PITTSFIELD- Mary Hoyt DeGiorgis, 100 died peacefully at home October 5, surrounded by her family. Born in Pittsfield MA, August 1, 1909 daughter of George D. and Fannie Jones Hoyt, she graduated from Pittsfield Central High School in 1927. Upon completion of her education, Mary went to work at the Berkshire Athenaeum. She also worked as a dental assistant for many years. Mary was a lifelong member of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church where she was a former member of their handbell choir. She also played handbells for twenty-five years at St. George’s Episcopal Church in Lee. Mary was an enthusiastic member and officer of many historical and genealogical societies in the New England area. Some of these are; the Silvio O Conte National Archives where she provided research assistance; Ausotunnoog Chapter NSDAR; First Families of Massachusetts; Vermont and Connecticut societies of Genealogists; The Society of Mayflower Descendants; and Dutch Settlers Society of Albany. She was a charter member of the Berkshire County Historical Society and the Berkshire Family History Association where she held the office of Vice President for many years. She had a passion for basket- weaving, quilting, and knitting. Her husband, Joseph F. DeGiorgis, whom she married in 1941, died on April 17, 1989. She leaves two sons; Joseph H. DeGiorgis of Stockbridge, his wife Joy Van Alstyne; David L. DeGiorgis of Pittsfield, his wife Melanie; also two daughters, Mary E. Zuckerman, her husband Nathan; and Linda C. Abderhalden and husband Joseph of Lee. She leaves eight loving grandchildren; Joseph, Sarah, Amy, David, Jodi, Joseph IV, Marena and Felicia; four great- grandchildren; Olivia, Joseph V, Micah, Lauren and many nieces and nephews. The family wishes to thank Marilyn, Danielle, Regina, and Nissa for their dedicated and compassionate car of Mom. FUNERAL NOTICE- A memorial service will be held at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church on Saturday, October 10, at 10 A.M. with the Rev. Dr Hannah Anderson officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Elder Services of Berkshire County, St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church or Hospice Care in the Berkshires in care of WELLINGTON FUNERAL HOME 220 EAST ST PITTSFIELD MA 01201 who will be in charge of arrangements. |
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PITTSFIELD ‑ Richard Neil Degenhardt, of Pittsfield, MA, died Sunday, October 18, 2009, at his home of pancreatic cancer. He was 74 years old. Born February 12, 1935, in the Bronx, NY, he was the son of Dr. Robert Dietrich Degenhardt and Rowena (Chick) Dunn Degenhardt. He lived in the Bronx until age 5, when his family moved to Pelham, NY. He graduated from Pelham Memorial High School in 1952 and from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1956, with a degree in Electrical Engineering (S.B.E.E.). On June 1, 1957, he married the former Ruth I. Toombs, in Marsh Chapel at Boston University. Upon graduation from M.I.T., Dick joined the Chrysler Missile Division, first in Detroit, then in Huntsville, Alabama. In Alabama, he worked on the Redstone Project, the forerunner of the Jupiter-C missile, which, on January 31, 1958, became the first U.S. satellite sent into earth orbit. In April 1959, the family moved to Pittsfield, where he joined General Electric Ordnance Department as a Fire Control Design Engineer on the Polaris system. He later worked in Systems Engineering, and in 1974 was promoted to Program Manager for Guidance Support Equipment for the Trident system. He retired from Lockheed Martin Company in December 1996. Dick lived in Pittsfield for forty years and in the town of Worthington for ten. His interests were far-ranging, and included a love of learning, computers, digital photography, skiing, science, philosophy, ancient history, science fiction and music. He and Ruth traveled for 25 years, and particularly loved being in France. They also traveled in Scotland, England and Wales, most of Western Europe, Greece, Canada and the American Southwest. Upon retirement, Dick joined the Berkshire Institute for Lifetime Learning (now Berkshire OLLI at BCC). He developed and operated the OLLI website for many years, was a member of OLLI’s Science Curriculum Committee and Information Systems Committee, and co-authored and taught courses on the Science of Digital Imaging as well as on Travel. In addition, he volunteered at the Berkshire Athenaeum for a number of years, at one time designing, ordering and installing a computer system for the Local History Department. He was always on call for friends who needed computer assistance. Dick is survived by his wife of 52 years, Ruth T. Degenhardt, of Pittsfield; his daughter, Andrea R. Degenhardt, also of Pittsfield; his daughter Dana L. Degenhardt, of Lincolnville, ME; and his sister, Rowena Ann Degenhardt, of Farmington, CT. He is also survived by his resident cat companion, MacDuff. FUNERAL NOTICE – A memorial service for Richard Degenhardt will be held at the Wellington Funeral Home at 11 A.M. on Saturday, November 7, 2009, with the Rev. Dr. Ken Reeves officiating. There will be no calling hours. Donations in Richard’s memory may be made to the Lustgarten Foundation (Pancreatic Cancer) or to HospiceCare in the Berkshires, care of the Wellington Funeral Home, 220 East St., Pittsfield, MA 01201. Condolences for the family may be made through condolences@wellingtonfuneralhome.com. |
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PITTSFIELD- Willie Singleton 92, long time King St resident passed away on Thursday at home. Born in Toombs County Georgia on December 2, 1916 son of Jeanie Pauline Singleton. He came to Pittsfield in 1935 to work as chef for a group of engineers who worked for the General Electric Company. He later worked for the Wendell Hotel and the Bridge Lunch. He worked for the Mercury Laundry for 15 years and provided janitorial services for several offices in Pittsfield. He bought the Kwik and Kleen Laundry and operated that business for several years. He then went to work for the General Electric Company in 1968 as a transformer assemblyman. He retired from the GE in 1983. Mr. Singleton was a member of the Second Congregational Church since 1941. He was very active in his church. During his membership, he held several positions over the years: senior deacon, chairman of the Board of Trustees, Treasurer, lay preacher, Superintendent of the Sunday school, Teacher in the Sunday School which gave him great pleasure and sang in the church choir. When he served as the church moderator, he was co-chair of a committee to build a new church which was accomplished with the help of Mr. Rankin Fury, past president of the Berkshire Life Insurance Company. In recent years Mr. Singleton served as the manager of the church property. Mr. Singleton was a Past Master of St. John Lodge #10 F&AM. He was also a past Patron of the Order of the Eastern Star. He served as the moderator of the Berkshire North Association Several years ago. Mr. Singleton was very proud of his family. He was predeceased by his wife of 48 years, Magnolia Hunt Singleton who died in 1991. He is survived by three children: Willie Singleton, Jr. of Pittsfield; Lisa Norwood and her husband Robert of Pittsboro, North Carolina; and Leonard Singleton and his wife Sonya of Upper Marlboro, Maryland; three grandchildren; Gerard Norwood, Candice Norwood and Marcus Singleton; two great grandchildren, Isaiah and Joshua Norwood. He is also survived by several nieces and nephews. FUNERAL NOTICE- Funeral services for Willie Singleton will be held Wednesday October the 28th at 10 AM at the Second Congregational Church Onota Street Pittsfield with the Rev. Leonard Comithier officiating . Burial will follow in the Pittsfield Cemetery. Calling hours will be held at the Second Congregational Church on Tuesday October 27 from 7 PM to 9 PM. Donations in his memory can be made to Friends of Renal Dialysis at Berkshire Medical Center through WELLINGTON FUNERAL HOME 220 EAST STREET PITTSFIELD MA 01201 who is in charge of arrangements. |
PITTSFIELD- Elizabeth L. Dawson, 100, of 59 Perrine Ave, died Sunday at Berkshire Medical Center. Born August 2, 1909, in Pittsfield, the daughter of Charles G. and Nellie May Lubold. She was a 1927 graduate of Pittsfield High School and also of the former Berkshire Business College. She was employed by the former Berkshire Mutual Insurance Company for 45 years retiring in 1974. She had been a secretary and had also worked in the accounting Department. Mrs. Dawson was a member of Zion’s Evangelical Lutheran Church where she taught Sunday School for many years and was also on the Altar Guild. She was an associate member of the First Congregational Church of Dalton. She was a member of the Berkshire Stamp Club and a former member of the Berkshire Museum Camera Club, the Older Adults Group at the Jewish Community Center. She enjoyed reading, traveling, and gardening. Her husband Frank C. Dawson whom she married September 17, 1949, at the Zion’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, died February 24, 1993. She leaves two nieces Hope L. Dawson of Peru, MA and Beatrice C. Hitchcock of Pittsfield, and a numerous second cousins. A brother Harry R. Lubold predeceased her. Funeral services for Mrs. Elizabeth L. Dawson will be held at the Thursday at 11am at the Zion’s Evangelical Lutheran Church with Rev. Peter Boehringer pastor, officiating. Burial will be in the Pittsfield Cemetery. There will be an hour of visitation the day of the services at the church from 10am to 11am. Donations in her memory may be made to the Zion’s Evangelical Lutheran Church Memorial Fund care of the funeral home 220 East St. Pittsfield, MA 01201. |
Earl Erwin Hintz, 74, of Pittsfield died on Friday, October 23, at Berkshire Medical Center. Born in Cedarburg, Wisconsin on December 25, 1934, he was the son of Alvin and Carrie Clausing Hintz. He grew up on a dairy farm and attended Cedarburg schools. He graduated from Concordia Teachers College, River Forest, IL, in 1956. He began his teaching career in a one-room school in Wauneta, Nebraska. From 1958 to 1962 he taught grades 4 to 6 at First Immanuel School, his home congregation. In 1962 he accepted a call to St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran School in Glendale, Queens, NY, where he taught until his retirement in 2001. He served as Athletic Director for the school and played on the basketball team for the church for many years and was also involved with the Boy Scouts. He was a member of The Lutheran School Association. Teaching was more than a vocation. He was a master teacher who truly cared for all the children he taught, often giving special time to students on a one-to-one basis. In his 45 years of teaching ministry, he touched the lives of thousands of children. He married Margaret Anna Bayer, whom he met on his second day in Glendale, on June 20, 1964. Earl and Margaret moved to Pittsfield in 2002 and quickly became involved in the life of Zion Ev. Lutheran Church. He served on the Council, the Stewardship, Property and Christian Education Committees, and his special joy, singing in the Choir. He was also a board member of the German-American Club of Berkshire County. He enjoyed woodworking and reading and could often be seen outside taking care of the garden and lawns. Earl is survived by his wife, Margaret, his brother and sister-in-law, Alvin and Alice Hintz, and sister-in-law, Ruth Hintz in Wisconsin, his sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Helen and Sigurd Kimpel of Pittsfield, and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents, a sister and a brother. FUNERAL NOTICE- Memorial services for Earl Hinz will be held at Zions Evangelical Lutheran Church, 74 First St., on Saturday October 31, at 11am with the Rev. Dr. Peter D. Boehringer pastor, officiating. Following cremation burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to Zions Evangelical Lutheran Church Memorial and Special Gifts of the Building Fund, 74 First St., Pittsfield, MA 01201. The WELLINGTON FUNERAL HOME, 220 East St., Pittsfield, MA 01201, is in charge of arrangements. |