Vilma Parker
Vilma Parker (1928-2023)
Vilma Parker, 94, a lifelong resident of Beacon, died April 13.
She was born on June 7, 1928, the daughter of Peter and Emma (Garrison) Lasko. She attended Beacon schools and on Oct. 22, 1949, married John R. Parker at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church. He died in 2015.
In her younger years, Vilma had been a Girl Scout troop leader and a Sunday School teacher at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. She retired from the Fishkill National Bank in 1989. During her retirement, she and John volunteered at the St. Francis Hospital Auxiliary, the Rose Garden at the Vanderbilt estate in Hyde Park and with the St. Luke’s Altar Guild.
To many of her friends and family, Vilma was known as “Skip” or “Aunt Skip.”
She is survived by her son, John David Parker of Fishkill, and her sisters-in-law, Anne Anderson of Beacon and Nancy Parker of Fair Haven, Vermont. In addition to her husband, two siblings died before her: Arnold Lasko (during World War II), and her sister, Verna Lusk (in 1988).
Family and friends will gather on Monday (April 17) from 2 to 5 p.m. at Riverview Funeral Home by Halvey, 2 Beekman St., in Beacon. A funeral service will be held at 5 p.m. at the funeral home, with interment to follow at Fishkill Rural Cemetery.
Gour Saha
Gour Saha (1941-2023)
Gour Saha, 82, a longtime resident of Dutchess County and the owner of a travel business in Beacon, died April 11.
Gour was born on Jan. 1, 1941, in India, the son of Anila and Bibhuti Saha. He studied and earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering at Joypuria College in Calcutta. He moved to England in 1959 to further his studies. While in England, Gour earned further degrees and was a business owner of travel agencies in London. In 1974, in London, he married Eileen Baumann.
Gour immigrated to the U.S. in 1977 and settled in Fishkill. He started and owned travel businesses, including Travel ’n’ Tours, located in Fishkill and later Beacon. Gour loved to travel, be in nature and be surrounded with family, and was an animal lover. He was also adventurous and daring while encompassing a never-quit attitude, his family said. He was quite charitable, including establishing a primary school in Serampore, India, following his mother’s death.
Along with his wife, Gour is survived by his children, Rajkumar and Maya; his brothers, Debdas, Amit, Prokash and Shuhash; his sister, Uma; and his grandson, Elias. His brother Bikash died before him.
Family and friends gathered April 12 at Riverview Funeral Home by Halvey in Beacon for a service, followed by interment at Poughkeepsie Rural Cemetery.
