Anthony D. Merante, of Cold Spring, passed away at home on Sunday, June 23, 2024.
He was predeceased by his parents, John R Merante Sr. and Sidnee Allyn Merante, as well as his first wife, Hiroko Merante.
Tony is survived by his second wife, Lynda Ann Ewen; his two sons, Ryo and Peter (Christine), two grandsons, Aidan and Matthew, his brothers, William (Diane) and John/Jiggum (Carolyn) and his sister Laura/Lolly as well as nieces and nephews.
Known by some as Ande, and by others as Tony, he was born in New York City on December 17, 1943. His father, John Sr., was a WWII Navy veteran and a police officer for the Cold Spring Police Department. His mother, Sidnee, was a devoted parishioner of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Cold Spring.
After graduating from Hartwick College in Oneonta, NY, Tony enlisted in the United States Navy, where he served as a cryptologist stationed in Japan during the Vietnam War. It was there that Tony met Hiroko and they started their family. Returning home to Cold Spring in 1970 with Hiroko, Ryo, and Peter, he became a union electrician with Metro-North Commuter Railroad where he worked for over 30 years.
Devoted to serving his community, Tony first became deeply involved in Philipstown volunteering and serving as a coach for Little League and Babe Ruth for over a decade. He then branched out into local politics serving on school, planning and zoning boards, served on the Philipstown Town Council, and was active in the local Democratic Party.
Later in life, Tony reconnected with his former college classmate, Lynda Ann Ewen. Over several years, they bonded from their shared experience of caring for ailing spouses and formed the “Cold Spring Village Commune” (named by Dr. Cynthia Ligenza). Tony and Lynda Ann married in 2023.
A celebration of life will be held at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church Hall on Saturday, June 29 at 1 pm.
Funeral Arrangements are under the direction of Clinton Funeral Home – Cold Spring.
Although Anthony Merante’s nice obituary provides a summary of Tony’s life, it only scratches the surface of who he truly was. Tony was an intelligent and giving person who made lifelong contributions to Cold Spring, Nelsonville and Philipstown. He grew up riding his bicycle through the streets of our community, mostly staying out of trouble (perhaps influenced by his father, who was a Cold Spring police officer).
After Haldane, he attended Hartwick College and served in the Navy, Tony returned to our community and devoted his life to selfless service in many capacities, some of which include:
* Little League and Babe Ruth League coach
* Nelsonville Village Trustee, Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals, Board of Ethics, and Sesquicentennial Committee member
* Philipstown Councilman and Planning Board Chair until 2019, when he stepped down due to illness
Tony was known for standing up for his beliefs, regardless of whether they were “politically correct.” His numerous letters to The Current on community issues and human interest topics are a testament to his unwavering principles.
He was also an active member of the Philipstown Democrats for decades for which a tribute gala was planned for him a couple of years ago but was unfortunately canceled due to COVID. Wherever Tony served, tributes followed, reflecting his “unique sensitivity to doing what was best for the entire community”.
Tony was a man of both velvet and steel—strong in expressing his views and getting things done, yet soft in his sensitivity to the human condition and the people he loved. As a member of our community, he should be known as “Citizen Merante.” Anyone who has lived here for 20 or more years knows Tony, or “Ande,” as many called him since childhood.
For the past 12 years Tony/Ande lived in the Glassbury Court community in North Highland, where once again he served his new neighborhood in many ways: he would always be the first one to roll up his sleeves to help neighbors with electrical or other problems; he was famous for knocking on doors with a petition in his hand for candidates for political office or updating a directory of Glassbury neighbors; or, helping his wife, Lynda Ann, with food drives and preparing gallons of soup or gourmet meals that were sold to support many charities. He was loved by his Glassbury Court neighbors.
A Celebration of Life was held June 29 at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church. Despite the Parish Hall being set up for 80 chairs, 120 people attended, including Supervisor John Van Tassel, Mayor Kathleen Foley, and Dr. Cynthia Ligenza. Many fond memories were shared by his wife Lynda Ann Ewen, sons Peter and Ryo, brother John/Jiggum and many others.
We decided to write this letter to further memorialize the depth of Citizen Merante’s contributions and the love he gave to and garnered from our community. We will miss him.