Connell, Dow & Deysenroth, Inc.Funeral Home: June 2012

Catharine Sexton Eckhof

1933 - 2012

ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA -- Catharine Sexton Eckhof, 79, of Alexandria, Virginia, passed away early Sunday morning, June 24, 2012 at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, Virginia with family by her side.

Born in Utica in 1933, she was the daughter of the late Mason and Catherine (Douglas) Sexton, and sister of the late Mason Douglas Sexton.

She graduated Middlebury College before marrying the late William Reed Eckhof, to whom she was a wife for fifty years.

She lived with her family in Loudonville, then moved to Alexandria, Virginia where she lived for 37 years. She worked at the Smithsonian and volunteered at Huntley Meadows Park.

Mother to Cassandra Eckhof (Garrett) of Waltham, Massachusetts, Pamela Atwell of Gainesville, Florida and Leslie Aitcheson (Stephen) of Alexandria, Virginia. Grandmother of four, great-grandmother of two, and aunt of two.

A graveside service will be offered at 10 AM Saturday, June 30, 2012 at the Fly Creek Valley Cemetery, Cemetery Road, Fly Creek, with Father John P. Rosson, pastor of St. Mary's "Our Lady of the Lake" Roman Catholic Church in Cooperstown, officiating.

In honor of Catharine's love of wildlife, the family suggests, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Friends of Huntley Meadows Park, 3701 Lockheed Boulevard, Alexandria, Virginia 22306. Her wit and love will be greatly missed.

Arrangements are under the guidance of the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home in Cooperstown.

If you would like to send condolences to the family, send an email to Connell, Dow & Deysenroth. We will forward your comments to the family. If you would like to send flowers in memory of the deceased, contact Mohican Flowers, or call them at (607) 547-8822.

Thomas M. Harris

March 24, 1968 - June 13, 2012

COOPERSTOWN - Thomas Michael Harris, age 44, of Middlefield, died unexpectedly Wednesday evening, June 13, 2012, in Cooperstown.

He was born March 24, 1968, at Chenango Memorial Hospital in Norwich, the youngest child of William J. Harris, Jr. and Barbara (Cox) Harris.

In 1973, Tom and his family moved to Cooperstown, where he was raised and attended school. A graduate of Cooperstown Central School, Class of 1988, he was involved in various activities throughout his high school years. Most especially, he enjoyed serving as the manager for the Cooperstown Central School Varsity Football Team. He later received an associate degree through Herkimer County Community College.

For most of Tom's life, he was a resident of the Cooperstown area and was employed in several capacities over the years, including jobs at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Stewarts, and as a dispatcher for Otsego County. Since October 2005, Tom has served as a shuttle bus driver for Bassett Medical Center in Cooperstown.

In his leisure, Tom - who was also called "Troll" - enjoyed the outdoors, most especially hunting, fishing, and playing golf. For a time he also followed NASCAR. He faithfully served his community for 15 years as a member of Hartwick Fire Department Co. No. 2 in Hartwick Seminary, and was currently the department's Safety Officer. He will be greatly missed by his family, friends and community.

Tom is survived by his mother, Barbara C. Harris, of Cooperstown; six sisters, Donna Kemp and husband, Steve, of LaCrosse, Wisconsin, Denna Gorden and husband, Patrick (Tex), of Maryland, Darlene Bennett and husband, Walter, of Fly Creek, Janet Snyder and husband, Jack, of Fly Creek, Martha Harris of Cooperstown, and Margaret Hunt and husband, Dale, of South New Berlin; three brothers, Joseph Harris and wife, Jean, of Middlefield, John Harris and wife, Karen, of Schenevus, and Andrew Harris and wife, Karen, of Salem, Wisconsin; and numerous nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins.

Tom was preceded in death by his father, William J. Harris, Jr., who died September 10, 1997, and his beloved canine companion, Mich, a black lab that was a significant part of his life.

Friends are invited to pay their respects from 4-6 p.m. on Monday, June 18, 2012, at the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home, 82 Chestnut Street, Cooperstown, when Tom's family will be in attendance.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, June 19, 2012, at St. Mary's "Our Lady of the Lake" Roman Catholic Church in Cooperstown, with Fr. John P. Rosson, pastor, officiating.

The Service of Committal and Burial will follow in St. Mary's Cemetery, Index, where Tom will be laid to rest near his father.

As a tribute to their brother fireman, members of Hartwick Fire Department Co. No. 2, Hartwick Seminary, will serve as his pallbearers. They will also utilize their Command Vehicle 0951 to bring Tom's casket to church and the cemetery.

At the request of the family, it is requested that flowers be omitted, and memorial gifts be directed to the Cooperstown Emergency Squad, P.O. Box 322, Cooperstown, NY 13326, or Hartwick Fire Department Co. No. 2, 4877 State Highway 28, Cooperstown, NY 13326.

Arrangements are under the guidance of Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home in Cooperstown.

Doris R. Blomquist

7 April 1915 - 23 May 2012

COOPERSTOWN - Mrs. Doris R. Blomquist, a former resident of Cooperstown, died Wednesday night, 23 May 2012, at Langdon Place in Keene, New Hampshire. She was 97.

Born 7 April 1915, in Richmond Hill on Long Island, she was a daughter of Joseph A. and Hermine (Wittschiebe) Rooney.

Raised on Long Island, she graduated from the Horace Mann School in Manhattan in 1934, and then attended Bradford Junior College in Haverhill, Massachusetts, graduating in 1936.

She married the Rev'd Canon Carl Reuben Henry Blomquist, DD, on 18 October 1942, in the Cathedral of the Incarnation, Garden City, Long Island.

Mrs. Blomquist devoted much of her life to raising and caring for her family and home.

Upon Rev'd Canon Blomquist's retirement in 1971 as Rector Emeritus of St. Luke's Church in Forest Hills on Long Island, the Blomquists moved to Cooperstown and settled into their home on Elm Street.

Of the Episcopal faith, Mrs. Blomquist was a member of Christ Church in Cooperstown. At one time she performed volunteer work with the Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital Auxiliary in Cooperstown, and was a member of the Lake and Valley Garden Club and the Cooperstown Art Association.

Mrs. Blomquist is survived by a son, Jon Thomas Blomquist, and a step-daughter, Mrs. Carol Blomquist Brown, who both reside in Walpole, New Hampshire; one granddaughter, Mrs. Sydney Masters Durieux and her husband, Arno Durieux, of Manhattan; and two nieces and two nephews.

Mrs. Blomquist was preceded in death by her husband, the Rev'd Canon R. Thomas Blomquist, DD, who died 13 November 1992, and one brother, the Rev'd Edwin James Rooney, who died in July 2003.

The Office of the Burial of the Dead will be offered privately at St. James Episcopal Church in Keene, New Hampshire. The Service of Committal (1928 Book of Common Prayer), will also be offered privately at the Columbarium in the Church-yard at Christ Church, Cooperstown, with the Rev'd Mark Aaron Michael, rector of Christ Church, officiating.

Should friends so desire, expressions of sympathy may take the form of memorial gifts to Friends of Bassett Healthcare Network, 1 Atwell Road, Cooperstown, NY 13326, or the Susquehanna SPCA, 4841 State Highway 28, Cooperstown, NY 13326.

Arrangements are under the guidance of the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home in Cooperstown.

David Welsh, Jr.

BOWERSTOWN - A Memorial Service for David Welsh, Jr., 86, who died December 9, 2011, will be offered at 1 p.m. on Sunday, June 3, 2012, at the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home, 82 Chestnut Street, Cooperstown, with Pastor Gary Wagner from the Oneonta Seventh-day Adventist Church officiating. Following the service at the funeral home, those present may proceed to David and Becky's home in Bowerstown, where David's ashes will be scattered on his property, and at which time military honors will be accorded by members of the Sgt. Walter P. Eggleston Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 7128 in Cooperstown. Immediately following, family and friends are invited to gather for a time of refreshment and fellowship at the Cooperstown Vets Club.

Arrangements are under the guidance of the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home in Cooperstown.

Claire M. Light

March 13, 1934 - May 27, 2012

WESTVILLE - Mrs. Claire Marion Light, age 78, died Sunday night, May 27, 2012, at her home in Westville.

Born March 13, 1934 in Jamaica, Queens, she was a daughter of the late Robert and Alice Ada (Lorch) MacAlpine.

On May 3, 1959, Claire married William Leroy Light at the First Presbyterian Church of Katonah.

A beautician by trade, she worked for a time with her cousin, Margaret Manning, at her business, Village Center Beauty Salon, which was located on Main Street in Brewster.

She was a faithful Christian, and was a devoted member of Faith Baptist Church in Hyde Park.

Claire is survived by her husband of 53 years, Bill, of Westville; one daughter, Bonnie Scofield and her husband, Brian, of Rodman; one son, Glenn Light and his wife, Wendy, of Wappingers Falls; three grandchildren, Bethany, Joern and Sonja Light; and three step grandchildren. She is further survived by two sisters, Lois Duffner and her husband, Warren, of Tavares, Florida, and Doris Noe and her husband, Bud, of Katonah.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 2, 2012, at Faith Baptist Church, 4898 State Highway 28, Cooperstown, with the Rev. Michael Glisson, pastor, officiating.

The Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home in Cooperstown is assisting the family.