All Obituaries

In a small room of a farmhouse outside of Ithaca, NY on the top of Snyder Hill, Esther Joyce Fremont was born to Jesse and Bessie Sears on June 8, 1932.  She would be one of seven children born in that family and spent the early days of her childhood helping with the work on their farm and going to school just up the road in a one room schoolhouse as it was in those days.  Her mother named her Esther but her oldest brother, Carl, named her Joyce and that’s the name so many...

Dr. Fred N. Swader, 88, passed away unexpectedly on January 19, 2023. Fred was born on October 9th, 1934, in Belle Vernon, PA, son of the late Mary Kozak Swader and Nicholas Swader. Fred was deeply influenced in childhood by the loving kindness of his maternal grandparents Fred and Ann Kozak. Fred spent his formative years on a farm in Odessa, NY, and there began his love of soils and tractors. Upon graduation from high school in 1952, Fred began evening classes at Elmira College while...

John A. Kannus, 63 of Titus Towers, Ithaca, NY passed away Sunday, January 29, 2023 at home. Born August 7, 1959 in Cortland, NY he was the son of the late Arnold and Rose Turcsik Kannus. John was a handyman working for various employers. John is survived by his brother, Doug (Pat) Kannus; niece, Tina Kannus and great nephew, Dominick. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by brothers, Mike and Chuck. Per his request, there will be no formal services. 

Patsi (Patricia) Hall Chapman, of Yorkville, IL, formerly of Cortland, NY., went to be with the Lord on January 15, 2023 after a long battle with Alzheimer's. In her early days she was a farmer's wife, worked at Smith Corona as a punch press operator, Champion Sheet Metal as a timekeeper, and Inland Property Mngt. as a Property Mngr. She enjoyed traveling and lived in many states until she made her way back to Cortland NY, she had many longtime friends and family. She made...

Mary Susan Alder Baker, age 87, died peacefully on January 16, 2023 in her Dryden, NY home. Susan was born November 21, 1935, in Binghamton, NY, the only child of Winslow F. and Virginia Alder. Soon after, she moved with her parents to Wilmington, Delaware. Then, when she was ten, they moved again, this time to Ithaca, NY, where her father, who worked for the Boy Scouts of America, had just been named Executive of the Louis Agassiz Fuertes Council. Under the tutelage of her father, Susan...

Joyce Ellen Cole, 70, of Moravia, NY passed away unexpectedly on January 7, 2023 surrounded by her loved ones. Born in Ithaca, NY to the late John and Marion VanOrder on December 1, 1952. She was survived by her lifelong partner Robert Relyea, her sons Michael (Kathy) Cole and Joshua (Matthew) Relyea, her grandchildren Nichole and Jayden Cole, and her only great-granddaughter Brystol Maynard. She is also survived by her brother John VanOrder and her sister Linda Kercher....

James MacNeil, 80, of Freeville, New York, passed away on Jan. 19, 2023. Jim was born in Cortland, New York, on Nov. 30, 1942, the son of Harold and Hilda (Lesperence) MacNeil, and graduated from Moravia High School. He earned an honorable discharge from the U.S. Navy in 1963, and worked at Ithaca College for 38 years as Director of Lab Instrumentation for the Chemistry Department. Jim married his high school sweetheart, Judith Mulberry, on April 4, 1964, and was a devoted and loving...

Dorothy Buechel, age 99, left this world peacefully on January 16, 2023 at Hospicare following a long life well lived.  Born on December 10, 1923, to Jacob and Lucy Staub, Dorothy was raised in Rochester, New York, the youngest of five children.  She graduated from Mercy High School and, with the onset of World War II, went to work at Kellogg-American Brake Shoe Company in Rochester.           During a Kellogg company picnic, she was...

Stephen Douglas Rude went home to be with the Lord on January 14th, 2023. He was born on October 2nd, 1949, in Cortland, NY at Cortland Memorial Hospital. Stephen is survived by his wife, Irene (Hoover) Rude and children Mark Rude (Deborah), Scott Rude (Michelle), and grandchildren Jason Rude, Matthew Scardina, Arabella Scardina, Shyla Rude, & Silas Rude, as well as his siblings Brenda Bundy (Bob), Rick Rude (Donna), Peggy Bundy (Dick), sister-in-law Lin Krizek, and many...

Robert Edward Smith, 73 of Locke was born March 15, 1949, he passed away suddenly on January 13, 2023. Bob grew up in Virgil, NY and went to Cortland schools. In January 1968 he enlisted into the Army. He deployed to Vietnam where he was awarded the Bronze Star with 2 Purple Hearts. After the Army he was employed with Smith-Corona. Later he drove tractor trailer for many years and delivered for E&V Energy before retiring. He retired to operate a Horse Boarding Farm with his wife Barb....