Classmates
All Classmates Listing
John Benack
Deceased • 6/30/1960 • Age 18 • automobile accident
CRASH KILLS YOUTH, INJURES FOUR OTHERS • The son of a Niagara Mohawk Corp. official was fatally injured early today after his car went out of control on West Seneca turnpike and rammed a tree about a mile east of Cards Corners. John Benack Jr., 18, of 741 Stinard Ave., died in Memorial Hospital about 8 a.m. Four poassengers in the Benack auto also were injured and admitted to University and Crouse Irving Hospitals. Deputy sheriffs said Benack’s car went out of control after the youth failed to make a turn. The auto traveled more than 300 feet along the shoulder of the road before it hit a tree. He was taken to Crouse-Irving Hospital for multiple injuries including dee facial lacerations, a leg fracture and chest and head bruises. He was transferred to Memorial Hospital during the night. Benack’s father is secretary of Niagara-Mohawk Corp. Passengers James L. Smith, 18, of 1191 W. Onondaga St. and Michael E. Lake, 17, of 816 Milton Ave. were admitted to Crouse- Irving Hospital. Smith has mouth and chin lacerations and chest and shoulder bruises. Lake has a possible wrist fracture and a hip injury. Both are in fair condition. Two other passengers are in fair condition at University Hospital. They are James Klam, 19, of 811 Avery Ave. and Richard Hamlin, 18, of 214 Hudson St. Klam has a possible left wrist fracture, while Hamlin was admitted for observation. Benack was born in Brooklyn and lived in Syracuse 16 years. He previously attended Most Holy Rosary School and currently was a student at Central Tech. He is survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. John C. Benack; two brothers, Bryan and James E. and his paternal grandmother, Mrs. John Benack. Services: Schumacher-Whalen Bros. and Most Holy Rosary Church where a solemn high Mass of requiem will be celebrated. Burial in St. Mary’s Cemetery.
Last updated: 2020-03-02 02:26
David Benz
Jr. High School Roosevelt
Deceased • 4/20/2003 • Age 60
David A. Benz, 60, of Ogdensburg and former 15 year resident of Baldwinsville died Sunday, April 20, 2003 at his home. He was born in Syracuse. David retired in 2001 as a delivery driver for 30 years with United Parcel Service and was formerly employed nine years with Allied Chemical. He was a communicant of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church, Baldwinsville. David was an avid golfer, bowler, hunter and fisherman. He is survived by his wife of 20 years, Nancy Colburn; two daughters, Nancy Benz Mattiacio of Rochester and Katherine Fitzgerald Anderson of Boone, North Carolina; two sons, Christopher Benz of Mattydale and Michael Fitzgerald of Syracuse; six grandchildren. A funeral mass will be offered at 10 a.m. Wednesday, April 23, 2003 in St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church. Calling hours will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 22, 2003 at the Maurer Funeral Home, Moyers Corner, 3541 Rt. 31, Baldwinsville, NY. Contributions may be made to the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church Building Fund, 3494 Rt. 31, Baldwinsville, NY 13027. Published in the Syracuse Post Standard on 4/21/2003.
Last updated: 2020-03-15 11:40
John Bernier (Kathy)
410 Benson Court • E. Stroudsburg, PA 18301570-872-7735
Jr. High School Porter
Deceased • 12/29/2021 • Age 77
John Frederick Bernier, 77, of Palmer Twp., passed away peacefully at home on December 29, 2021. He was the beloved husband of Kathleen “Kathy” M. (Bausinger) Bernier with whom he shared over 56 years of loving marriage. Born on January 16, 1944, in Syracuse, NY, he was the son of the late Archibald and Edna (Damanski) Bernier. John was employed by PricewaterhouseCoopers as a C.P.A. from 1965–1999 and made Partner in 1977. He was a member of St. Janes Frances deChantal Church, Easton, and a former member of St. John’s Church, East Stroudsburg. John was a chairman of St. John’s Church Classic Golf Tournament for many years and volunteered with Meals on Wheels. An avid golfer, his favorite courses were Great Bear Golf Club in Stroudsburg, PA, and the Venetian Golf Club in Venice FL.
John (Jack) to friends and family, was a storyteller extraordinaire, and loved to make others laugh. He was perhaps Syracuse Orange football team’s biggest fan. Above all, he adored his family, especially his wife, and cherished his time spent with his children and grandchildren. There was never a day in his presence without laughter or love.
Survivors: John will be lovingly remembered by his wife Kathy; daughters, Lisa Dubreuil and husband Thomas and his daughter Karen Dodge and husband Elston; grandchildren. Jack Dubreuil and Megan and Samuel Dodge. He was predeceased by sister, Carole Holland.
Services: A Mass of Christian Burial will take place at 10:30 A.M. on Thursday, January 6, 2022 at St. Jane Frances de Chantal Church, 4049 Hartley Ave, Easton where the family will receive friends and relatives from 9:30 A.M. until the time of service. The family kindly requests everyone in attendance to please wear a facial covering. Arrangements have been entrusted to the Cantelmi Long Funeral Home, Bethlehem. A memory tribute may be placed at cantelmifuneralhome.com.Contributions: In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in John’s memory to Monroe County Meals on Wheels at https://www.monroemeals.org/donate/Please sign Guest Book on www.themorningcall.com/obits
Last updated: 2022-04-07 02:49
Valarie Berwer (MacDonald)
Jr. High School Delaware
Deceased • 1/3/2007 • Age 64
Valarie H. MacDonald, 64, of Bridgeport, passed away suddenly Wednesday at home. Valarie was a homemaker with deep compassion for her beloved family and friends. She was a heavy events scorekeeper for several highland games throughout the Northeast and Canada. Valarie also competed and medaled in the Senior and Empire State Games in the shotput and hammer events. Valarie is survived by her beloved husband of 43 years, John; two daughters, Heather (Ron) Nave of Baldwinsville and Hilary (Derrick) Williamson of Holland Patent; a sister, Suzanne (Leo) Cecil of Monticello, NY, four grandchildren, Michael, Andrew, Devon and Gabrielle, and nieces and nephews. Funeral Service: Monday, 10 a.m., at Traub Funeral Home, 7975 Rt. 31, Bridgeport. Calling Hours: Sunday 2 to 6 p.m. at the funeral home. Burial will take place at Pine Plains Cemetery, Clay. Traub Funeral Home Bridgeport, New York. (Published Syracuse Post Standard on Jan. 5, 2007)
Last updated: 2020-03-01 10:38
Elizabeth Bieling (Van Iderstine)
Steering Committee3694 Pompey Center Rd • Manlius, NY 13104
315-682-5320 • evaniderstine@hotmail.com
Jr. High School Bellevue
Notes: Ambiance/décor, Mini Reunion Committee
Last updated: 2020-03-08 10:33
Judy Biggs (Wallace)
110 Hyland Drive • N. Syracuse, NY 13212315-451-1580
Jr. High School Levy
Last updated: 2020-03-01 10:38
Uwe Bobrow (Nancy)
0530 Mountain View Road • Carbondale, CO 81623970-963-0807 • thebobrows@yahoo.com
Jr. High School Bellevue
Deceased • 5/12/2023 • Age 79
April 24, 1944–May 12, 2023
Uwe Bobrow lived a good life. From humble beginnings, Uwe worked hard to raise his station in the world. With a sly smile and wry sense of humor, he left an indelible mark wherever he went. From across the Atlantic in Germany to upstate New York to the Colorado Rockies, Uwe amassed an expansive adoptive family whom he loved as his own kin. He was generous and kind, a hearty epicurean and a gifted raconteur. If you counted yourself lucky enough to be invited to his table, you would feast on home-made culinary masterpieces and tall tales of Uwe’s escape from communist rule, his antics in various refugee camps, his first glimpse of a shopping area in West Germany (“the first time I ever saw color,” he would later say) and, if you were truly lucky, a sentimental remembrance of the first time he met the love of his life, Nancy Churchill.
Uwe was born in Magdeburg, Germany (old East Germany), on April 24, 1944, to Lucie Jergenson and Vladimir Bobrow. His father, a doctor, was killed in World War II when Uwe was 9 months old. His mother was left to raise Uwe and his two sisters, Ariana and Xenia, on her own behind the Iron Curtain. In 1955, living in Magdeburg, a neighbor turned Uwe’s mother in to East German police on an erroneous suspicion of spying. Within twenty-four hours, she made a daring escape across the border with Uwe and his sisters, bringing only what they could carry without suspicion. Uwe was 11. Once across the border, Uwe and his family spent two years in West German refugee camps, living a surreal normalcy behind guarded fences, buying contraband for Russian soldiers while attending middle school. His mother and his sister Ariana even worked as nurses while staying at the camp.
After two years waiting in refugee camps, Uwe’s family was finally granted permission to immigrate to the United States, where they were sponsored by his “Aunt Olga from the Volga,” who had previously emigrated and settled in Syracuse, N.Y.
Uwe entered Central Tech High School in Syracuse without speaking any English. He learned the language of his new country by watching Spaghetti Westerns on TV. After graduating from high school in 1961, Uwe attended Onondaga Community College and then Syracuse University, graduating in 1965. After graduating college, Uwe married Kathleen Carey, and they had a son, Eric. The marriage ended, but the close bond Uwe forged with his son would shape his life. Uwe was heartbroken when Eric passed away unexpectedly in 2012.
Uwe began his career after college working in educational communications at Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse, but his dream was to own his own business. He started the imprinted sportswear store Mr. Tops in a Syracuse mall in 1978, and by 1985, it had grown to seven stores in upstate New York. Later, he bought Kraft Liquor store in Syracuse, which he operated until 2003.
Uwe learned to ski in his twenties at Song Mountain in upstate New York. He later joined a local ski club, the Syracuse Ski Hawks, and served as the club’s president from 1975-1979, while the club grew from a small group to more than 1,500 members.
The ’70s were a wild time in the ski industry, and in 1975 the club chartered a trip to Aspen, Colo., where Uwe met the love of his life, Nancy Churchill, from Winterport, Maine. They were engaged a year later, when the ski club returned to Aspen for the now-annual trip.
After marrying in 1976, Uwe and Nancy were inseparable until his passing, 48 years later. They ran their businesses together, and they loved to travel. In their 48 years together, they visited exotic locations as far as China, Turkey, Nepal, Central and South America, Greece, Macedonia, Croatia, Scandinavia and, of course, Uwe’s native Germany.
After their wedding, Uwe and Nancy moved to Tully, N.Y., where they raised their daughter, Karen, and lots of pups. Uwe and Nancy welcomed nine exchange students, mostly from Germany, during their time in Tully and formed friendships that would last the rest of Uwe’s life. The weekly “pizza and wing night” tradition the Bobrows began for their exchange students endures to this day, and the Bobrow household continues to receive regular care packages from Germany to keep them stocked with Uwe’s favorite German foods. Uwe helped shape the lives of every one of their exchange students, who became as much a part of his family as his own children. When it came time for Uwe and Nancy to consider where to retire, Colorado was the obvious choice. They bought a lot in the Aspen Valley in 1999 and built their dream home in Missouri Heights in 2006, making the valley their permanent home.
Not ready to stop working, Uwe took a job with The Aspen Skiing Company and worked as the Guest Service Lead at Buttermilk under John Kneiper. He loved the eight years he spent at Buttermilk, where he managed to “adopt” still more family members plucked from the mountain’s guest service department, lifts, patrol and ski school. Some of their skis still reside under Uwe’s home. It was during their time in Colorado that Uwe settled into his greatest role, grandfather. His daughter, Karen, blessed him with three grandchildren, Nadya, Toby and Willow, and their arrival breathed new life into Uwe during his golden years. He was fortunate to be able to take “Nacho” (Nadya), his eldest grandchild, to Germany to share his history.
Uwe truly lived The American Dream. From his escape from East Germany with not more than he could wear, to life as an immigrant in a post-war U.S., to his entrepreneurial rise, to his retirement with his beloved wife in his dream home with a million-dollar Sopris view, to his swan song as “Opa” to his grandchildren, he transformed his life and found success through hard work and love for his family. Uwe Bobrow lived a good life.
***
Uwe Bobrow passed away peacefully on May 12, 2023, with his wife, Nancy, by his side. He was preceded in death by his father, Vladimir, and mother, Lucie; sister Xenia; and son, Eric. He is survived by his wife, Nancy Churchill Bobrow; sister Ariana Bobrow (David); daughter Karen Bobrow Breuer (Jeff); three grandchildren, Nadya, Toby and Willow; his German Shepherd, Franzi; and one Mercedes Benz, aka “Benno.”
Memorials for Uwe in Aspen (7/10/23), Syracuse, and Germany will be announced when scheduled. In lieu of flowers, Uwe’s family request donations be made in Uwe Bobrow’s name to Roaring Fork Fire Rescue’s Paramedic Scholarship Program at roaringforkfire.org/donate.
(Published in the Aspen Times on June 16, 2023) ◼︎
Last updated: 2023-08-22 09:46
Margaret Bock
Last updated: 2020-03-01 10:38
Pat Bombardo (Tina)
1508 Lake Ella Rd • Fruitland Park, FL 34731352-728-3256 • floridasun@direcway.com
Jr. High School Porter
Last updated: 2020-03-01 10:38
Victor Boog (Mary)
6376 W. Prentiss Ave • Littleton, CO 80123 • vfboog@vfblaw.comJr. High School Bellevue
Last updated: 2020-03-01 10:38
Robert F. Boyd (Stella)
24 Churchville Lane • Churchville, PA 18966215-355-0901 • bb57redcorvette@comcast.net
Jr. High School Porter
Last updated: 2021-08-19 04:35
James* Brady
8236 Speach Dr • Baldwinsville, NY 13027315-695-2786 • jpbrady42@aol.com
Jr. High School Smith Tech
Last updated: 2020-03-01 10:38
Gene Brant
7323 Manlius Cntr Rd. • East Syracuse, NY 13057315-656-8343
Jr. High School Roosevelt
Last updated: 2020-03-01 10:38
David Bratt
1521 Pine Meadow Court • Lexington, KY 90504859-388-9516 • brattda@aol.com
Jr. High School Roosevelt
Last updated: 2020-03-01 10:38
Patricia Brazosky (Kovack)
Jr. High School Porter
Deceased • 4/16/2003 • Age 60 • kidney failure
Patricia A. Brazosky Kovach April 16, 2003 Patricia A. Brazosky Kovach, 60, of Syracuse died at home Wednesday, surrounded by her family. She graduated from Central Technical High School in 1961. She was predeceased by her daughter Kathy Kovach in 1987 and her father Joseph Brazosky in 2000. Survivors: her mother Virginia Brazosky; her daughter and son-in-law Laurie and Shawn Daniul of Westvale; three grandchildren Veronica and Trevor Wallace, and Rachel Daniul; two sisters and their husbands Donna and Russell Kiggins of Onondaga Hill; and Barbara and Michael Weigand of Central Square; several nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins. Funeral Service Tuesday at 8:30 a.m., at Whelan Bros. Funeral Home, 9 a.m. in St. Charles of Borromeo Church. Burial in Sacred Heart Cemetery, Geddes. Friends may call on Monday, from 5 to 8 p.m., at Whelan Bros. Funeral Home, 3700 W. Genesee St. Contributions in memory of Kathy Kovach may be sent to MADD or Hospice of CNY. Whelan Bros. Funeral Home Published in the Syracuse Post Standard on 4/20/2003
Last updated: 2020-03-01 10:38