Margaret “Peggy” Nielsen Lyons ’43 – 07/01/2023

Posted by amherstalumnioffice on 2023-07-10
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Margaret “Peggy” Nielsen Lyons

1925 – 2023

LYONS – Margaret Nielsen

Died peacefully on Saturday, July 1, 2023 after a brief period of declining health. She was 98 years old. Beloved wife of the late Richard C. Lyons, Jr. Loving mother of Karen Lyons (Steve) Goodman, Mary (late Mark) Stein, Melissa Lyons Eyeington, Richard N. (Sheila) Lyons, Jennifer Lyons Greco and the late Catherine A. Lyons. Cherished grandmother of 14 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild. Devoted sister of Patricia Fornes, and the late Alice Anderson. Friends may call Friday, July 7, 2023 from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM at PERNA, DENGLER, ROBERTS FUNERAL HOME, 1671 Maple Rd, Williamsville, New York 14221. A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered Saturday, July 8, 2023, 9:00 AM at St. Benedict RC Church, 1317 Eggert Rd., Eggertsville, New York. Peggy, the second of three sisters, was born on May 27, 1925 to Herbert S. and Catherine Nielsen in Buffalo and was a lifelong Snyder resident. She was a graduate of the Amherst High School Class of 1943, where she was on the synchronized swim team. She attended Denison University. During WWII, she returned to Snyder and worked as a dental assistant. She married Richard C. Lyons, Jr. and together they raised six children. They were active members of St. Benedict Church, where Peggy was a Eucharistic minister, a member of the Rosary Altar Society, and a member of both the Ladies Golf and Bowling Leagues. She and her husband co-chaired many events over the years, such as the Canisius College Regents Ball and Canisius High School Gambit. Childhood summers at her family home in Angola instilled in her a lifelong love of water and swimming.

Peggy never met an ocean, lake, river, or pool she didn’t eagerly dive into. Everyone was welcome at the Lyons family pool for weekly Sunday gatherings. She was a 50+ year member of the Park Country Club, where she was an avid golfer and swimmer. She was also a competitive card player in her long-standing Bridge Club. Another highlight of Peggy’s life was her service to others. For more than 20 years, until the age of 93, she worked every Tuesday at the St. Vincent DePaul Soup Kitchen in Buffalo. She loved everyone she worked with and served there. She worked with special needs children at The Children’s League in Springville, NY. She was also a dedicated volunteer at the Amherst chapter of Meals on Wheels. Peggy was known for her sunny disposition and being a friend to all. She will be dearly missed. Flowers gratefully declined. Donations in her memory may be made to St. Benedict School, for the Kara Stein Scholarship Fund, 3980 Main Street, Eggertsville, NY 14226.

Original Obituary:

https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/williamsville-ny/margaret-lyons-11354858

Scott Kloesz ’72 – 06/29/2023

Posted by amherstalumnioffice on 2023-07-10
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Obituary of Scott Kloesz

Webster:  9/16/1954-6/29/2023.  Predeceased by parents, William and Ruth Kloesz; in-laws, Steve and Margaret Bobak; brother-in-law, Brett Bobak.  Survived by girlfriend of 51 years and wife of 43 years, Debra;  children, Coral (Glen) and Cole (girlfriend Chelsea);  siblings, Gary (Elise), Wendy (Jimmy), and Lori, (MJ). A special thanks to his sister Wendy, who was by his side for his last moments.

Scott enjoyed his many roles, including being a technician at Kodak.  He was quite sad to witness the management driving the company into the ground.  He made many long-lasting friends from work. They played horse shoes every Monday night for years.

Scott and Debra made quite a pair, enjoying many activities. Coral, Daddys Girl, arrived 13 years after marriage.  Cole came 6 years later to complete the family. He treasured the time spent being a dad. Scott was extremely proud of his badass children.

His siblings are fun and always provided Scott with love and support. There were many family gatherings, a favorite being Christmas Eve at Gary’s.  Scott shared a special bond with all of Debra’s siblings, with her mother calling him her “7th child”.

Scott loved all of his dogs. The first girl was a wedding present and picked up on the way home from their honeymoon. 3 more dogs to follow, all loved as part of the family.

Scott suffered from cancer for several years. From the moment he was diagnosed with his cancer, he refused to let the disease control him or defeat his spirits. He was grateful for his oncology team, Dr. Hezel, Chelsea McCaig, and Hannah Lundgren.  Donations can be made to the Wilmont Cancer Center.

There will be a celebration of life for Scott at a later date.

Original:

https://willardhscott.com/tribute/details/4631/Scott-Kloesz/obituary.html#content-start

Barbara Fullerton Sweeney ’59 – 10/20/2022

Posted by amherstalumnioffice on 2023-07-07
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March 29, 1941 – Oct. 20, 2022

CHESTERTOWN – Barbara passed away suddenly on October 20, 2022.

Barb was born in Buffalo, NY to William and Dorothy (Danforth) Fullerton. She is survived by her husband of 61 years, William (Jack) Sweeney; her sister, Joyce Tucker (Sam); her six children: Bill (Teresa), Lori, John (Tracy), Sue (Patrick), Brian (Kelly), and Michael (Tracy); 13 grandchildren: Stephanie (Eric), Eric, Leanne, Sam, Zach, Michaela, Erin, Colleen, Maddie, Anna, Nick, Grace, and KT; and two great-grandchildren: Scout and Violet as well as many nieces and nephews.

Barb met Jack at Bucknell University in 1959. It was love at first sight for Barb and she pursued Jack relentlessly. She finally won him over and they were married June 10, 1961. They started their life together in Hackensack, NJ where they brought home their first two kids, Bill and Lori. They moved to Denville, NJ and welcomed their next three children, John, Sue, and Brian. Another move to Bridgewater, NJ where they welcomed their sixth child Michael. It is here that they raised their family and stayed until their retirement.

After six children, Barb went back to school to finish her Degree in Chemistry from Douglass College of Rutgers University. Upon completing her degree, Barb worked for Johnson and Johnson Management Information Systems in Raritan, NJ until her retirement.

Barb and Jack traveled the world together visiting many states and many countries, some of them on bikes and many on skis. A lot of those trips included the L’s – Karen and Dick Lombardi as well as all the children and some grandchildren.

They moved to their vacation home in the Adirondacks NY in 2004. In her retirement, she and Jack started playing golf and joined a league at Cronin’s Golf Resort in Warrensburg, NY. She also continued to ski at their local slope, Gore Mountain, with three generations of Sweeneys tearing up the slope. Her golf and ski friends named themselves the “Gore”gorous Golfers and The Dropouts (former members of the Wednesday Ladies Ski Escape). These ladies became her partners in crime and she loved them dearly. On the day of her death, she had an 11:15 a.m. tee time and had just purchased her Gore season pass.

Barb LOVED her children and grandchildren and nothing brought her more joy than to have family gatherings. Any friends who came along became instant family and she welcomed all into her home. Her family and friends are heartbroken by the sudden loss of a wife, a mom, a grandma, a GiGi, and an amazing friend.

In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations can be made to be to the Loon Lake Park District Association, PO Box 301, Chestertown, NY 12817. Arrangements are entrusted to Barton-McDermott Funeral Home, Inc. 9 Pine St. Chestertown, NY 12817

Original Obituary:

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/poststar/name/barbara-sweeney-obituary?id=36884041

James William “Jim” Keller ’61 – 06/02/2023

Posted by amherstalumnioffice on 2023-06-09
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May 7, 1943 – June 2, 2023

James William “Jim” Keller, of Richmond, Texas passed to Heaven at the age of 80 on June 2, 2023, at Houston Methodist Hospital after 30-year battle with heart disease.

Born on May 7, 1943, in Buffalo, New York, Jim graduated from Amherst Central High School in 1961 and from Valparaiso University in 1965 with a BS in Civil Engineering. Jim started his professional career in South Bend, Indiana as an assistant city engineer. He moved to design engineering as a branch office manager in Toledo, Ohio, Glens Falls, New York and Laconia, New Hampshire.

Jim arrived home in Houston, Texas in 1978 as a manager of a large engineering consulting firm. Houston gave Jim opportunities in design, industrial service, and land development. He managed projects for various cities, county, state, federal and international entities. Jim Keller was a registered professional engineer in five states. His expertise was wanted by the city planning and zoning boards where he lived. He spent 14 years on the Missouri City, Texas Planning and Zoning Commission including four years as Chairman.

In 2006, Jim retired from civil engineering to pursue his passion for sculpture. Jim created sculpturesof wood, bronze, stainless steel, and resin. Jim’s works are on public display across the country, including locally at Bush Intercontinental Airport.

Jim was an active and passionate member of Memorial Lutheran Church of Houston, Texas. He attended 7:30 a.m. Bible Study for 20 years and served on committees and an usher for many years.

Jim served the Houston Stock Show and Rodeo on the Calf Scramble Committee, 4 years as Vice Chairman.

Jim had just returned on Friday, May 26th from Wyoming, and Yellowstone National Park completing his bucket list of seeing all 50 States.

Jim leaves a legacy through the words of wisdom touched thousands of individuals driving by the sign at 212 Jackson Street in Richmond, Texas for countless years.

Jim is survived by his wife of 19 years, Rebecca Beard Junker. Jim had no children but was accepted by Becky’s family as their own. He is also survived by his stepson Eric Junker and wife, Amanda, of Sugar Land, Texas, his granddaughters, Adeline and Audrey Junker, of Sugar Land, Texas, whom he adored with all his heart. They will miss their “Jim” so much. Jim’s family also included in-laws Sidney and Sandy Beard, Bonnie Beard, and Tommy Beard; nieces and nephews, Mason Sydow, Sidney Drew Beard Wendy Bell and Kristin Morgan, and their children, Sophie, Owen, Avery, Austin, Makayla, Piper, Harper and Myles. Jim was predeceased in death by his parents Ruth Marie Fischer Keller and Harold Claire Keller of Snyder, New York. And his sister in-law Amelia Jo Beard.

Funeral Services will be held on Thursday, June 15, 2023, at Memorial Lutheran Church, 5800 Westheimer, Houston, Texas 77057. Visitation at 10 a.m. and Funeral Service 11 a.m. Jim will be laid to rest at 2:30 p.m. at the historic Brown-Beard Cemetery on Cummings Road, Needville, Texas (near Brazos Bend State Park).

Pallbearers serving are Clarence Kamba, David Duthu, Eric Junker, Sidney Beard, Mason Sydow and Zack Lambert. Services are under the direction of E.P. Compean Funeral Directors, 1223 6 th Street, Rosenberg, Texas 77471.

In lieu of flowers, Memorial Donations may be made to any of the following: Memorial Lutheran Church & School, 5800 Westheimer, Houston, Texas 77057, Concordia Theological Seminary, 6600 North Clinton Street, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46825, or Valparaiso University for the benefit of the Civil Engineering Department. 1700 Chapel Drive., Valparaiso, Indiana 46383.

Memories and condolences may be written to Jim’s family at https://www.epcompean.com/obituaries/james-keller.

Alumni Chorale will meet for next sing-along on Monday June 5th

Posted by amherstalumnioffice on 2023-06-01
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The Alumni Chorale will meet for our next sing-along on Monday June 5th from 7:00-8:30 pm at the Christ United Methodist Church 350 Saratoga Rd Snyder, NY 14226  Corner of Saratoga and Harlem.

Graduating from Amherst is NOT a requirement. We will be welcoming anyone who loves to sing. Just join us on Monday to see if you might be interested.

Jeanne Conte Eppich ’95 is our outstanding director and Ann Mosner is our incredibly skilled accompanist.

If you are interested and would like more information, call Chris Byrd at the Alumni Office  (716) 362-8259.  He will put you in touch with an Alumni Chorale member or simply join us on Monday!!

Hope to see you there!!