Norberto A. Cruz of Liberty, a 50-year area resident, passed away on Tuesday, September 11, 2007 at the Achieve Rehab & Nursing Facility in Liberty. He was 66.
The son of Pedro Cruz and Juanita Alcaide, he was born October 25, 1940 in Hatillo, Puerto Rico.
He was a member of the Missionary of Christ Assembly of God Church, Liberty, and was a retired cook for Grossinger’s Hotel.
Survivors include his wife, Dora Serrano Cruz at home; two sons, Jose N. Cruz and his wife Virginia of Hurlburt Field AFB in Florida, and Jabiel Cruz and his wife Joyce of Dover AFB, Delaware; two daughters, Noemi Martinez and her husband Wilfredo of Liberty, and Abigail Edelglass and her husband Darrin of Roscoe; thirteen grandchildren, Josephine, Janet, Carmen, Jabiel, Nicholas, Adam, Sal, Willie, Marissa, Christina, Austin, Alyssa and Bradon; and several brothers and sisters.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, September 14 at Ramsay’s Funeral Home, 275 S. Main St., Liberty. Pastor Villafuerte will officiate.
Burial will be made in Liberty Cemetery.

Dylan N. Ricco
Infant, 6 months

Dylan N. Ricco of Liberty, infant son of Scott Ricco and Rose Toscano, died Saturday, September 9, 2007 at his home in Liberty. He was 6 months of age.
Dylan was born March 9, 2007 in Harris.
He is survived by his parents, Scott Ricco and Rose Toscano of Liberty; paternal grandfather, Richard Ricco of Woodbourne; paternal grandmother, Deborah DelVecchio of Florida; two brothers, Cody Ricco and Jose Bayron of Liberty; a sister, Chloe Ricco of Liberty; and several aunts, uncles and cousins.
He was predeceased by his maternal grandparents, Jane and Rocci Toscano.
A Memorial Mass was held on Thursday, September 13 at St. Peter’s Church in Liberty.
Cremation will be made at Cedar Hill crematory, Middle Hope.
Funeral arrangements are by Ramsay’s Funeral Homes, Inc., Liberty.

Herbert Gitlin
Real Estate Broker, 80

Herbert Gitlin of Monticello, a lifetime area resident and real estate broker, died Tuesday, September 11, 2007 at Orange Regional Medical Center, Horton Campus. He was 80.
He was born in the Bronx on April 14, 1927 to Murray and Claire Hoffman Gitlin.
He was a WWII veteran of the U.S. Army. He was a longtime member of Temple Sholom in Monticello, The Jewish War Veterans, Rotary, and Knights of Pythias.
He is survived by his wife, Muriel, at home; his two daughters, Marcy Gitlin of California, and Cindy Gitlin of NYC; a brother, Mel Gitlin of Davie, Fla.; his sister, Evelyn Ilardi of Florida; and several nieces and nephews.
Graveside funeral services were Wednesday, Sept. 12 at the Temple Sholom Cemetery, Monticello. Rabbi M. Medwin officiated.
The family will be sitting Shiva at the family home in Monticello starting Sunday, September 16, until Friday, September 21.
The family asks that all donations in memory of Herb be made to Temple Sholom or to the Virginia C. Piper Cancer Center, Shea Blvd., Scottsdale, Ariz.
Funeral arrangements by Joseph N. Garlick Funeral Home, Inc. Monticello.

Warren “Bub” Earle
Ret. Maintenance Tech., 63

Warren “Bub” Earle of Apex, N.C., passed away on Tuesday, September 4, 2007. He was 63.
Bub was a retired maintenance technician for the City of Raleigh Housing Authority. He was formerly from White Sulphur Springs.
Bub was born in Monticello in December 1943 to Maude Hendrickson Earle and Warren Willis Earle Sr. He was the step-son of Jack Buchal of Liberty, all of whom pre-deceased him.
Bub is survived by his wife, Peggy, at home; two daughters, Tammi Kinney and her husband Jeff of Aurora, Iowa, and Lisa Bradford and husband John of Ocala, Fla.; three sons, Dale Malone and his wife Janice of Hurleyville, Robert Malone and his companion David Bachmann of Arlington Heights, Tenn., and John Earle of Apex, N.C.; two sisters, Louise Snyder of Kasilof, Alaska, and Penni Buchal of Fosterdale; one brother, Charles Buchal of Lake George; six grandchildren; one great grandchild; and several nieces and nephews.
Cremation was handled by the Crematory Society of the Carolinas, Raleigh, N.C.
In accordance with Bub’s wishes a memorial service/celebration of his life will be held in the spring in New York.

Norma G. Sutherland
Retired Secretary, 84

Norma Garcia Sutherland of White Sulphur Springs, a retired secretary for the Middletown School District, passed away on Saturday, September 8, 2007 in Middletown. She was 84.
The daughter of Bert and Margaret Wilbur Pelton, she was born August 12, 1923 in Middletown.
Norma was a member of White Sulphur Springs United Metho-dist Church and the White Sulphur Springs Senior Citizens.
Survivors include a stepson, Greg Sutherland of White Sulphur Springs; a daughter, Cherie Meci and her husband, Norman of Middletown; two stepdaughters, Denise Brasington of Arizona and Debbie Smith of Florida; and eight grandchildren, Kaiya Thomas, Joshua Meci, Kim, Karen, Sacheen, Kayla, Ray and Ryan.
She was predeceased by her husband, Vernon Sutherland in December 2006; five brothers, and one sister.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, September 15 at 10 a.m. at White Sulphur Springs United Methodist Church with the Rev. Bridgette LeConey officiating.
Cremation was made at Cedar Hill Crematory, Middle Hope.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Orange & Sullivan, 800 Stony Brook Court, Newburgh, NY 12550.
Funeral arrangements are by Ramsay’s Funeral Homes Inc., Liberty.

Edward J. Storms
Retired from C & D Battery, 60

Edward J. Storms of Sparrowbush died Monday, September 10, 2007 at home. He was 60.
He was born November 22, 1946 in Cahoonzie, the son of Percy and Minnie Fountain Storms.
Edward married Carol Storms on April 13, 1968 in Vernon, NJ.
He worked for 17 years at C & D Battery in Huguenot, before his retirement in 2005.
Surviving are his wife, Carol Storms, at home; son, Raymond Storms and his wife Susan of Glen Spey; parents, Percy and Minnie Storms of Sussex, NJ; sister, Priscilla Gould and her husband John of Rio; grandchildren, Justin and Dylan Storms of Glen Spey; and nieces, Denise Hulse of Glen Spey and Michele Fontana of Shohola, Pa.
There will be no visitation.
Funeral services will be private at the convenience of the family.
Funeral arrangements are by the Gray-Parker Funeral Home, Port Jervis.

Mary Ellen Lesando
Ret. Cook, 82

Mary Ellen Lesando of Warwick, a retired cook at the Orange County Infirmary and a lifelong resident of the area, died Monday, September 10, 2007 at St. Anthony's Community Hospital, Warwick. She was 82.
The daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Louis Houston, she was born September 14, 1924 in Warwick.
Survivors include her son, Peter Lesando and his wife Debbie of Conway, S.C.; grandchildren; great-grandchildren; nieces and nephews; a brother, Louis Houston of Liberty; a sister, Pearl Mott of Liberty; and two special friends, Carol Long and John Reynolds.
She was predeceased by three sons, Leland Lesando, Alan Lesando and Mario Lesando.
A family statement reads, “She was a loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend. She will be missed by all who were a part of her life.”
Services will be private and held at the convenience of the family.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Warwick Humane Society.
Arrangements are by Strong-Basile Funeral Home, Warwick.

John F. Bruning
U.S. Army Vet, 55

John F. Bruning of Wurtsboro Hills died Tuesday, September 11, 2007 at his home. He was 55.
The son of the late Christian Bruning and Annie Lybolt Bruning, he was born December 6, 1951 in Middletown.
A veteran of the U.S. Army Reserves, John was a founder and former president of the Sullivan County Archers Assoc.; a member of the New York State Bow Hunters Assoc.; the Sullivan County Conservation Club, and the Rock Hill Church of the Nazarene.
He is survived by his wife, Connie Bruning, at home; his mother, Annie Bruning of Sun City Center, Fla.; three sons, John Bruning and his fiancee Kathy Lapointe of Middletown, Dustin Bruning of San Diego, Calif., and Daniel Bruning of Wurtsboro; a daughter, Cambridge Deegan and her husband Colby of Pine Bush; two brothers, Thomas Bruning of Glen Spey and Christian Bruning of Sun City Center, Fla.; three sisters, Cheryl Bertholf of Apollo Beach, Fla., Lyn Tyler of Highland Lake, and Victoria Tawney of Riverview, Fla.; two granddaughters, Ashlyn and Aryana; and several nieces, nephews and friends, including his other “brothers,” Jimmy, Elmo, Ed and Richie.
Friends may call from 2 to 4 p.m. Friday, September 14 at the VanInwegen-Kenny, Inc. Funeral Home, 111 Sullivan St., Wurtsboro.
Funeral services will follow at 4 p.m. at the funeral home. The Rev. Roy Shaffer will officiate.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the family.

Wallace “Pat” Benton
Ret. Logger, 85

Wallace "Pat" Benton, a lifetime resident of Livingston Manor, passed away Monday, September 10, 2007 at Catskill Regional Medical Center. He was 85.
The son of Nancy Davis and Elba Jay Benton, he was born on May 16, 1922 in Livingston Manor.
He was a veteran of the United States Army Air Corps, serving during World War II. He was a retired self-employed logger, and he loved to play the guitar and five string banjo, which he played for years at the round and square dances. Pat was also a die-hard N.Y. Yankees fan.
Pat is survived by his beloved wife of 60 years, Mary Tompkins Benton, whom he married on December 16, 1946, at home; two daughters, Caroline Profera and her husband, Michael of Round Top and Patricia Parks and her companion, Bob Bertholf; one sister, Nancy Tompkins of Wawarsing; three grandchildren, Frederick Parks of Connecticut, Mary Jane Edwards of Youngs-ville, Anthony Bertholf of Livingston Manor; four great-grandchildren, Matthew, Nathaniel and Amelia Edwards of Youngsville and Austin Bertholf of Neversink; and several nieces and nephews.
He was predeceased by his brothers, Herman and Orville Benton; his sisters, Reatha Jackson and Dolly Husch; and one granddaughter, Jaimie LD Bertholf.
Funeral Services were held on Thursday, September 13, at the Herbert C. Bryant Funeral Home, Livingston Manor.
Interment was made in the Sullivan County Veteran's Cemetery in Liberty.
Memorial contributions may be made to Jaimie Bertholf Memorial Scholarship, c/o the Livingston Manor Central School or Hospice of Orange & Sullivan Counties, Inc., 800 Stony Brook Court, Newburgh, NY 12550.
Arrangements are under the direction of Herbert C. Bryant Funeral Home.

Eugene F. Wenz
Ret. Transit Authority, 67

Eugene F. Wenz of Pine Bush, retired from the NYCTransit Authority and a 30-year resident of the area, formerly of Brooklyn and New York City, died Tuesday, September 11, 2007 at Middletown Park Manor. He was 67.
The son of the late George P. and Honora Tonry Wenz, he was born Dec. 27, 1939 in Brooklyn.
He was a member of the G. Paul Bettinger Post #1308 American Legion in Pine Bush; the Catholic War Veterans Eugene L. Kelley Post #1937; and a Fourth Degree member of the Knights of Columbus. He was a member of the Church of the Infant Saviour in Pine Bush.
He was the widower of Ellen Wenz and Margaret Wenz.
Survivors include one sister, Mary Ann Wenz of Brooklyn; stepdaughters, Barbara Melvin and husband Michael of Bloomingburg, and Kathryn Asadoorian and husband Stephen; grandchildren, Kelli, Michael Jr. and Kathleen Melvin; and many nieces and nephews.
A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Friday, September 14 at the Church of the Infant Saviour, Pine Bush.
Burial will be made in Bloomingburg Cemetery.
Arrangements are by DeWitt Funeral Home, Pine Bush.

George S. Vovchik
Retired Clerk, 67

George Stephen Vovchik of Smallwood, a retired vault clerk for Brink’s Armored Cars in Brooklyn, died Sunday, September 9, 2007 at the Catskill Regional Medical in Harris. He was 67.
The son of the late Elias Vovchik and Vera Grycho Vovchik, he was born June 27, 1940 in Brooklyn.
George was a veteran of the U.S. Army, serving during the Vietnam era, and a member of the Reformed Presbyterian Church in White Lake.
He is survived by his wife: Carol Ann Frolio Vovchik, at home; three sisters: Alice Pauzolis and her husband Joseph of Staten Island, Veronica Lynch and her husband Frank of Centereach, L.I., and Marian DeMarco and her husband Russ of the state of Florida; and several nieces and nephews.
In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by a brother: Sonny Vovchik; and a sister: Irene Vovchik.
A memorial service will be held at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, September 15 at the Reformed Presbyterian Church, Route 17B, White Lake. The Rev. David Coon will officiate.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Reformed Presbyterian Church, White Lake, NY 12786.
Interment of the cremains will be made in the Sullivan County Veterans Cemetery in Liberty at a later date.
Arrangements are under the direction of the VanInwegen-Kenny, Inc. Funeral Home of Monticello. For additional information please visit www.kennyfuneralhome.com

Paul F. Flynn
Retired Superintendent, 74

Paul F. Flynn of Naperville, Ill., formerly of Roscoe, died Saturday, September 8, 2007 at his home. He was 74.
The son of the late Robert J. and Millicent Schadt Flynn, he was born July 13, 1933 in Callicoon.
He was a retired superintendent for S.A. Healy and NPI companies. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1950-54 on the U.S.S. Lyte and U.S.S. Antietam during the Korean War. He worked high lines and was a surveyor throughout New York State after leaving the Navy. He then worked tunneling for 45 years, starting as a chuck tender and ultimately aspiring to General Superintendent. He ran jobs in many areas of the U.S. and Canada. He was an avid hunter and fisherman.
He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Geraldine “Jerry” Hester Flynn, at home; two sons, Patrick Flynn and his wife Eria of Naperville, Ill., and Timothy Flynn and his wife Tina of Naperville, Ill.; one brother, Robert Flynn and his wife Beverly of White Sulphur Springs; one sister, Susan Flynn of Milford, Pa.; three grandchildren, Paul, Katie, and Brian; several nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, September 15 at the Harris Funeral Home, Railroad Ave., Roscoe. The Rev. Gus Richardson, OFM, will officiate.
Burial with military honors will be made in Beaverkill Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to the St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, 501 St. Jude’s Place, Memphis, TN 38105-1942.