Marie Beckwith-Gebhart
Marie Beckwith-Gebhart (1942-2019)
Marie Isabella Beckwith-Gebhart, 77, a longtime Beacon resident, died Aug. 27, 2019.
She was born in Peekskill on Feb. 11, 1942, the daughter of Robert and Isabella (Diak) Beckwith. She worked for more than 20 years at the Texaco Research Center in Beacon before retiring.
On Jan. 6, 1996, she married Edward Gebhart, who survives at home.
Marie was an avid cat lover and loved traveling with her husband; she especially enjoyed trips to the Hawaiian Islands. Most especially she loved watching her weather channel.
Along with her husband of 23 years, she is survived by her children: Wendy Wolf-Durso (Wally), Lisa Barone (Robert), Jackie Gebhart (Josette Babineau) and Brendan Gebhart, as well as four grandchildren: Jordan, Ian and Dominic Durso, and Christian Dzurilla.
Family and friends will gather on Saturday, Aug. 31, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Libby Funeral Home, 55 Teller Ave., in Beacon, where a celebration of life will be held at noon, followed by a private interment.
Marie Carrozzelli (1946-2019)
Marie A. Carrozzelli, 72, a lifelong Beacon resident, died Aug. 23, 2019, at Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie.
Marie was born in Beacon on Sept. 10, 1946, the daughter of George and Concetta (Policella) Carrozzelli. She is survived by her siblings, Charlotte Lahey (Dennis) and George Carrozzelli.
A Mass of Christian Burial took place on Aug. 26 at St. John the Evangelist Church in Beacon, followed by burial at St. Joachim Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to the Anderson Center for Autism (andersoncenterforautism.org).
Ben Roosa Jr.
Ben Roosa Jr. (1931-2019)
Benjamin P. Roosa, Jr., 87, of East Fishkill, and formerly of Beacon, died Aug. 28, 2019, at Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie.
Born in Beacon on Nov. 22, 1931, he was the son of Benjamin Roosa, a former Beacon City Court judge, and Marion Fleming. He was a descendant of the Dutch and French Huguenots who were the first European settlers in the Hudson Valley.
Ben was raised in Beacon, where he attended the Spring Street School and Beacon High School. As a youth he participated in many community affairs and played on the high school’s football team. He received his bachelor’s degree from Columbia College and his law degree from Albany Law School of Union University.
After graduation, he joined his father’s law practice in Beacon in 1957 and was later joined by his daughter, Elizabeth. They continue to operate Roosa & Roosa, the family law firm established in 1927.
In 1958, Ben married a fellow Beaconite, Elizabeth (Betty) Haeberlin, who died in 1990. He later married Barbara Brown Cowell, whom he had known in college, who also died before him. For the last many years, he shared his life with Judith Phillips.
Ben served as president of the board of the First Presbyterian Church of Beacon and was a member of the board of the Dutchess County American Cancer Society. He also was president of the Beacon branch of the Salvation Army, a board member of the YMCA, and a member of the consistory of the Hopewell Reformed Church and chairman of its investment committee for many years. For 10 years, Ben sponsored the Duck Derby held by the American Cancer Society in memory of his wife Betty.
Always interested in politics, he served on the Dutchess County Legislature for Town of East Fishkill and as a state Assemblyman for the 100th district. During his time in the Assembly, Ben sponsored legislation (later signed by Governor Rockefeller) to create the Environmental Center at Stonykill and was also awarded the American Civil Liberties Freshman of the Year designation. He also served many years on the East Fishkill Republican Committee.
Always interested in preserving the past, he was a member of the Beacon Historical Society, the Huguenot Historical Society, and the Fishkill and East Fishkill historical societies. He also was a member of Beacon Lodge 283 of the Free and Accepted Masons, the Deyo Family Association of the Huguenot Society, the state and Dutchess County bar associations and the Republican Club of the Town of East Fishkill.
Ben is survived by his children: Elizabeth (Betsy) Roosa (Michael Schwartz) of New Hamburg; Nancy Hilscher (J. Theodore) of Hannacroix; Benjamin Roosa III (Connie) of Acworth, Georgia; and Robert Roosa of Carmel.
He also is survived by his stepchildren: Lynn Allton (Peter) of South Carolina, and Lee Cowell (Sharon) of Apex, North Carolina; his grandchildren, John (Jack) Hilscher IV, Cole Hilscher, Alex Roosa and Elizabeth (Libbie) Roosa; his sisters-in law Dr. Rita Palmer and Laine Lea; a brother-in-law, Richard Brown; and step-grandsons, Jeremy Davis of Acworth, Georgia and Austin Davis of Kennesaw, Georgia.
A period of remembrance will be held on Sunday, Sept. 1 from 2 to 6 p.m. at the McHoul Funeral Home, 895 Route 82, in Hopewell Junction. Memorial services will take place at the Hopewell Reformed Church, 143 Beekman Road, Hopewell Junction, on Monday, Sept. 2, at 11 a.m.
Memorial donations may be made to the Cardinal Hayes Home for Children, P.O. Box CH, St. Joseph’s Drive, Millbrook, NY 12545; the Hopewell Reformed Church, 143 Beekman Road, Hopewell Junction, NY 12533; the First Presbyterian Church of Beacon, 50 Liberty St., Beacon, NY 12508; or a charity of one’s choosing.
