fine.George's friends will miss his soul, his spirit and his friendship.He is a member of St. Mary's R.C. Church, Port Jervis, NY.George is survived by his parents, George and Marion E. Hamilton of Port Jervis; his brother, William Hamilton and his wife, Christine of Londonderry, NH; two sisters, Nancy Hamilton of Wheat Ridge, CO and Catherine E. Hamilton of Middletown, NY; his niece, Elizabeth; his nephew, Timothy; an uncle, Louis Hemmer and his wife, Charlene of Liberty, NY; two aunts, Gloria Hemmer of Jeffersonville, NY and Julia Hemmer of Liberty, NY, and several cousins.A Memorial Blessing Service will be held on Wednesday, November 5, at 11 a.m. at Knight-Auchmoody Funeral Home, 154 E. Main St., Port Jervis, NY (845-856-3312), with the Rev. George Hafemann officiating.Private Interment will take place at Pine Hill Cemetery, Sparrowbush, NY.Memorial contributions may be made to a charity of one's choice.Arrangements by Knight-Auchmoody Funeral Home. For information, directions or to send condolences to the family, please visit Knight-Auchmoody.com.

Mrs. Marion B. Weiss of Port Jervis, NY, retired co-owner and vice president of Weiss' Laurel Grove Greenhouses and lifetime resident of the area, died Monday, October 27, 2008 at Twin Cedars, Shohola, PA. She was 91.Marion was born October 25, 1917 in Matamoras, PA, the daughter of the late William F. and Bertha Scales Niermeyer. She was the widow of the late Frank J. Weiss, Jr. who died October 3, 2006.Marion was a 1934 graduate of Matamoras High School and a graduate of Drake Business College in Union City, NJ. She was member of St. Peter's Lutheran Church, Port Jervis, and was a former Secretary to the Advertising Manager of the Hudson Dispatch in Union City, NJ.Marion is survived by two daughters, Judith Weiss of Port Jervis and Teena DeRosa and her husband, Lou of East Windsor, NJ. She is also survived by two grandchildren, Jordan Schulman of Chicago, IL and Alexis DeRosa of East Windsor, NJ and several nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by a granddaughter, Carli Elizabeth Schulman on May 29, 2004 and her sister-in-law, Kathleen Weiss Mackechnie.Friends may call Thursday, October 30 from 1-2 p.m. at the Knight-Auchmoody Funeral Home, 154 E. Main St., Port Jervis, NY. Funeral Services will be held Thursday, October 30 at 2 p.m. at the funeral home with Bruce Harding officiating. Private interment will take place at Pine Grove Cemetery, Matamoras, PA.Memorial contributions may be made to Twin Cedars Assisted Living Ctr., 264 Little Walker Road, Shohola, PA 18458 or St. Peters Lutheran Church, East Main St., Port Jervis, NY 12771.Arrangements are by the Knight-Auchmoody Funeral Home. For information, directions or to send a condolence note to the family, visit knight-auchmoody.com.

Gary J. Kampka, age 55, of Sparrowbush, NY, passed away Sunday, October 26, 2008 at Dundee, NY.He was born on February 12, 1953 in Newton, New Jersey, the son of the late Paul and Bernice Ricker Kampka.Gary was a Plumber with Local #373, at Mountainville, NY. He served our country with the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War.He married Judith Aumick Kampka, who survives at home. He is also survived by his daughter, Stephanie Kampka and her husband, David Search of the Town of Greenville, NY; four sons: Benjamin T. Kampka of Stevensville, MT and Gary R. Kampka and his wife, Shannon also of Stevensville, MT, Richard Jones, III and his wife, Jo of Ft. Lauderdale, FL and John Jones and his wife, Debbie of Sparta, NJ; two brothers, Edward Kampka of the Villages, FL and Bruce Kampka of Springdale, NJ; one sister, Nancy Kosc of Branchville, NJ; four grandchildren: David, Elizabeth, Luke, and Haley and several nieces and nephews.A family statement reads: "Gary was an avid Bow Hunter and loved the outdoors."Private services and interment will be held at the convenience of the family. A memorial service will be held a later date.Arrangements are by the Knight-Auchmoody Funeral Home, 154 E. Main St., Port Jervis, NY. For information, directions or to send a condolence note to the family, visit knight-auchmoody.com.