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Obituary

Van Ritshie, Beloved MTA Announcer, ‘Voice Of Hudson Valley’ Radio Host, Dies Van Ritshie, Beloved MTA Announcer, ‘Voice Of Hudson Valley’ Radio Host, Dies
Van Ritshie, Beloved MTA Announcer, ‘Voice Of Hudson Valley’ Radio Host, Dies If you’ve ever hopped a train or scanned a radio in these parts, chances are good you’ve heard the velvety smooth voice of Van Ritshie. The longtime Hudson Valley radio host and voiceover artist, whose voice guided MTA commuters for decades, died Sunday, Nov. 3, at a Dutchess County hospice center in Poughkeepsie. He was 80 years old. “The Family of Van Ritshie is sad to announce that ‘The Voice of the Hudson Valley’ has passed on to be with Jesus after a brief illness surrounded by family,” reads his obituary. After earning his communications degree at Queensborough Community College in Q…
Police Records Employee In Region Known For Sense Of Humor Dies Police Records Employee In Region Known For Sense Of Humor Dies
Police Records Employee In Region Known For Sense Of Humor Dies A longtime Hudson Valley police records employee known for her engaging personality has died at 68. Dutchess County native Dorinda R. 'Rindy' Germano, of Poughkeepsie, died peacefully on Saturday, Oct. 12, at the Catskill Regional Medical Center in Monticello. Born in Poughkeepsie, Rindy lived her 68 years with a "contagious zest for life and a heart brimming with kindness," according to her obituary. Professionally, Rindy was a dedicated record keeper for the City of Poughkeepsie Police Department from 2003 until her death.  "Her meticulous nature and unwavering integrity made her a…
Suspect Accused Of Killing Western Mass Man, Leaving Body In Apartment Returns To Mass From NY Suspect Accused Of Killing Western Mass Man, Leaving Body In Apartment Returns To Mass From NY
Suspect Accused Of Killing Western Mass Man, Leaving Body In Apartment Returns To Mass From NY The suspect accused of killing a beloved Pittsfield and Greenfield man was returned to Massachusetts to face charges after being held in New York for more than two months.  Taaniel Herberger-Brown will be arraigned on Tuesday, July 9, in the slaying of Chris "Stix" Hairston, 35, in April, the Northwestern District Attorney said.  Related: Dead Body Found In Pittsfield Home After Neighbors Called About Smell Police found Hairston's body on April 22 inside a Greenfield apartment on Chapman Street after neighbors called officers to report a disgusting smell coming from inside, the Northwester…
Kindergarten Teacher, Mom Of 2 From Capital Region Gets 'Fairy Tale Ending' Before Cancer Death Kindergarten Teacher, Mom Of 2 From Capital Region Gets 'Fairy Tale Ending' Before Cancer Death
Kindergarten Teacher, Mom Of 2 From Capital Region Gets 'Fairy Tale Ending' Before Cancer Death On the last night of her life, Sara Maldonado’s neighbors surprised her family by lining their driveway and sidewalk with dozens of candlelit luminarias. It was a fitting sendoff for the beloved kindergarten teacher, wife, mother of two, and Disney fanatic who died Wednesday, June 26, at the age of 34 following a two-year battle with breast cancer, according to her obituary. “They did something for our family that will never be forgotten. It’s the fairy tale ending she would want,” her brother, Ben Olsen, said on Facebook. “‘Tangled’ is her most favorite movie and they gave her a fairy tale…
'Total Shock': 34-Year-Old Air Force Veteran Killed In Capital Region Crash Had 'Heart Of Gold' 'Total Shock': 34-Year-Old Air Force Veteran Killed In Capital Region Crash Had 'Heart Of Gold'
'Total Shock': 34-Year-Old Air Force Veteran Killed In Capital Region Crash Had 'Heart Of Gold' Tributes are pouring in for a beloved Air Force veteran following his untimely death in the region. Albany County resident Michael Furch, age 34, of Guilderland, died following a single-vehicle crash on I-787 in Albany on Thursday, June 20. New York State Police said Furch was operating a motorcycle when he lost control and struck a concrete barrier while exiting I-787 on the flyover ramp to I-90. He was ejected from the bike and landed on the shoulder of I-787 northbound below. Furch was pronounced dead at the scene. Earlier Report: Fatal Crash: 34-Year-Old ID'd As Victim In …
NY Veteran's Lifelong 'Secret' Revealed In Heartbreaking Obituary Going Viral NY Veteran's Lifelong 'Secret' Revealed In Heartbreaking Obituary Going Viral
NY Veteran's Lifelong 'Secret' Revealed In Heartbreaking Obituary Going Viral A decorated veteran and retired firefighter from upstate New York is going viral for his heartbreaking posthumous revelation. Lifelong Rensselaer County resident Col. Edward Thomas Ryan, of Rensselaer, died with a long-kept secret that rendered him “afraid of being ostracized,” he wrote in his own obituary, which was published in the Albany Times Union on Saturday, June 8. "I must tell you one more thing. I was gay all my life: thru grade school, thru high school, thru college, thru life,” Ryan wrote. “I'm sorry for not having the courage to come out as gay. I was afraid of being ostraciz…
Aspiring Pharmacist Killed By Train In Region Remembered For 'Kindhearted, Gentle Spirit' Aspiring Pharmacist Killed By Train In Region Remembered For 'Kindhearted, Gentle Spirit'
Aspiring Pharmacist Killed By Train In Region Remembered For 'Kindhearted, Gentle Spirit' Tributes are pouring in for the family of a 22-year-old man who was struck and killed by a passenger train in the region. Rensselaer County resident Kevin Ackerman, age 22, of Castleton-on-Hudson, died Wednesday, March 6, after being hit by an Amtrak train in the town of Schodack. New York State Police said the incident happened at around 8:45 a.m. near the intersection of River Road and Hamilton Way, just yards from the Hudson River Foods warehouse. Earlier Report: 22-Year-Old Struck, Killed By Amtrak Train In Schodack Ackerman suffered severe injuries and was pronounced dead at the…
‘He Was Just Wonderful’: Tributes Pour In Following Death Of Longtime Capital Region Teacher ‘He Was Just Wonderful’: Tributes Pour In Following Death Of Longtime Capital Region Teacher
‘He Was Just Wonderful’: Tributes Pour In Following Death Of Longtime Capital Region Teacher Loved ones and former students are mourning the loss of a longtime teacher in the region. Albany County resident Walter Lipka, of Cohoes, died Tuesday, Jan. 30 at the age of 86 at Health Alliance Hospital in Kingston. His death followed a two-month battle with sepsis, according to his obituary. A native of Cohoes, Lipka served in the US Army as a military police officer in the early 1960s. He later received his bachelor’s degree in art education from Suny New Paltz and a master’s degree in Studio Art from UAlbany. His love for art landed him a teaching job in the Cohoes City School Distric…
Farmer Killed Alongside Daughter, 2 Others In Capital Region Fire Remembered As 'Kind Soul' Farmer Killed Alongside Daughter, 2 Others In Capital Region Fire Remembered As 'Kind Soul'
Farmer Killed Alongside Daughter, 2 Others In Capital Region Fire Remembered As 'Kind Soul' Tributes are pouring in for a beloved farmer who was killed alongside his 5-year-old daughter in a house fire in the region that also claimed the lives of two others. Albany County resident Arthur Neander Jr., age 35, died early Saturday, July 8, when flames tore through his Town of New Scotland home on Normanskill Road, according to sheriff’s officials. Multiple fire departments responded to the home after a woman called 911 saying she and a child were trapped inside a bedroom and could not open the window because it was blocked by an air conditioning unit. Authorities later confirmed tha…
Hero Who Saved Man, Pet From Capital Region Fire As Teen Dies At Age 36: 'A True Friend' Hero Who Saved Man, Pet From Capital Region Fire As Teen Dies At Age 36: 'A True Friend'
Hero Who Saved Man, Pet From Capital Region Fire As Teen Dies At Age 36: 'A True Friend' Friends and loved ones are mourning the death of a man from the region who was once hailed as a hero for saving another man’s life. Rensselaer County resident Jacob Waldron, of Rensselaer, died in May 2023 at the age of 36, according to his obituary. An exact date and cause of death was not given. “It is with great sadness that Jake’s family announces the unexpected death of their beloved son and brother,” reads his memorial. Waldron graduated from Rensselaer High School in 2005 and later attended Hudson Valley Community College. In 2006, at the age of 19, the Rensselaer County Legislatur…
Man Found Dead In Cove Worked With NYC Opera, Became Chef Man Found Dead In Cove Worked With NYC Opera, Became Chef
Man Found Dead In Cove Worked With NYC Opera, Became Chef A man whose body was found in a Long Island cove has been identified as a former employee of the New York City Opera and a chef who had a lifelong passion for music. Keith Viagas, of Sag Harbor, died on Saturday, Aug. 6, from drowning near his home in Sag Harbor Cove. He was age 63. Viagas grew up in Franklin Square, attending both John Street School and H. Frank Carey High School, where he appeared in musicals, according to his obituary. His late father, Anthony Viagas, was a jazz musician, and Viagas lived in a home filled with music.  "At one point Keith would be pl…
'One Of The Good Ones': Well-Known Business Owner In Capital District Dies At Age 65 'One Of The Good Ones': Well-Known Business Owner In Capital District Dies At Age 65
'One Of The Good Ones': Well-Known Business Owner In Capital District Dies At Age 65 Tributes are pouring in for a longtime business owner in the region who died this month following a battle with cancer. Herkimer County resident George Pulver Jr., of Little Falls, died Tuesday, July 19, at the age of 65 while surrounded by his wife and children, according to his obituary. Born in Hudson, Pulver was well-known around Columbia County for running his family business, Pulver’s Glass, for more than 40 years, his memorial said. He retired in 2017. The shop, located on Green Street in Hudson, was started by Pulver’s grandfather in 1914 and is still in business today under the o…
20-Year-Old Hudson Valley Man Killed In Crash Remembered As Ex-Boy Scout Who Loved Outdoors 20-Year-Old Hudson Valley Man Killed In Crash Remembered As Ex-Boy Scout Who Loved Outdoors
20-Year-Old Hudson Valley Man Killed In Crash Remembered As Ex-Boy Scout Who Loved Outdoors A 20-year-old man who died in a two-vehicle crash is being remembered for his love of the outdoors and spending time with family. Ulster County resident Michael Bigler Jr., of Saugerties, died on Friday, June 3, in a crash on Route 9W in the Greene County town of Catskill, police said.  Earlier report - 20-Year-Old Killed In Route 9W Crash In Catskill Police reported that Bigler was the driver of 2003 Nissan Sentra that was traveling south when, for unknown reasons, the car crossed into the northbound lane and struck a 2015 Chevrolet Silverado. Bigler was pronounced dead at the …
19-Year-Old College Lacrosse Player From NY Remembered For His 'Infectious Smile' 19-Year-Old College Lacrosse Player From NY Remembered For His 'Infectious Smile'
19-Year-Old College Lacrosse Player From NY Remembered For His 'Infectious Smile' A college lacrosse player from the region who died suddenly over the Memorial Day weekend is being remembered for his "infectious smile," and his love of his family and friends. Long Island resident Aidan James Kaminska, age 19, of Port Jefferson, died unexpectedly on the morning of Monday, May 30, according to his obituary. A lifelong resident of Port Jefferson, Kaminska attended the Port Jefferson School District, graduating in 2020.  He went on to be a student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, majoring in communications, and was a member of the Minutemen's Division I mens’ la…
Longtime Capital District Police Detective Who Died At 90 Remembered As Role Model Longtime Capital District Police Detective Who Died At 90 Remembered As Role Model
Longtime Capital District Police Detective Who Died At 90 Remembered As Role Model A retired police detective from the Capital District who died at the age of 90 is being remembered as a great role model. Lifelong Rensselaer County resident James “Jimmy” Mantello, of Troy, died suddenly at Albany Medical Center on Saturday, May 28, according to his obituary. Mantello retired from the Troy Police Department in 1997 after serving 31 years, according to the Troy Police Benevolent and Protective Association (PBA), of which he was a member.  “Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Detective Mantello during this hard time,” the PBA said in a Facebook…
25-Year-Old Hudson Valley Man Killed In Crash Remembered For 'Kind Heart' 25-Year-Old Hudson Valley Man Killed In Crash Remembered For 'Kind Heart'
25-Year-Old Hudson Valley Man Killed In Crash Remembered For 'Kind Heart' Family and friends are mourning a young Hudson Valley native who died this month in a car crash. Keith Jornov, age 25, from Ulster County, was killed Tuesday, May 10, in Herkimer County when his car was struck by a box truck on State Route 5S near Washington Street in German Flatts, according to New York State Police. Investigators said Jornov was hit after failing to stop at a stop sign. The impact sent his car off the roadway and knocked the box truck onto its passenger side, police said. Jornov was pronounced dead at the scene. The other driver was hospitalized with non-life-threaten…
Westchester Native Who Was Photographer, Former High School Athlete Dies At Age 27 Westchester Native Who Was Photographer, Former High School Athlete Dies At Age 27
Westchester Native Who Was Photographer, Former High School Athlete Dies At Age 27 A lifelong Hudson Valley resident, who worked as a freelance photographer and a carpenter, has died unexpectedly at age 27. Putnam County resident Ryan Daly, of Mahopac, died unexpectedly on Wednesday, May 11, according to his obituary. Daly was born in North Tarrytown, and he was a graduate of Mahopac High School with the class of 2012, his obituary said. He went on to earn a bachelor's degree at Savannah College of Art and Design. During his time at school, he also played football, basketball, and lacrosse, his obituary said. "He had an eye behind the lens and captured so many won…