Sarah Rogers Lempko, 64, of Buffalo, NY, passed away peacefully on November 2, 2025, after a week surrounded by loved ones.
Sarah was known for her kindness, warmth, and easy smile, the kind of person who made everyone feel welcomed. Growing up, she was a fun-loving athlete, a nurse, and a great friend and sister. Later, she devoted her life to her children, with constant involvement across practices, swim meets, PTA events, and more. She loved them deeply.
In recent years, Sarah found peace and friendship through her AA community. She was the first to welcome anyone new and was always ready with a smile and care. She loved the beach and a good sunset, simple joys that reflected her open heart and gentle spirit.
She is survived by her children, Marissa, Michael, and Morgan Lempko, her siblings, and many close friends who held a special place in her heart.
Relatives and friends may visit PERNA, DENGLER, ROBERTS FUNERAL HOME, 1671 Maple Rd., Williamsville, NY 14221 on Thursday (November 6, 2025) from 11am to 1pm. A memorial service will immediately follow at 1pm.
Sarah will be deeply missed by all who knew her and remembered for her warmth, humor, and love.
Thank you to everyone who attended our Educator Emeritus and Distinguished Alumni awards ceremony on Thursday, October 23. It was an honor to celebrate these awardees with Tiger Pride.
The Amherst Central Alumni Chorale entertained attendees before the ceremony.
Ginny Rusk (Chair for the Event) began the awards ceremony by welcoming honorees and attendees.
Dr. Dale Bosworth – Educator Emeritus Awardee
DR. DALE BOSWORTH – Art teacher at the Amherst Central Middle School. Dr. Bosworth spent most of his 43 years teaching art at the Middle School. During this time, he also designed, constructed and painted scenery for over 30 musicals. In retirement, he’s still involved with creating scenery for both Middle School and High School musicals. He’s been designing jewelry for over 45 years in addition to painting and sculpting.
Joanna Ransom – Educator Emeritus Awardee
MRS. JOANNA RANSOM – 3rd grade teacher at Smallwood Drive Elementary School. Joanna began her teaching career at Harlem Rd., but spent most of her career at Smallwood. She was part of an innovative program where each teacher taught reading and math based on students’ ability, and also a specialty subject, hers being science. In retirement, Joanna works with her husband in his rare book business and enjoys gardening at her country home, oil painting, and the company of her friends.
Steve Thomas – Educator Emeritus Awardee
MR. STEVEN THOMAS – Music teacher at the Amherst Central High School. After retiring from Amherst, Steve currently teaches at Alfred University, conducts the orchestra, and offers lessons on all stringed instruments and piano. He is a founding member, violinist, and conductor at the MostArts Festival at Alfred and first violinist of the Oakgrove String Quartet. Steve is also a pianist and director for area high school musical productions. A former student who nominated Mr. Thomas, Caryn Domzalski ’01 wrote, “he was down to earth, supportive of students, and an excellent teacher. He was easy to talk to and made orchestra a fun experience.”
David Maul – Educator Emeritus Awardee (Posthumously) Pictured: Michelle Maul Webb and Michael Maul – David Maul’s Children
MR. DAVID MAUL (POSTHUMOUSLY) – Principal of Windermere Drive Elementary School. David grew up in Buffalo, NY, and attended State University College at Buffalo to attain his teaching degree. He garnered achievements and recognition through two distinct yet overlapping careers: one in education and the other in the military. After obtaining his master’s degree, he began serving as both teacher and administrator, then rose to become the principal of Eggert Road Elementary School. He then moved to Windermere Elementary School, where he served as the senior elementary school principal until his retirement.
Carolyn Russell – Educator Emeritus Awardee (Posthumously) Pictured: Rosemary Dayton and Karen Russell accepting award
MS. CAROLYN RUSSELL (POSTHUMOUSLY) – Teacher’s Aide & member of the Amherst Central Alumni Chorale. Carolyn assisted with college applications in the guidance office. But she was most remembered for being an accompanist for the Amherst Central Alumni Chorale. A few years ago, alumna Karen D. Tunis-Manny ’74 wrote, “Carolyn Russell was equal parts teacher, mentor, and partner. The choir consisted of young and old with varying levels of competence, talent, and abilities. Carolyn was the great unifier, and her musical ability was a gift to those who sang in the choir. We could not have established and sustained the Alumni Chorale without her”.
Rev. Stephen Biegner – Distinguished Alumni Awardee
REV. STEPHEN BIEGNER ‘89 – Steve is the pastor of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church (the church next to Brunner’s) and the Executive Director of the WNY Impact Foundation. Steve has developed and grown several churches across New York State, helping them reconnect with their local communities in impactful ways. He led St. Paul’s to clarify their passion in battling food insecurity through the launch of the Tiger’s Den Food Pantry and Daily Bread Food Truck. He also serves as the Chaplain of Erie County Emergency Services, covering 93 volunteer firehouses, Buffalo Niagara International Airport, and Mercy Flight.
Archie Dean – Distinguished Alumni Awardee
ARCHIBALD “ARCHIE” DEAN ‘55 – Archie went through the Amherst School system K-12 with his twin sister Sylvia. He was a class officer and played basketball, baseball, and soccer. After graduating from Bowling Green State University, he was a Naval officer in the Pacific, first aboard the USS Hornet & Third Marine Division. He worked in Hong Kong for many years, sold European cars to the military, and operated a custom clothing business. While living in central Mexico, he authored 19 editions of a best-selling guidebook. Archie has arranged and organized a dozen class reunions and published a reunion book for the Class of 1955. He lives in Northern CA near his son and family.
James Gallery accepting Distinguished Alumni Award on behalf of Jeremy and Margaret Jacobs
JEREMY JACOBS & MARGARET (PEGGY) DAVIS JACOBS ‘58 – Jeremy is the Chairman of global hospitality and food service company, Delaware North Companies, its headquarters located in Buffalo, NY. In 1975, Jeremy acquired the Boston Bruins. He has held numerous leadership roles in the NHL including serving on the league’s Audit, Finance and Executive Committees and Chairman of the NHL Board of Governors, a role that he holds today. He and Peggy are two of the community’s most dedicated philanthropists, investing in our WNY community. Jeremy and Peggy made a historic donation of $30 million to UB School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences and have been invaluable to the UB Council for 30 years. They also support other non-profit organizations in WNY and throughout the United States. Peggy is an accomplished photographer, and active outdoorswoman. She has published multiple books documenting her candid photographic work.
Julie Pace – Distinguished Alumni Awardee
JULIE PACE ’00 – Julie is Sr. VP and Executive Editor of the Associated Press, leading global news coverage from more than 100 countries. Since she assumed the role in 2021, AP has significantly expanded its digital news offerings, been awarded three Pulitzer Prizes, and produced an award-winning documentary on the Ukraine war that won an Academy Award and a BAFTA. Before that, Julie was AP’s White House Correspondent and won the White House Correspondents’ Association Merriman Smith award in 2013 for her work explaining the Obama campaign’s complex approach to voter turnout. Julie is a graduate of Northwestern University and lives in New York.
David Dean – Distinguished Alumni Awardee (Posthumously) Keith Dean (David’s Son) accepting award from Amherst Central Alumni Foundation Board Member Marilyn Rohl.
DR. DAVID DEAN (POSTHUMOUSLY) ’48 – David was the Chief Cardiologist at the Buffalo Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center from 1962-1991. He pioneered medical innovations, received awards, held offices, educated his peers and published numerous research papers. When he retired, he was a consultant for many hospitals in the Buffalo area. He also helped the Snyder Fire Department establish the first CPR program and trained responders in Buffalo and Town of Amherst.
DOUGLAS VOLGENAU (POSTHUMOUSLY) ’55 – Douglas was a Rear Admiral in the U S Navy. He was an Honor Company Commander at the time he graduated from the Naval Academy in 1959. Douglas was selected for the nuclear submarine program and served 32 years on active duty. After retiring from the Navy, Douglas worked another 20 years as a consultant for DOD and DOE. He’s also been a long-time supporter of the Alumni Foundation.
Frank Lewis Obituary Originally Published by Legacy Remembers on Sep. 16, 2025.
Frank Wellington Lewis III, of Savannah, Texas was born August 29, 1941, to Frank Lewis, Jr., and Martha Watson Lewis in Buffalo, New York. He passed away Sept. 11, 2025, from complications of long-term dementia, surrounded by his family.
Frank spent his early years in Amherst, NY, attending Amherst High School where he, at 6’5″, was active in athletics as well as orchestra, in which he played the bassoon. He was a Boy Scout who proudly earned the ranks of Eagle Scout and Silver Aviation Explorer. He attended Michigan State University where he was an officer in the People’s Church College program and a member of Delta Chi fraternity and Les Gourmet. While there, he met Judy Pugh, whom he followed to UT Austin in 1964 after graduation from MSU.
They married in 1965, and Frank taught history and coached basketball for two years in Holland, NY. He then began a career in professional Scouting with the Boy Scouts of America in 1967 that lead to 34 years as a BSA executive or director in five councils, primarily in the area of Exploring, in New York, New Jersey, Missouri, and Texas, where he was National Director of Aviation Exploring with the National BSA Council in Irving, Texas. After retirement, he continued volunteering for 15 years with the BSA National Events “Black Shirts” team, during which time he was program director for the 2005 National BSA Jamboree. He and Judy volunteered at the Fox Theater in St. Louis for 14 years and multiple other events in the city.
Frank was a man of many hobbies. He was a private pilot, amateur blacksmith, avid genealogist, traveler, and actor and backstage tech crew member in community theaters across the country. He enjoyed all kinds of music and played the guitar and banjo. One of Frank’s greatest joys was to light up his house and yard at Christmas-hoping that it could be seen in outer space!
Frank and Judy have three children. He is survived by a brother, William (Chris) Lewis, wife Judy, daughters Wendy (Jay) Young and Stephanie (Mike Van Winkle) Lewis, and son Frank Lewis IV, as well as grandchildren: Evie, Charlotte, and Sam Young and honorary grandson, Bradley Sykes. He will be missed by many in-laws, nieces, nephews, cousins, and countless other friends and relatives. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother, Robert Lewis, sister, Judy Speer, and step-sister, Sandy Dolan.
A private family memorial service will be held, and in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Boy Scouts or a local community theater of your choice. The family invites you to celebrate Frank’s memory in your own way. He was always willing to help others and is remembered as a good and sweet man who adored his family (and the Buffalo Bills!) We shall greatly miss our “gentle giant”.
Buffalo’s Waterfront Renaissance recounts how the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825 catapulted Buffalo to become one of the most important hubs of commerce and industry in the country. The book also highlights the environmental and social consequences of this rapid development—specifically, how industries took over the waterfront, leading to severe contamination and limiting public access to the waterfront for decades.
Buffalo’s once-polluted waterfront began a remarkable transformation in the early 2000s, largely driven by citizen initiatives. The first step in the recovery was the environmental cleanup and restoration of the Buffalo River spearheaded by the nonprofit Friends of the Buffalo River (now Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper), which over time made the river corridor a destination for recreation and an increasingly appealing area in which to live and work.
The book also chronicles how the Canalside Project was made possible by the lawsuit the Preservation Coalition of Erie County filed against Empire State Development Corporation and how ESDC’s consultant attempted to justify keeping the Commercial Slip buried by floating the bizarre theory that the stones that lined the Commercial Slip would “blast apart” if exposed to the air after having been buried so long. The theory was initially taken seriously by the court but was debunked when interviews with geologists at the University at Buffalo revealed it had no scientific basis. In the end, the state agreed to uncover, reconstruct and re-water the Commercial Slip and make it the centerpiece of Canalside.
Another controversial state waterfront agency plan called for a large Bass Pro retail outlet to be built on the footprint of the historic Central Wharf which overlooked Buffalo’s Harbor during the Canal Era. Four months after a rendering of the proposed project appeared in the Buffalo News the plan was scrapped due to an outpouring of public opposition. A publicly beneficial outcome brought about as a result is the 1000-foot-long waterfront promenade that now provides uninterrupted public access to the waterfront.
Other Inner Harbor initiatives and outcomes described in the book include:
The restoration of the 1828 lighthouse at the entrance to the Inner Harbor by the Buffalo Lighthouse Association;
The Buffalo Maritime Center’s commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the Erie Canal by building a replica of the Seneca Chief canal boat that Gov. DeWitt Clinton boarded and traveled on from Buffalo to New York Harbor in 1825 to mark the opening of the canal;
The acquisition, restoration and installation of a historic carousel at Canalside by Buffalo Heritage Carousel, Inc.
Ric and Kathy Hilliman’s purchase of a 73-foot schooner, which they brought to Buffalo, renamed Spirit of Buffalo, and began offering visitors the opportunity to sail out onto Lake Erie from the Commercial Slip.
More recent events described in the book that pertain to the Outer Harbor are particularly worthy of attention. A “Blueprint Plan” for the Outer Harbor developed by ECHDC in 2014 called for the development of 2100 new housing units (mostly condominiums) with retail and commercial space mixed in. A coalition of nongovernmental organizations was formed (called Our Outer Harbor) to oppose efforts by the state agency to privately develop the Outer Harbor. A series of open houses held to solicit public input regarding what should happen made clear that public opinion was strongly against privately developing the Outer Harbor. Heeding that citizen input, ECHDC abruptly changed course and developed a new plan that called for most of the Outer Harbor to be developed and improved as park and open space.
Recounts how preservationists and environmentalists ultimately succeeded in forcing the state waterfront agency to scrap its initial plans for developing the Inner and Outer Harbor, and to embrace new approaches that greatly expanded opportunities for the public to use and enjoy the waterfront.
If you are interested in purchasing the book, click here.
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If you have alumni news you would like to share with the Amherst Alumni community, email alumni@amherstschools.org.
A reception will be held on Thursday, October 23rd, at 5:30-7:30 pm at Sean Patrick’s Emerald Isle Banquet room at 3480 Millersport Hwy., Getzville, NY 14068, for our Distinguished Alumni and Educator Emeritus Awards. The cost for the reception is $40.00.
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