The Amherst Central Alumni Foundation, Inc. will hold a dedication ceremony on Saturday, November 10 beginning at 9:30 a.m with refreshments in the high school cafeteria. The Veterans Memorial Bench will be dedicated at the flag pole at the main entrance of the high school as well as the official naming of the stone tigers, Duke and Ivy. The high school music department will be featured as well as an Amherst alumnus and veteran, Retired Colonel Edward Seiffert ‘58 (a 30 year U.S. Marine Aviator). A table and benches in the rear courtyard of the high school will also be dedicated, made possible by the generous donation of the Wilber family in memory of their parents, Correnne & Herb Wilber, Jr. Pole Banners in the Washington lot and in front of the Middle School were also made possible by the Wilber Memorial Fund. Mr. Wilber was a former guidance counselor and coach at the high school.
G. David Baer, of West Falls, a computer analyst who co-founded Computer Task Group, died Aug. 21. His family said the cause was a heart attack. He was 82.
Born in Buffalo, he was a 1952 graduate of Amherst High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Bowling Green State University. He also took graduate courses at the University at Buffalo.
After working as a researcher at Roswell Park Cancer Institute from 1956 to 1960, Mr. Baer joined IBM in Buffalo, holding technical and management positions.
Foreseeing a need for companies to hire technical consulting services as they began to computerize their data processing operations, he and an IBM account representative, Randolph A. Marks, started their own firm, Marks-Baer Inc., in 1966. It became CTG in 1968 and soon was the largest software development company in the state outside New York City.
Mr. Baer helped oversee the growth of the company, first nationwide, then internationally, until he retired as executive vice president in 1995. He retired from the board of directors the following year. He returned as executive vice president in 2001, serving for another six years.
On the CTG website, current president and CEO Arthur “Bud” Crumlish wrote, “At his core, David was a people person and cared deeply about all of our employees. He was dedicated to client satisfaction, and saw this as everyone’s responsibility regardless of their position in the company.”
A sailor all his life, Mr. Baer took his favorite vessel, Ursa Major, to the Caribbean via the Erie Canal and the Hudson River. Later, when the boat’s home port was in the Chesapeake Bay area, he hosted friends on annual charter trips to the islands.
In his 30s, he trained for a private pilot’s license, joined a local flying club and attained his instrument flight rating. He built a two-thirds replica of a P-51 Mustang fighter plane and continued flying into his 70s.
He and his wife also bought and renovated a series of farms in Western New York, Virginia and Connecticut, where he honed his skills at plumbing, carpentry, wiring and working in the fields, accompanied by a succession of his beloved dogs, which were mostly rescue animals.
Survivors include his wife of 60 years, the former Carol A. Long; a son, Jonathan D.; two daughters, Christine Baer and Wendy Johnson; a sister, Susan Potenza; seven grandchildren and a great-grandson.
Visitation was held Sunday, Aug. 26, in Kenneth Howe Funeral Home, 64 Maple St., East Aurora.
David M. Watts, Sr. entered into God’s glorious kingdom August 29, 218. Born February 20, 1959, he is the son of David Watts and Rosanne Rudnik and the late James Rudnik.
David will be remembered with such a contagious smile and for a love for life, always happy and always positive.
David will forever be in the hearts and memories of his beloved wife, Kelly LaPort-Watts; and his beloved children, David (Melissa) Watts, Jr., Sarah Watts, Kyle LaPort, Andrew Watts, Maggie Watts, Morgan Watts and Mary Farns; cherished grandfather of Anna Rose.
There will be no prior visitaion. A memorial service to celebrate the life of David will be held on Saturday, September 1, 2018 at 11:00 AM at Hess Road Wesleyan Church, 2514 Hess Road, Appleton NY 14008.
In lieu of flowers, the family is asking that donations be made to Ontario Shores Federal Credit Union in Newfane NY, for their children.
Arrangements by Taylor & Reynolds Funeral Home, 70 Niagara St. Please visit Taylorandreynolds.com.
Melissa J. Pugash, Amherst’s first female student council president (1974) was appointed Chair of the UCLA Women’s Cardiovascular Center Advisory Board.
The mission of the UCLA Women’s Cardiovascular Center is to protect women’s hearts and promote healthier lives by:
• Providing leading-edge clinical care
• Engaging in groundbreaking research focused on and driven by women
• Reaching out to vulnerable populations, including teens, students, and underserved communities
• Offering innovative educational programs that promote cardiovascular health
The center’s vision is to eliminate unnecessary deaths from cardiovascular diseases and eradicate healthcare disparities affecting women.
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Thank you to all the Tigers who came out to Sips for Stripes at Winkler and Samuels to support the Amherst Central Alumni Foundation, Inc. The event was wonderful.
David will be remembered with such a contagious smile and for a love for life, always happy and always positive.
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