Esther Garambone (1918-2017)
Esther A. Garambone, 99, died Nov. 29, 2017. She was born Feb. 9, 1918. A funeral service was held on Dec. 1 at St. John the Evangelist Church in Beacon, followed by interment at St. Joachim Cemetery.
James Keenan (1936-2017)
James Keenan, 81, of Bennington, Vermont, died at home on Dec. 1, 2017.
He was born in Beacon on March 12, 1936, the son of Thomas and Margaret Keenan. He married Mary Kennelly, who died in 2016.
He attended St. Joachim’s Grammar School in Beacon and graduated from St. Patrick’s High School in Newburgh before enlisting in the Marines. Following his service, he completed his bachelor’s degree in industrial relations from LeMoyne College in Syracuse. He spent his career with AT&T and he and his wife raised their family in Somerset, New Jersey before retiring to Nashua, New Hampshire.
He is survived by his children, Mary Ellen Fulling (Frank) of Apex, North Carolina; Dr. James F. Keenan (Kathy) of Bennington; Michael Keenan (Deirdre) of Cicero; Peter Keenan (Sheila) of Langhorne, Pennsylvania; and Brian Keenan (Allison) Keenan of Victor. He is also survived by 14 grandchildren and three brothers, Joseph Keenan, William Keenan, and Frank Keenan.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Dec. 8 at Sacred Heart St. Francis de Sales Church in Bennington, with interment at St. Joachim Cemetery in Beacon. Memorial donations may be made to Southwestern Vermont Medical Center Dialysis Center (svhealthcare.org).
Joan Kelly (1929-2017)
Joan A. Kelly, formerly of Beacon and Fishkill, died Dec. 1, 2017, surrounded by her family.
She was born Jan. 8, 1929, the only child of Edwin and Helen (Stelling) Swenson. Joan grew up in St. Albans, Queens. On Aug. 15, 1948, she married Thomas F. Kelly Jr., who died in 2009.
Her early career was in retail and she never lost her flair to assemble an outfit or find a great bargain. Joan loved the theatre, autograph hunting, old movies and actors. She was a kind, loving and gentle person.
For the many decades she lived in Beacon, Joan was active in St. John the Evangelist Church, where she was treasurer for the Catholic Daughters. She also was a member of the Disabled American Veterans Auxiliary, Chapter 144, serving as commander for a time. Afterwards she moved to Fiskill and was a communicant at St. Mary’s Church.
She is survived by her children, Laura Higgins (Sean), Thomas F. Kelly III (Sue Santimaw), Michael E. Kelly (Janet Finegan) and Julie Kelly (Matthew Lewis). She is also survived by her grandchildren Jonathan Kelly (Elena Garcia Higgins), Jocelyn Kelly, Thomas F. Kelly IV (Lauren Cagliostro), Taylor Kelly, Shannon Graham (Bryan), Briana Higgins, Keenan Kelly and McCaila Heady.
A Mass of Christian Burial was held Dec. 5 at St. John the Evangelist Church in Beacon, with burial at St. Joachim Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association (alz.org).
Augustus Lemmo (1924-2017)
Augustus J. Lemmo, 93, died Nov. 29, 2017. He was born April 18, 1924. A funeral service was held on Dec. 1 at St. John the Evangelist Church in Beacon, followed by interment at Cold Spring Cemetery.
Bobbie Marsh
Roberta C. “Bobbie” Marsh, 79, of Beacon, died Dec. 2, 2017, at the Lutheran Care Center in Poughkeepsie. She was the eldest of three daughters born to Samuel and Marion Collins.
From an early age Bobbie displayed the love of nature, and animals, which became her hallmark. Anyone who spoke to her — for even a few minutes — heard about Dodie and Jodie, the twin fawns that she hand-raised; and, how she was called “Bobbie Nature” when she worked as a counselor at the Fresh Air Fund’s Sharpe Reservation camp, where she lived as a child and which was, in large part, built by her father.
Bobbie, who earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from SUNY New Paltz, traveled across the country — all the way to Washington state — in her baby blue Jeep, sleeping under the stars along the way. She also owned a motorcycle. She was way ahead of her time.
Bobbie taught in the Wappingers Central School District for more than 30 years, retiring in 1993. She was known as a tough but fair teacher who rewarded her students for reading books by taking them on field trips hiking up Mount Beacon or Breakneck Mountain; and, for rides on the Day Liner.
She married George Marsh after he successfully courted her by carrying a china cabinet on his back up the hill to her house in a snow storm. He died in 1995.
Family was very important to Bobbie. She never forgot to send a card or gift to any of her nieces or nephews on their birthdays, no matter how old they got. She was the glue that kept the far-flung members of her family together. She cared for her parents, and husband, in their final illnesses with patience and love.
Bobbie is survived by her sister, Nancy Toney; her nieces and nephews, Dawn, Susie, CJ, Lee, Cindy, Jill, Peter and Amy; and her cousin Johnny Lobsenz’s daughters, including her beloved Paula.
A funeral service was held Dec. 6 at the First Presbyterian Church of Beacon, with interment at Fishkill Rural Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to the Animal Rescue Foundation (arfbeacon.org), Hudson River Sloop Clearwater (clearwater.org), or a house of worship.
Donna Pedersen (1971-2017)
Donna L. Pedersen, 46, a lifelong resident of Beacon, died of cancer at her home on Dec. 4, 2017, surrounded by her family.
Born in Poughkeepsie on Nov. 29, 1971, she was the daughter of Donald Trost and Karen Fischer Holmes. In 1996 she married Craig Pedersen, who survives at home. After graduating from SUNY Plattsburgh with a bachelor’s degree in international business, she obtained her nursing license and pursued her passion working with children in a pediatric oncology unit. She then worked for Rombout Middle School.
In addition to her mother and husband, Donna is survived by her children: Carter Pedersen, 15, Julia Pedersen, 11, and Lindsay Pedersen, 10; her siblings Donald Trost (Kim) of York, Pennsylvania; Dale Trost (Anne) of Fishkill and Deidra Broadbent (Gale) of Cold Brook; her stepfather, Harold Holmes and his children, Debra Kelly (Gordon) and Harold Holmes; her mother and father-in-law, Charlotte and Thomas Pedersen of Wappingers Falls; and her sister-in-law, Jennifer Pedersen of Wappingers Falls.
Family and friends will be received on Dec. 8 from 4 to 8 p.m. at Riverview Funeral Home by Halvey, 2 Beekman St., in Beacon. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Dec. 9 at 10 a.m. at St. Joachim Church, 51 Leonard St., in Beacon.
Memorial donations may be made to Sparrow’s Nest (sparrowsnestcharity.org).
