Joseph A. Amato Jr.
April 16, 1935-November 13, 2016
Joseph A. Amato, Jr. of Highland Mills passed away on Nov. 13 at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital in New York City.. He was 81.
Son of Joseph A. Amato, Sr. and Camille L. Peronti Amato Stout, he was born April 16, 1935 in Brooklyn.. He was a Veteran of the U.S. Army and both an Attorney and a Real Estate Developer. He founded Kent Companies of Highland Mills in 1965. He was a Founding Board Member of the Orange County Community Foundation, a director of the Hudson Valley Builder’s Association, a Trustee of the Saint Luke’s Cornwall Hospital and of Tuxedo Park School. He was an active member of many local organizations and a pillar of the community. He loved life; he was an avid golfer, sailor and skier and relished spending time with his family and friends. He was a very generous, big-hearted man who touched many lives.
Survivors include his wife Deborah E. DeClerck Amato at home; his sons: Michael M. Amato of Highland Mills, Joseph A. Amato, III of Los Angeles; his daughters: Danielle M. Amato of Highland Mills, Christina E. Amato of Newburgh, Jackie Stephanides and her husband Gregory of Wall, N.J., Janice Amato Raikhovski and her husband Nikita of Larchmont, and his grandchildren: Anya, Natasha, and Katya. Joseph was predeceased by his sister Arlene Amato.
His family received visitors on Nov. 17 at Falkirk Estate and Country Club, 206 Smith Clove Road, Central Valley, NY 10917. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, November 18th at St. Patrick’s Church, 448 Route 32, Highland Mills, NY. Interment will follow in Holy Rood Cemetery, Westbury, N.Y.
Memorial donations may be made to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, PO Box 5028, Hagerstown, MD 21741-5028.
Arrangements by Smith, Seaman & Quackenbush, Inc. Funeral Home.
Joanne Held
March 6, 1949-November 9, 2016
Joanne Held, 67, of Columbia, Ky. formerly of Dover Plains, N.Y., passed away on Nov. 9 at the Norton Health Pavilion in Louisville after an illness.
She was born March 6, 1949 in Cornwall, the daughter of the late Joe Pilus and is survived by her mother Winnifred Laegler Pilus of Cornwall.
In addition to her mother she is survived by her husband, Bruce Held of Columbia, her sons Brian and his wife Kellye of Columbia, and Dan and his wife Brandy of Columbia; her daughter Elizabeth Head of Springfield, Tenn.; her sisters Peggy Trimble of Newburgh, Darlene (Paul) Korykora of Cornwall and Dory Salerno of Woodstock, N.Y.; her grandsons Bohdi Bryant, Hunter Held, Walter Held and Daniel Held; her granddaughters: Paige Held, Gabriella Held and Lilah Held; one great granddaughter: Rylee Held; special friends, Karren Loy and Debra Wimmer of Columbia; a host of beloved cousins, nieces, nephews and friends also survive.
She was a member of the Columbia United Methodist Church, a longtime Arts & Humanities teacher at Adair County High School, drama club sponsor and a football mom.
A funeral service was held on Nov. 14 at Stotts-Phelps-McQueary Funeral Home in Columbia with Dr. John Hatton officiating. Internment was in Columbia Cemetery.