Obituaries

Robert E. Pustolka, Sr., 86, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, August 15, 2018. Born and raised in the Town of Colonie, Bob was the son of Wojciech and Leonora Pustolka. He was a graduate of Draper High School where he lettered in multiple sports. He also attended the University of Kentucky where he studied mechanical engineering.

Robert enjoyed a rewarding career with General Electric Company. His real passion came during his time at the Kesslering Site where he worked on nuclear prototypes as a field engineer.

Another passion of Bob’s was being a member and chairperson for the Town of Ballston Planning Board, where he served for over 20 years. He was particularly involved in the farmland protection and preservation committee. Bob will be remembered for his personal investment of time and willingness to support others in their pursuit of building homes, businesses, and farms in the Town of Ballston.

Bob was clever and had a quick wit to those who knew him well. He prided himself in his knowledge of current events, windmills and John Deere. Having been raised on a farm with a big family, Bob developed a strong work ethic. He continued to enjoy his passion for farming owning a gentleman’s farm which he purchased in the mid sixties.

Bob was predeceased by his loving wife Patricia Ann (Tilley) Pustolka, his son Mark, and his siblings Alfreda, Helen, Thomas, Stanley, Joseph, John, Richard, Walter, and Michael. He is survived by his children Robert Pustolka, Jr (Elizabeth), Suzanne Zilka (Frank) and Kimberly Smith (Curtis); his sister Isabella Rocco; and several grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

Relatives and friends are invited to call on Monday, August 20 from 4pm to 6pm at Armer Funeral Home, Inc., 39 East High Street, Ballston Spa. Funeral services will be private.

Memorial contributions in memory of Bob may be made to the American Cancer Society.

Sally A. Genier, 59, passed away on Friday, August 10, 2018. Born in Cambridge, NY on November 27, 1958, she was the daughter of Clark and Joan Briggs.

Sally was a loving mother and entrepreneur, running her own business and taking care of her family. She enjoyed gardening, baking, cross stitch and spending time at the beach.

She was predeceased by her parents, Clark and Joan, brother Marc and sister Linda. Sally is survived by her husband Mark, and their children Samantha Genier and her fiance Peter Keenan, Amelia Genier (Marshall Hallenbeck) and Ethan Genier (Marisa Bates); brother Clark Briggs (Marsha); and several nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be held 10am Wednesday, August 15 at Armer Funeral Home, Inc., 39 East High Street, Ballston Spa. Burial will follow in Powell Wiswall Cemetery. Relatives and friends are invited to call on Tuesday, August 14 from 5pm to 7pm at the funeral home.

Memorial contributions in memory of Sally may be made to the Galway Lions Club, PO Box 244, Galway, NY 12074.

Geraldine I. Mabb, 104, passed away on Thursday, August 9, 2018. Born in Detroit, Michigan on June 28, 1914, she was the daughter of Elmer and Mary Boyce.

Geraldine was a dietitian aide at Benedict Memorial Hospital in Ballston Spa.

She was predeceased by her husband Clarence, son Clarence Duane, grandson Daniel, brother Elmer and sister Charlotte. Geraldine is survived by her children Beverly Woods (John) and Richard Mabb (Laurie); daughter in law Beth Mabb; grandchildren Brett Woods, Todd Mabb, (Abbey), Suzanne Walton, Kelley Taylor (William), Dolores Mabb, Keith Mabb, and Travis Taylor (Alexis); great grandchildren Katie, Tessa, Jack, Mandy and Mitch; and great great grandchildren Hailey and Colton.

Relatives and friends are invited to call on Friday, August 17 from 10am to 11am at Armer Funeral Home, Inc., 39 East High Street, Ballston Spa. A service will be held at 11am. Burial will follow in Dunning Street Cemetery, Malta.

Memorial contributions in memory of Geraldine may be made to Eagle Matt Lee Fire Co No 1 or Shelters of Saratoga.

Laurence J. Armer, 90, passed away on Sunday, August 5, 2018, surrounded by his loving family. Born on March 16, 1928, in the Town of Milton, NY, he was the son of Gordon and Irene Palmateer Armer.

Laurence was a dairy farmer at his home on Birchton Road.

He was predeceased by his parents Gordon and Irene, his brother Robert, and his sister Myrtle Hamilton.
Left to cherish his memory, five brothers Gordon (Gladys), Cecil, and Wallace all of Ballston Spa, Arthur (Lois), and Willard of Galway; six sisters Doris Tretiak of West Charlton, Betty Trigg of Broadalbin, Ruth Quinlan (Charles) of Galway, Alice Carpenter of Ballston Spa, Ella Laird (Loren) of Charlton, and Laurel June Hatlee of Poughkeepsie; and many nieces and nephews.

Relatives and friends are invited to call on Saturday, August 11 from 11am to 1pm at Armer Funeral Home, Inc., 39 East High Street Ballston Spa. A service will be held at 1pm. Burial will follow in Sweetman Cemetery, Charlton.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Community Hospice of Saratoga County or the charity of your choice.

Daniel Gary Carlton, 49, passed away peacefully due to a heart condition on Thursday, August 2, 2018. Born May 16, 1969 in Albany, he was the son of Bruce and Patricia (Scarpellino) Carlton. Dan was a 1987 graduate of Ballston Spa High School and a 1989 graduate of Dean College, Franklin, MA with a degree in communications.

Dan worked in automotive sales for many years and also enjoyed working in radio. In 1989 he began working at Salisbury Chevrolet in Scotia and continued his career at New Salem Saab, Keyes Automotive Mercedes Benz/Acura, DeNooyer Chevrolet Performance Division/Baldwin Motion, Mangino Chevrolet and, most recently, DePaula Chevrolet.

His entire world revolved around his daughter Giavanna – spending time with her and planning their adventures, as often as possible indulging their shared passion for swimming. Dan was a car enthusiast. He enjoyed ice racing with the Adirondack Motor Enthusiast Club and racing at the Albany Saratoga Speedway in Malta in the Sportsman Division. He loved spending time in the woods where he hiked and fished, frequently with his daughter.

Dan loved sports and during his school years, played baseball and wrestled. He also played lacrosse in college. Dan enjoyed Little League and was the first high school student in the area to manage a Little League team. He was raised by his adoptive parents, Bruce and Pat. Later in his life, he worked hard to find his birth mother and succeeded, enjoying a relationship with her, her husband and his half brothers.

He is predeceased by his grandparents, Dudley and Marion Carlton, Andrew and Elizabeth Scarpellino, James Stringer and Jeanne Fennessy Stringer. He is survived by his beloved daughter, Giavanna Elle Spenello-Carlton of Richmondville, NY; his parents, Bruce and Patricia Carlton of Ballston Spa, and Mary Murphy Cooper of Malta; his sister, Roberta Carlton Hefferman (Nathaniel) of Lexington, MA; his brothers, Ryan Murphy (Jill) of Schuylerville and Brendan Murphy (Danielle) of Berne; his nieces and nephews, Liam Andrew Hefferman and Owen Carlton Hefferman, Hunter James Murphy and Brooke Mary Murphy; and his sweetheart, Michelle Simonik of Florida.

A memorial service will be held 10:00am Friday, August 10, 2018 at Armer Funeral Home, Inc., 39 East High St, Ballston Spa. Relatives and friends are invited to call from 4pm to 7pm on Thursday, August 9, 2018 at the funeral home.

Burial will be at Malta Ridge Cemetery at a later date.

Contributions in Dan’s memory may be made to a college fund for his daughter. Send checks to: NYS 529 College Savings Plan, PO Box 55440, Boston, MA 02205. The memo section of the check must include: 363478737-01 Giavanna E Spenello-Carlton

Lucille P. (Ott) Murray died August 1, 2018 at home surrounded by her loving family after a long illness. She was born on March 16, 1929, in Flatbush, Brooklyn New York. As a youngster she was full of energy and loved to dance. She would babysit for her nephews who called her “Aunt TNT”. Unusual for women at the time, she graduated from a NYC PH High School in 1947.

She was a life long avid reader of books including adventure stories and she wanted to travel the world. She was a proud veteran, enlisting in the United States Navy in 1951 as a WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service). She worked in communications as a Teleman. Her first duty station was in Charleston, S.C. at a major message center, operating various teletypes, radios, and other communication machines (when 8-bells rang you knew it was an emergency message). One notable event was her participation in a medical emergency radioing shore doctor’s instructions to a ship at sea. She scored high and was one of the first group of women selected for overseas duty. She served in Italy in the NATO message center.

She met Frank (Red) Murray in the Navy and they married in Naples, Italy. She and Red were able to travel all over Europe. In 1954 she left the Navy to raise seven children. While raising her children she worked at the Red Murray Enterprises Insurance agency as a bookkeeper. She had many friends and was an avid golfer for many years. Lucille and Red loved to travel especially to Charleston, S.C.

Lucille was the daughter of the late Marie and George Ott. She was predeceased by her siblings; Madeleine (Joe) Pineau; Muriel (John) Negri; Florence, she preferred to go by Pat, (John) Collins; Joan Castiglioni. Lucille is survived by her brother-in-law Leo Castigloni.

She was predeceased by her beloved husband of 64 years, Chief Francis (Red) Murray, USN (Ret). She is survived by her son Kevin (Barbara), daughters Kathleen, Marlene (Joseph), Alison, Susanne (Efrain), Loretta (late Kevin), and her son Stuart (Julie); grandchildren Ryan (Rachael), Kelly (Brian), Phillip (Ashli), Meredith, Emily, Duncan, Nicholas, Vincent and Tessa and her great grandson Joseph. Her greatest joy in life came from spending time with her family.

Unsung Heroes: The family would like to thank all the caring staff at all of her various medical groups including Dr. Daoui and every single one of the caregivers at The DCI-Rubin Dialysis Center in Saratoga NY. Also, thank you to all the Hospice members who helped us thru these final days. She would not have gotten this far without all of those wonderful, caring people. We wish to offer a very special Thank You to Mom & Dad’s “Press Secretary” Marlene, and Joe, who worked for many years on their behalf.

Calling hours will be held on Sunday, August 5 from 2pm to 5pm at Armer Funeral Home, Inc., 39 East High St, Ballston Spa, NY. Funeral will be held Monday, August 6, at 9:30 am at St. Mary’s Church, 167 Milton Ave, Ballston Spa, NY, where Red and Lucille were communicants. Interment will be held at Gerald B. H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.

Christina Gregson Santos, 35, passed away on July 25, 2018, after a long struggle with addiction.

Born in Saratoga Springs, New York on January 23, 1983, she was the daughter of Elizabeth Gregson and Paul Wigley. Christina enjoyed fishing and boating.

She was predeceased by her parents Elizabeth and Paul. Christina is survived by her husband Luis “Tito”; children Kourtney Gregson, Skylah Whitney and Chance Whitney; siblings Joseph Jones, Betty “Sis” Cook, Alfred Jones, David Gregson and Charles Lajeunesse; and many nieces and nephews.

A private family service will be held. Memorial contributions in memory of Christina may be made to St. Peter’s Addiction Recovery Center, 3 Mercycare Lane, Guilderland, NY 12084.

Raymond E. Galusha “Poppa Ray” 55, passed away on Sunday, July 22, 2018 at his home, surrounded by his family. Born in Schenectady, NY on February 28, 1963, he was the son of Delbert and Margaret Galusha. He attended Galway Central School.

Ray was the building and maintenance supervisor at Hillcrest Village Apartments for 21 years and later was a landscaper for Malta Asphalt Lawn and Landscape. He was a volunteer fireman for 30 years serving at the West Charlton Fire Dept, Rector’s Fire Dept., and most recently the Galway Volunteer Fire Co.

He enjoyed hunting, fishing and camping. Ray enjoyed custom woodworking and was a vendor at many craft fairs with his wife. He was an avid racer at the Albany Saratoga Speedway and was the 2008 6 Cylinder Mini Stock Champion.

He was predeceased by his parents Delbert and Margaret. Ray is survived by his wife Jeanette; children Christine Friello (Steve) of North Broadalbin and Matt Galusha (Crissy) of Galway; grandchildren Austin Meisner and Avery Wagoner; brother Alan Mesecher, sisters Shirley Bodnar, Charlotte Blanchard and Carolyn Mechanic; and many nieces and nephews.

Relatives and friends are invited to call on Thursday, July 26 from, 4pm to 7pm at Armer Funeral Home, Inc., 39 East High Street, Ballston Spa. Funeral services will be held at 10am Saturday, July 28 at Galway Vol. Fire Dept., 1985 West St., Galway. Burial will follow in Galway Cemetery.

Memorial contributions in memory of Ray may be made to the Galway Volunteer Fire Co.

Lucille T. Bechard, 93, passed away on Tuesday, July 17, 2018. Born in Waterford, NY on July 6, 1925, she was the daughter of Narcisses and Elise Marchand.

A graduate of Waterford High School and Albany Business College, she worked with the Red Cross during World War II. Lucille was a secretary for the NYS Thruway Authority for many years and later was a cook for the Ballston Spa Central Schools, until her retirement.

Lucille was a communicant of St. Mary’s Church in Ballston Spa. She enjoyed cooking, sewing and gardening. Her greatest joy was spending time with her grandchildren and great grandchildren. She was a generous soul and donated to many charitable organizations. She freely gave without any expectation of return. She took on many roles, including being a caretaker to many ill people throughout her entire life. She always made time for people especially when they were suffering an illness or a loss.

In 1950, she married the love of her life Leon Bechard. They were blessed with 59 years together before his passing in 2009. Theirs was a true love story, a lesson in loyalty, selflessness, and determination. She was also predeceased by her son Roger and her 11 siblings.

Lucille is survived by her daughter Annette Haley; grandchildren Shawn, Philip, Noelle, Ashley, Jamie, and Nicole; great grandchildren Evelyn, Roselyn, Amanda, Nikole, Kylee, Haile, Marcelyn, Chloe, Aron, Kensington, and Carter; and many nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be held 10:30am Monday, July 23 at St. Mary’s Church, Milton Avenue, Ballston Spa where a mass of Christian burial will be celebrated. Burial will follow in the Gerald BH Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery, Duell Road, Schuylerville. Relatives and friends are invited to call on Sunday, July 22 from 3pm to 5pm at the Armer Funeral Home, Inc., 39 East High Street, Ballston Spa.

Memorial contributions in memory of Lucille may be made to the Lyme Action Network.

Thomas Ernest Bush, 86 entered into eternal life on Sunday, July 15, 2018. Born in Ballston Spa, NY on July 1, 1932 to Ernest and Lillian Bush.

Tom lived his entire life in Ballston Spa with the exception of his service to this nation in the US Navy during the Korean War, serving aboard the USS Newport News.

Tom owned and operated many businesses including Daisy’s Dolls, The Poodle Bush Pet Shop and T.E. Bush Construction. Tom retired from the Ballston Spa School District as Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds.

Tom was predeceased by his father Ernest Bush, mother Lillian Rougier, and his wife Mary Bush. He is survived by his children Janice (Fred)Harris of Ballston Spa, Stephen (Deborah) Bush of Sebastian, FL, David (Mary) Bush of Ballston Spa, and Cindy (Rick) Washburn of Ballston Spa; stepchildren Colleen (John) Hadley of Ballston Spa, William Welch of Ballston Spa, and Michael (Michelle)Welch of Clifton Park; grandchildren Gary Washburn, Joshua Bush, Maverick Bush, Tricia Washburn and Brittany Harris; great grandchildren Gavin, Maddie, Paisleigh and Rowan; sister Shirley Nagy; and his special companion Zeva his cat.

If you had the privilege of knowing our Dad, you knew you were in for a good long conversation. He never failed to make you feel you were the most important person in the room. We are going to miss you Dad.

At Tom’s request there will be a private graveside service.

Memorial contributions in memory of Tom may be made to the Community Emergency Corp, Thompson Street, Ballston Spa, NY 12020.

Betty O. McCanty, 95, of Saratoga Springs, NY, died at Wesley Health Center on July 12, 2018. Born in Buffalo, NY, she was the daughter of Joseph and Mary Ellen Sheehan O’Connell. Betty received her BA magna cum laude from the University of Buffalo and a master’s degree in education from SUNY-Albany. She was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She taught in Western New York and retired as reading co-ordinator at Ballston Spa High School in 1988.

Betty was a charter member of the Academy for Lifelong Learning at Empire State College and a member of the Liberal Arts for Mature Learners at Skidmore College since 1988. She served on the executive boards of the Ballston Spa Public Library, the Ballston Spa Retired Teachers’ Association, the Saratoga YMCA, the area Muscular Dystrophy Association, and the Woodlawn Commons Residents’ Association. She was a member of and volunteer for Saratoga Arts.

A professional storyteller, Betty was a student of Jeannine Laverety. She enjoyed entertaining people of all ages, sharing myths, legends, and personal stories. She was a member of the Scotia Story Circle and told at Caffe Lena’s Open Mic and The Glen Sanders.

Betty is survived by her children Mark McCanty, Patricia and Kenneth Davis, Maureen and Dennis Card, Margaret McCanty and Michael Geppner, William and Anne McCanty, Timothy and Linda McCanty, Jacqueline Carlson, Dale Carlson, and Kevin and Tamara McCanty.

She is also survived by grandchildren Michael, William and Erin, Joseph and Emily Davis and Daniel and Lindsay, Patrick and Jennifer, Matthew, Sean and Debattama, Seamus, Jacob and Elizabeth and Aaron McCanty, and step-grandchildren Jennifer and James Laski and Elizabeth Card as well as nine great-grandchildren.

A celebration of Betty’s life will be held in the Saratoga Room of Woodlawn Commons, 156 Lawrence Street, on July 24 at 10:30 am. Friends and family are cordially invited to attend.

Memorial contributions may be made to Academy for Lifelong Learning at Saratoga, 113 West Avenue, Saratoga Springs or Wesley Health Center, 2 Victoria, 131 Lawrence Street, Saratoga Springs, with the sincere appreciation from the family for the loving care provided during her time there.

Wayne R. Elston, Jr, went home to be with Jesus on July 1, 2018 at Saratoga Hospital from complications of Hereditary Sensory Neuropathy 1. Born in Kingston, Pennsylvania on December 11, 1948, he was the son of Wayne and Joan Elston, Sr.

Pastor Wayne and his wife Dianne founded Believers Church at Glenville (formerly Believers Fellowship Center) in 1979.

He was predeceased by his father Wayne R. Elston, Sr. Wayne is survived by his wife of 48 years, Dianne (Mahoney), his children Michelle Elston, and Jeff (Lindsey) Elston; grandchildren Dylan (Madison) Suski, Dakota Suski, Caden Suski, Bailey Elston-Ford, Wyatt Elston, Norah Elston, Aliza Elston and Titus Elston; mother Joan Elston; sister Larree (Tom) Brown brother Dave (Jan) Elston; and a large extended family.

All are invited to calling hours on Thursday, July 5 from 5pm to 8pm at Believers Church at Glenville. A private family service will be held at a later date.

Contributions in memory of Pastor Wayne may be made to Believers Church at Glenville (www.believersatglenville.com), 304 Swaggertown Road, Glenville, NY 12302 or www.deaterfoundation.org, which funds research for HSN1.

Mary Greene Hafler, 86, passed away on June 27, 2018. Born in Binghamton, NY on November 8, 1931 she was the daughter of Florence and Porter Greene. Mary was a graduate of Binghamton North High School and Russell Sage College, and earned a Master’s Degree in Business Education from the University of Maine in Orono. In 1953 she married Harry Hafler and they settled in Ithaca, NY.

Mary was a teacher at Dryden Central School for 26 years. After retiring, she moved to Ballston Spa. She loved playing the piano and sang with the Cortland County Sweet Adelines. She planned the programs for the Ballston Spa Senior Chorus and was the piano accompanist. She enjoyed cross-stitch, painting, reading, crossword puzzles and gardening. Mary knitted hundreds of sweaters and hats for teddy bears which were given to children. She liked to travel and visited many countries.

She was predeceased by her husband Harry. Mary is survived by her children Brian Hafler and Susan Zimmer; grandchildren Patrick Blinn, Mitchell Blinn and Peter Zimmer; sister Alice Burgess; nieces Eileen Manz, Virginia Baird and Cynthia Kimmey; 3 great grandchildren, 3 grand nephews and 1 grand niece.

Relatives and friends are invited to call on Monday, July 2 from 10am to 11am at Armer Funeral Home, Inc., 39 East High Street, Ballston Spa. A service will be held at 11am. Burial will follow in Rock City Falls Cemetery.

Memorial contributions in memory of Mary may be made to Drilling for Hope, 6 Tower Place, Albany, NY 12203.

Madeline M. Ferguson”Midge”, 89, passed away on Monday, June 25, 2018. Born in Albany, NY on January 25, 1929, she was the daughter of James and Alberta Petrie.

Midge is survived by her beloved children Nancy McGrath of Ballston Spa, Sandra Berger (Eric) of Ballston Spa, and Charles Ferguson (Gina) of Hoosick Falls; daughter in law Kim Ferguson; her grandchildren Kimberly McGrath, Nicholas Beer, Joshua Ferguson, Justin Ferguson, Lyndsay Ferguson, Kelly Ferguson, Zebulun Ferguson, Johanna Berger, Daniel Berger, Benjamin Ferguson and Casey Ferguson; 24 great grandchildren and 3 great great grandchildren. She was predeceased by her son Glenn Ferguson.

A graveside service will be held 10am Thursday, June 28 at the Notre Dame Cemetery, 115 Burgoyne Road, Schuylerville. Following the service there will be a gathering at Sandra’s home in Ballston Spa.

Memorial contributions in memory of Madeline may be made to the Saratoga County Animal Shelter, 6010 County Farm Road, Ballston Spa, NY 12020.