Category Archives: Obituary

Michael S. Bridenbaker

September 5, 2019 

TULLY, NY – Michael S. Bridenbaker, Sr, 62, passed away unexpectedly, Thursday evening, while traveling in Seattle, Washington. 

He was born December 20, 1956 in Syracuse, NY, son of Charles and Mary Ann Kranock Bridenbaker. He was educated at Cicero/North Syracuse Schools and Onondaga Community College. 

He proudly served in the U.S. Navy from January 1974-August,1976, achieving the rank of Fireman, and saw service in the Mediterranean during the Cyprus Conflict aboard the USS Guam (LPH-9), receiving an honorable discharge. 

He was a member of the North Syracuse Fire Department from 1978-1981 and NAVAC Ambulance from 1981-2003, serving as Deputy Director for three years. 

Mike became a nationally registered paramedic, working for Eastern Ambulance for ten years from 1976-1986.  When Onondaga County Sheriffs’ Department initiated the Air-One Emergency Helicopter program, Mike was recruited as one of the elite seven first flight paramedics, providing over 7,500 hours of direct service to Onondaga County. 

Mike worked as a police officer for the City of Syracuse from 1986-2006, earning the Medal of Valor in 1992.  In addition, he received bureau, department and division commendations.  He worked with the Emergency Services Unit, the SWAT Team, and the Airport Division. 

Following his retirement from the police department, Mike served as Airport Security Coordinator at Syracuse Hancock International Airport for three years. 

Mike was currently serving as a Fire Commissioner for the Tully Fire District, and was Chairman of the Board for two years.  He secured significant grant funding to benefit the community. 

He is survived by his lifetime companion of 35 years, Marley Barduhn of Tully, two daughters, Hope Messer of Solvay, and Brittany Woolshlager (Matthew) of Fairmount, one son, Michael Bridenbaker, Jr. (Jessica) of North Syracuse, his mother, Mary Ann Bridenbaker, brothers Edward and Patrick ( Robin ), and six grandchildren, including Crystal, Brandon, Evan, Michael, Elizabeth, and Molly of the Syracuse area, as well as other extended family.  Mike was predeceased by his father, Charles Bridenbaker and an infant son, Steven. 

Mike enjoyed hunting, fishing, the New York Yankees, the New York Giants, rock music, and spending time with his family and friends, at home in Tully and in Alexandria Bay and Florida.  He especially enjoyed his volunteer EMS activities at Woodstock ‘94 and ‘99. 

Calling hours will be held Thursday, September 12th, from 2-4 and 7-9 pm, at the Kruger Funeral Home, 2619 Brewerton Rd, Mattydale.  A calling hour will also be held Friday, September 13th, from 1- 2pm at the Costello Funeral Home, 113 Church St, Alexandria Bay, NY. The funeral service will begin at 2pm, with the Rev. Richard G. Reed officiating. Burial with military honors will follow at Highland Park Cemetery, Alexandria Bay. 

Memorial donations may be made to Tully Fire District, 1 Railroad St, Tully, NY 13159, Attn: Cheryl Wayne, Secretary/Treasurer in lieu of flowers. 

Gail A. Edwards

September 4, 2019

Alexandria Bay, NY – Gail A Edwards, 69, passed away at home, Wednesday morning, after a brief illness. She had been under the care of her loving family and Hospice of Jefferson County.

Gail was born November 25, 1949 in Binghamton, NY, daughter of Anson and Mary Hartman Hawley. She was educated in Alexandria Bay schools.

 Gail lived for much of her adult life in Colorado, married to Harold Wright. Following Mr. Wright’s death in 2013, she returned home to live in Alexandria Bay and care for her mother.

Besides her mother Mary, with whom she resided, she is survived by a daughter, Mrs. Josh (Sarah) Kolz, Elizabeth, CO, a son, Dale (Kim) Williams, Highlands Ranch, Co, a brother, John (Stacie) Hawley, Mellette, SD and six grandchildren.

There will be no services. Burial will be in Barnes Settlement Cemetery.

Lawrence “Larry” McCauley

Redwood – Lawrence F. “Larry” McCauley, 79, passed away Friday morning, August 30th at St. Joseph’s Nursing Home in Ogdensburg, NY.

Larry was born on April 3, 1940, in Watertown, NY, the son of Frederick L. and Mary E. Carty McCauley. He graduated from Alexandria Central School and then became a Technical Engineer for the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 545, Syracuse.  After retirement he worked in the seasonal landscaping department for the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority, Collins Landing.

He married Judy Miller in Alexandria Bay on September 26, 1959.  Judy passed away on March 4, 1997.

Larry was involved in the Alexandria Bay community, serving on the school board as well as a past president of the Chamber of Commerce.

His true passion was the sport of hockey. He was the president for 10 years for the Northern Zone Board of Directors of the New York State Amateur Hockey Assoc. and president for the NYS Amateur Hockey Assoc. for four years.  He was elected Director Emeritus in 2000, and earned awards because of his dedication.  He was the recipient of the Peter Rush Award, which is the highest award given in the New York State Amateur Hockey Association; the Douglas McCarther Award, for promoting youth locally and throughout New York State; in 2005 he received the Thayer Tutt Award, the highest award given by USA Hockey, which was presented in Colorado Springs, CO; and he was elected to the NYS hockey Hall of Fame in 2015.

Larry is survived by his son Frederick (Jennifer) McCauley, Alexandria Bay and his daughter, Kelly Downey, Redwood; four grandchildren; and his brother Francis, Alexandria Bay.  He was predeceased by his son Todd, and his sister Muriel Edgar.

Memorial donations are asked to be made in his name to the Alexandria Bay Minor [JC1] Hockey Association or Hearts for Youth.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, September 7th starting at 1:00 pm at the Alexandria Bay Fire Hall.

 [JC1]Inoe;

Shirley A. Simpson

Shirley Ann Simpson, 80, Redwood, NY, passed away late Tuesday night at Samaritan Keep Home where she had been a resident since July 3, 2019.

Shirley was born on November 20, 1938 in Rossie, NY.  She was the daughter of Delose and Lena Hunter Dingman. She was educated in Rossie schools. She was a caregiver for many years at the T.I. Home in Alexandria Bay, NY and also owned The Treasure Hunt Shop in Redwood, NY. 

She married Joseph Parker and they had five sons together, one who passed away at birth. Joseph passed away on October 29, 1965.

A marriage to Morris Amyot,  that ended in divorce. 

Shirley married Andrew Harold “Bart” Simpson on May 30, 1981 in Johnstown, NY.  Bart passed away on April 15, 2018.

She is survived by her children: Tamara (Dwayne) Streeter, Redwood; Glenn (Shawna) Parker, Hammond; Joseph Parker, Pope Mills; Dale (Kathy) Parker, Dekalb Junction; and Robert Parker, Redwood; 10 Grandchildren and 11 Great-Grandchildren. She is also survived by a brother, Darcey Dingman, Gloversville, NY. Siblings Leona Gushlaw and Nat Denner pre-deceased before her. 

Shirley enjoyed dealing in antiques and crocheted avidly. 

There are no services planned. 

June D. Ward

August 16, 2019

June D. Ward, 92, a lifelong resident of Alexandria Bay, passed away early Friday morning at her home, surrounded by her loving family.

She was born on June 22, 1927 in Alexandria Bay, daughter of Harry and Mable (Joyner) Hartman. She graduated from Alexandria Bay High School in 1944 at the age of sixteen. She married Stanley E. Ward on May 28, 1949 in Alexandria Bay.  The two were married for seventy years and together for seventy-seven.

June was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star and the Reformed Church of the Thousand Isles.  She enjoyed gardening, hiking the Adirondack peaks, and the St. Lawrence River.  She and Stanley were seasoned travelers of the United States and Canada, taking month-long trips coast to coast and throughout all of the Canadian provinces and territories.

Besides her husband Stanley, June is survived by her son and daughter, Gawaine (Lorraine) Ward and Jackie (Doug) Strough, all of Alexandria Bay.  In addition to her children, she is also survived by five grandchildren:  Jessica (Carlton) Ridsdale, Danielle Ward, Ryan Strough (and partner Andria Turner), Justin Strough, and Genesis (Robert) Scales; and four great-grandchildren:  Alexis Ridsdale, Grady and Henry Scales, and Maren Strough.

She was predeceased by four brothers, George, Gordon, Edward and Walter Hartman, and a sister, Ruth Flynn.

There will be no services or calling hours. Burial will be in Highland Park Cemetery at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the MacSherry Library, 112 Walton Street, Alexandria Bay, NY 13607; the Reformed Church of the Thousand Isles, 54 Church Street, Alexandria Bay, NY 13607; or Hospice of Jefferson County, 1398 Gotham Street, Watertown, NY 13601.

The family would like to extend their sincere gratitude to the Alexandria Bay Fire Department, Thousand Islands Emergency Rescue Service (TIERS), River Hospital, and Hospice of Jefferson County.

Jill E. Partridge

August 1, 2019

Redwood, NY

Jill E. Partridge, 64, Shannon Road, passed away Thursday evening, August 1st,  at Samaritan Medical Center in Watertown, after a courageous battle with cancer. She was surrounded by her loving family and friends.

She was born February 23, 1955 in Gary, Indiana, daughter of Joseph Rene and Mary Gay Foisy. After her mother’s death, she was raised by her father and his second wife, Elizabeth. She graduated from Salmon River High School. She married Larry Partridge on July 20, 1986 in Alexandria Bay.

Jill worked for 18 years for Wellesley Island Building Supply, where she was known as the “paint lady”. She retired in September of 2017.

She was a member of the Goose Bay Reclamation Corporation. She loved riding her Harley Davidson motor cycle, her dog Lucy and cats, Millie and Molly.

Besides her husband Larry, she is survived by two daughters, Mrs. Bruce (Kally) Hull, Redwood and Erin Dulmage, Clayton, five brothers, Paul Foisy, Dade City FL, Ken Raimondo, Kewanee, IL, Matthew (Debbie) Foisy, LaFargeville, NY, Eric Foisy, Fountain, CO, and Joseph (Jessica) Foisy, Danville, VA, five sisters, Mrs. Scott (Mary) Sager, Bridgeport, NY, Mrs. Brian (Patty)Kirkby, LaFargeville, NY, Anita Casey, North Bangor, NY, Mrs. Darrell (Beth) Trombley, North Bangor, NY and Mrs. Raymond (Yvette) Byrns, Clayton, NY., six grandchildren, Shawnea Hull, Kai Hull, Quinn Ayen, Aleigha Ely, Hannah Dulmage and Jakob Dulmage.

A celebration of life reception will be held Saturday, August 10th, from 1-4 pm at the Alexandria Bay Fire Hall.

Memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society, in Jill’s name at cancer.org.

Frank C. Frost II

Frank C. Frost II, 32, of 1 Margaret Ave., Alexandria Bay, passed away in the emergency room of River Hospital Thursday morning as a result of injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident in the village of Alexandria Bay.

Frank was born on October 10, 1986 in Wichita, Kansas, the son of Frank C. Frost and Rita J. Neal.

He received his GED and then entered the U.S. Army March 2007 serving two tours in Iraq as a wheeled vehicle mechanic and was honorably discharged September 2012.

Frank married Monica Cline on August 8, 2015 in Cincinnati, Ohio.

He was a member of the Alexandria Bay American Legion Post 904.

Besides his wife, Monica, he is survived by his parents, Frank, Auburn, NY, and Rita Frost, Wichita, KS; his brother Tech. Sargent Alexander (Monica) Frost, RAF Mildenhall, UK; his paternal grandparents Grant (Sharlene) Frost, Indianapolis, IN; a niece and two nephews.

Calling hours will be held from 5-7 pm on Wednesday, July 31st at Costello Funeral Home, Alexandria Bay. The funeral service will begin at 7pm.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/frank–frankie–c-frost-ii?utm_term=E8e3qrj4E to help with funeral and medical expenses.


Rhea A. Thornton

Rhea A. Thornton, 81, died Friday, July 5 at Samaritan Keep Home, Watertown where she had been a resident. 

She was born Oct. 7, 1937 daughter of Homer and Flossie Gordon Reynolds.

She graduated from Alexandria Central School in 1956. She married Howard Thornton Nov. 11, 1958, that later ended in divorce.

Ms. Thornton was a cashier at the Red & White store, Grand Union and retired from Alex Bay Big M in 2013. 

She enjoyed doing circle word puzzles, ceramics and listening to old country music.

Rhea is survived by her son Randy Thornton, Alexandria Bay.

A graveside service will be held Tuesday, July 16 at Barnes Settlement Cemetery at 11 a.m., with Pastor Philip Seybert officiating.

Donations made be made to Alley Cat Rescue of Alexandria Bay.

Gerald A. “Gerry” Chaltain

ALEXANDRIA BAY, NY – Gerald A. “Gerry” Chaltain, 70, passed away July 2nd, at the Syracuse VA Medical Center.

Gerry was born October 15, 1948 in Alexandria Bay, son of Jacques J. and Pauline Marie Kramer Chaltain.

He graduated from Alexandria Central High School.

He proudly served in the U.S. Army from 1968 to 1975, stationed in Vietnam from 1968-1969. He was a lifetime member of the Alexandria Bay American Legion.

Although he worked most of his life as a truck driver for various trucking companies, he most recently worked as an industrial x-ray technician on oil rigs in Texas.

He is survived by his brother, Victor Chaltain, Alexandria Bay, three sisters, Marie Tidd, Alexandria Bay, Jacqui Chaltain, Houston, TX and Johannah Chaltain Bullock, Utah. Nieces, nephews and cousins also survive.

Besides his parents, he is predeceased by two brothers, Richard and Jack Chaltain.

There will be no services.

Memorial donations may be made to the Alexandria Bay Fire Department or the Alexandria Bay American Legion.

S. Graham Atkinson

Shaner Graham Atkinson passed away from natural causes on June 28th, 2019. He was born in Watertown, NY on April 8th, 1963. He is survived by his three daughters, Elena, Mary Grace, and Kate Elizabeth; his brother Todd; his sisters Gay and Leslie; and many nieces, nephews, and other relatives and friends His loving parents, Elizabeth G. Atkinson Roe and John G. Atkinson and his loving stepfather, Thomas B. Roe are predeceased. 

Graham was an ‘81 Trinity Pawling Graduate and then went on to graduate from Syracuse University in 1985.  He worked in Newtown, PA, and then moved his family closer to his hometown to Manlius, NY, in 1991. There he started a Staffing Company with much success, and enjoyed his life in Upstate NY raising his beautiful daughters with his wife Amy VanEenenaam Atkinson.

Graham loved his three daughters, who were the most important part of his life. In the words of his daughters, Graham was “the most doting, dedicated, and compassionate father we ever could have wished for. He taught us how to love with his whole heart as he did with us.”

He will be remembered not only as a great dad but also by his friends for his quick wit and great sense of humor. His greatest gift was bringing laughter and love everywhere he went. He lit up any room with his lighthearted and comforting presence, and will be remembered fondly by those lucky enough to know him.

Graham also enjoyed hunting, fishing, boating, spending time on Carleton Island with his family, and  skiing ~ he just loved it! He was a passionate Syracuse basketball fan, an avid golfer, and an artist. Most importantly, he was a friend to all. His one-of-a-kind wisdom, exuberance, and kindness will be missed dearly by his family and friends.  Services: 10am Friday, July 5, at First Presbyterian Church, Watertown.   

In lieu of flowers Graham’s family would welcome a charitable contribution to the Carleton Island Swallow-wort program at the Thousand Islands Land Trust.  https://tilandtrust.org/support.