Shirley Kacur (1930-2018)
Shirley R. Kacur, 88, a resident of Lyon Mountain and formerly of Beacon, died of pancreatic cancer on Dec. 2, 2018, at the U.V.M. Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital in Plattsburgh.
Born Oct. 7, 1930, in Beacon, she was the daughter of Earle and Dorothy (Secore) Robinson. She was employed as an executive secretary at Texaco, Inc. in Glenham for many years before working as a secretary for the Wappingers Central School District.
On May 25, 1952, in Beacon, she married John Kacur, who died last year. The couple enjoyed their lakeside home on Chateauguay Lake in the Adirondacks, where Shirley especially enjoyed feeding the birds and ducks.
Shirley was a member of the First Reformed Church of Fishkill and the Memorial United Methodist Church in Lyon Mountain. She also was a member of Melzingah Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Fishkill Historical Society.
She is survived by her sons, Todd Kacur (Jeanne) of Red Creek and Scott Kacur (Deborah) of Fishkill; and two granddaughters, Taylor Kacur of Essex Junction, Vermont and Jordan Kacur of Red Creek.
A funeral service was held Dec. 7 at McHoul Funeral Home in Fishkill, followed by interment at Fishkill Rural Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to First Reformed Church of Fishkill (fishkillreformed.org); the Melzingah Chapter of the DAR (melzingahnsdar.org); or the Fishkill Historical Society (fishkillhistoricalsociety.org).
Ray Kihlmire Jr. (1948-2018)
Raymond J. Kihlmire Jr., 70, a former longtime resident of Fishkill and former co-owner of the semi-pro baseball team, the Beacon Braves, died Dec. 4, 2018, at Countryside Manor of Bristol, Connecticut.
Ray was born in Poughkeepsie on Feb. 2, 1948, the son of Raymond and Irene (Reese) Kihlmire. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1968 to 1970.
Ray was the owner and operator of Raymond J. Kihlmire Land Surveyor. A lifelong Mets fan, he was a former member of the Knights of Columbus, Trinity Council No. 445 in Beacon. He co-owned the Beacon Braves with his wife, the former Diana Lacey, who died in 1996.
Ray is survived by his children: Kelly Kihlmire-Caudill (David) and their children, Hayden and Riley; Kim Sunal (Peter) and their daughter, Sophia; and John Kihlmire. He also is survived by a sister, Kathy Ermo.
A funeral service was held in Beacon on Dec. 10 at Riverview Funeral Home by Halvey, followed by burial with military honors at St. Joachim Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to any veterans’ group.
Sister Sheila Murphy (1931-2018)
Sister Sheila Murphy, a member of the Ursuline Community, died Dec. 5, 2018 at Andrus-on-Hudson in Hastings.
Born in Flushing in 1931, she was the daughter of George Murphy and Martha Fairbrother. After graduating from the College of New Rochelle in 1953, she entered the Ursuline Order in Beacon and professed her vows in 1956.
Known as Mother Martha, she earned a master of fine arts degree from the Catholic University of America. She served as a teacher or principal at schools in the Bronx, Maryland and Florida and also spent a year teaching English in Thailand. Before moving to New Rochelle in 2016, Sister Sheila served in Malone, New York, for more than a decade as a volunteer in a variety of ministries.
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Dec. 8, with burial at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Hawthorne. Memorial donations may be made to the Ursuline Sisters Retirement Fund, 1338 North Ave., New Rochelle, NY 10804 (osucentral.org).
Jack Nevins (1940-2018)
John Edward “Jack” Nevins, 78, of Wappingers Falls, and formerly of Beacon, died Dec. 9, 2018, at Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie.
Born in Wappingers Falls in 1940, he was the son of Wilfred and Katherine (Morris) Nevins. He grew up in Beacon and met his wife of 55 years, Mary McVeigh, there.
Jack graduated from Siena College in 1962, after which he earned a master’s degree and doctorate in law at Georgetown Law School. He worked as a litigation attorney with the National Labor Relations Board in Washington, D.C., but spent most of his career as chief counsel for General Foods USA.
Jack was active in the United Way in Westchester County and Ocean County serving on its board of directors. Jack and Mary were passionate members of the Marriage Encounter and Cursillo programs and made many close friends.
After retiring, Jack provided pro bono legal work for the poor in Ocean County, New Jersey, for 20 years, working out of St. Francis Center in Long Beach Island. Jack received the Humanitarian Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service from the Ocean County Council of Agencies, as well as Humanitarian Award from Siena College, where he and Mary developed a deep love for the Holy Name Franciscan Order.
Jack enjoyed swimming in the ocean at Long Beach Island, attending church services, playing tennis and basketball, traveling (especially to Ireland), listening to Sinatra, happy hour and his family.
Besides his wife, Jack is survived by his children: Colleen Gabler (Mark) of Easton, Maryland; Maureen Dennett (James) of Fishkill; and John Nevins Jr. (Phyllis) of New Fairfield, Connecticut; and nine grandchildren, who knew him as “Poppy”: Jade, Haleigh, Morgan and Nevin Dennett; Walter, Steven and Samuel Gabler; and Jake and Dana Nevins. He also is survived by his sister-in-law, Sharon Nevins of Beacon.
Calling hours will be held on Thursday, Dec. 13, from 3 to 8 p.m. at the McHoul Funeral Home, 895 Route 82, in Hopewell Junction. A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered on Friday, Dec. 14, at 11 a.m. at St. Denis Church, 602 Beekman Road, in Hopewell Junction, followed by interment in St. Denis Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to Hudson Valley Hospice (hvhospice.org).
Sandra Lea Windley
Sandra Lea Windley died Dec. 4, 2018, at Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie.
Sandra was the eldest of the 11 children of William Lee Windley and Daisy Mitchell-Gibson. After growing up in Brooklyn, she graduated from Central Commercial High School in New York City, where she exceled in Pittman, Gregg and shorthand writing. She worked years with the Brownsville Community Council/Multi Service Center and later for New York City Housing Preservation and Development.
She believed in fighting for causes that were unjust to people and the community, which included fair housing, financial equality and quality-of-life issues. She continued the fight even after her retirement.
Known as “Saunie” or “Aunt Saunie,” she had many opinions, a good sense of humor and a surprisingly wit. She had an eye for color schemes and decorative arrangements. She would draw landscapes and people and create paper dolls with unique outfits. Her musical passion was to become a pianist and accompany those sounds with her soprano voice. She loved reading, old movies and researching and reading about her ancestral heritage, especially that of the Shinnecock Indians. One of her passions were experimenting with multicultural recipes. She was a member of the Faith Temple Church in Christ in Beacon.
She is survived by six of her siblings: William Dorian, Diane, Michael, Daisy Jr., Kirk and Kevin.
The family will gather with friends on Friday, Dec. 14, at 10 a.m. at Libby Funeral Home, 55 Teller Ave, in Beacon. A service will be offered at 11 a.m., followed by interment in the Fairview Cemetery in Beacon.
