Obituaries
Irvin M. Bartz “Poppy”
84 of Batavia, passed away peacefully on Monday (June 17, 2024) to be with his Master and to regain the companionship of his lifetime partner, Diane.
He was born April 24, 1940 in Batavia, NY, to the late Albert J. Bartz Sr. and Ruth V. (Noel) Dutton.
He was predeceased by his loving wife Diane “Dee Dee” Tomaselli Bartz; Son, Kelly Bartz; Daughter, Risa Helene Bartz and sister Carol Irrera.
He served his country with the U.S. Marines Corps for four years and was a member of the American Legion Post 332 since 2000.
Irv retired from Eastman Kodak after 32 years, where he primarily worked in the water treatment and environmental services field. Irv was a member of Ascension Parish and was an officer of the Holy Name Society since 1967, a member of the St. Vincent DePaul Society, the choir, a lector and one of the first eucharistic ministers at the former church.
After retirement Irv volunteered at the VA Medical Center and was a representative of the Arch-Diocese for the Military to the VA Voluntary Service Committee. He also volunteered at Robert Morris, Jackson and John Kennedy Schools in Batavia where he enjoyed being with young children, helping them to read or whatever the assignment of the day was. He was also a coach for Youth Minor League Baseball for 5 years. The desire to be with the youth stemmed from his numerous activities with his sons at home and in school.
Survivors include his sons, Michael (John Couri) of Batavia, Eric (Sherrilyn) of Batavia and Christian (Celina) Bartz of Batavia. Grandchildren Taylor, Madeleine, Noelle, Leda, Nina and Risa. Great-grandchildren, Maple and Walden. Also survived by his siblings, Albert (Gerri) Bartz, Ronald (Sandy) Bartz and Rosemary (late Bob) Graff. In-laws, George Tomaselli, Jim (Connie Chatley) Tomaselli and Georginne Tomaselli and Nancy Tomaselli. Also survived by several godchildren as well as several nieces, nephews, cousins and their families.
Friends may call on Friday (June 21st) from 3-7pm at the J. Leonard McAndrew Funeral Home, LLC, 2 Bogue Ave., Batavia, NY. A Mass of Christian Burial will be Saturday, 11:30am at Ascension Parish (South Swan St.) in Batavia. Interment with military honors will follow in Grandview Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Ascension Parish or St. Vincent DePaul Society. Expressions of sympathy may be shared with the family at www.mcandrewfuneralhomes.net.
Arrangements were entrusted to the J. Leonard McAndrew Funeral Home, LLC, 2 Bogue Ave., Batavia.
Leonard B. (Brian) Clark,
78, of Batavia, passed away on June 14, 2024, at Crossroads House in Batavia, NY.
He was born in Batavia on June 13, 1946, the son of the late William R. and Delores I. (Pixley) Clark.
Brian graduated from Batavia High School in 1964. He was an Army veteran drafted during the Vietnam War era (1966). Brian was assigned to Fort Dix, New Jersey, for basic training before attending Ben Harrison Army Finance/Stenography School. Then, he was deployed to the Bavarian Region of Germany with the third infantry division/personnel actions branch. He rose to SP/5 status in 13 months, which was unprecedented.
Brian worked for over 35 years at the Batavia Daily News as a printer, foreman of the composing department, and the first system manager. He studied printing at the Rochester Institute of Technology and was a member of the International Typographical Union/Communication Workers of America. After retirement, he worked another six years as a commercial painter for Chmielowiec Painting, Inc.
Brian had a passion for news and read several newspapers. In his retirement, he was known to watch multiple news channels on a loop throughout the day! He enjoyed music-especially Elvis Presley and Motown acts, dancing, hunting, bowling, playing cards or games, camping, and working outside in his yard. He was an avid Buffalo Bills fan and loved to watch golf!
Brian put his family first. Spending time with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren always makes him smile! He was known to recount stories growing up surrounded by numerous cousins in the Pixley family. In later years, he could often be found sitting on his porch talking to his many neighbors, young or old.
He is preceded in death by two brothers, Richard C. Clark and Robert W. Clark, and his brother and sister-in-law, John and Diane Bostwick.
Survivors include his wife of 57 years, Sandra J. (Bostwick) Clark; children Stacey L.C. Aliasso (Thomas) Rowcliffe and Jarrod B. (Jessica Zaremski) Clark of Batavia; sister-in-law Deborah K. (Bostwick) Davis of Tennessee; grandchildren Tilar B. (Sara Conrad) Clark of Buffalo, Anneliese R. (Michael Fabiano) Aliasso of Batavia, Ariana M. (Austen) Bertrand of North Carolina, Guinnivere J. Clark of Batavia; great grandson’s Tilar Jon Michael Clark of North Carolina and Clark Joseph Fabiano of Batavia; former son in law Joseph M. Aliasso of Buffalo and an abundance of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
Brian’s family would like to acknowledge the exceptional care Dr. Jones, Dawn, Jason, Nicole, Kathy, Julie, and the many staff members and volunteers at Crossroads House provided.
There are no prior calling hours. Interment will be private at Western New York National Cemetery in Corfu, NY. In celebration of Brian’s life, he asks you to plant a tree in your community.
Memorials may be made to Crossroads House, P.O. Box 403, Batavia, NY 14021, Genesee Cancer Assistance, Inc., 127 North Street, Batavia, NY 14020, The Michael Napoleone Memorial Foundation, Inc., P.O. Box 267, Batavia, NY 14021-0267, Genesee County Hospice, 29 Liberty Street, Suite #6, Batavia NY 14020 or the Notre Dame Girls Soccer Program, Notre Dame High School, 73 Union Street, Batavia, NY 14020. To leave a condolence, share a story or light a candle in Brian's memory, please visit www.bataviafuneralhomes.com.
Arrangements have been entrusted to the Bohm-Calarco-Smith Funeral Home, 308 East Main Street, Batavia.
Hiram Kasten saw the light flash before his eyes, as he so often did when he was a young comedian in the New York comedy clubs during the late 1970s and 1980s, meaning his time was up and start wrapping up his set. This time it was to make his exit from this worldly stage to another. Waiting in the wings would be his beloved mother, Mildred “Marsha” Polansky Kastenbaum, with arms open wide to hold her precious son once more. There beside her, would be his sweet and loving father, Samuel “Jimmie” Kastenbaum, ready to place his Yankee cap on his head, as he so often did as a child, for his final outing. Both his parents having predeceased him. His devoted sister, Sari Spector Kastenbaum, who predeceased him also, would be waiting to share some familiar song with him to which she would have changed the lyrics to fit their own uniquely shared sense of humor. Walking to the stage door, they would be joined by his predeceased mother-in-law, Lois Quartley Kisiel, who cared for and loved him fiercely as if he were her own son. His kind and gentle father-in-law, Henry John Kisiel and his jovial and fun-loving brother-in-law, Kim Henry Kisiel, who both predeceased him, would be waiting to greet him with their happy smiles and extended hands.
On October 30, 1952, Hiram Kasten, (née Hiram Z. Kastenbaum) made his entrance onto his own wonderful and exciting stage. From the very beginning, he was predestined to be a performer, an entertainer, an actor and a comedian. He was born in The Bronx, on Clarke Place, just off the Grand Concourse and a mere mile walk to Yankee Stadium which became his childhood playground. His lifetime love of baseball began as a boy when he would watch “the greats” in person - Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Whitey Ford, Yogi Berra and Elston Howard. He loved his Jewish neighborhood with corner candy stores and stickball with his friends. His extended family all lived within walking distance and he felt safe and secure in exploring this colorful and delightful world. His father took him on Shabbat to their small shtiebel for services, but often, times Hiram would ask to go to the larger Temple Adath Israel on the Grand Concourse. It was a beautiful synagogue with an organ and a choir and young Hiram connected with the theatrical splendor. He was and always remained a Bronx boy through and through. He prided himself on being a product of New York City’s great public school system from elementary through Taft High School and then CUNY’s Lehman College, where he majored in Theatre – all in his beloved Bronx.
His dream was always to become an actor, and immediately after college in 1974, he was cast by Israel Horovitz in a revival of his play “Line” at the 13th Street Repertory Theatre. After a few years of bouncing around the theatre scene, he decided he would try his hand at stand-up comedy. His first stop was an obscure jazz club on the Upper East Side called Pearl’s Place, where he made the musicians laugh more than the audience with his hip references and style. After a few times onstage there, he set his sights on an actual comedy club and walked into The Comic Strip. The Emcee was Jerry Seinfeld and he passed Hiram on his first audition and he became a regular. The two struck up a friendship that has lasted for 45 years.
The Comic Strip became Hiram’s home base and there he honed his craft as a comedian. Milton Berle once said, “There's a difference between being a comic and a comedian. A comic is a guy who says funny things, and a comedian is a guy who says things funny”. Writing an actual act was never the end goal for Hiram; he was, for better or worse, in the latter category of being able to “say things funny”. To Hiram, it was all about the performance and the desire to entertain. He channeled the greats in his demeanor onstage, always dressing for the occasion. With his open-collared shirts and natty sports jackets, always with a pocket hanky billowing forth, he stood out amongst his peers. He was the “missing link” to another generation of comedians he watched as a child on TV. He emulated Alan King, Jackie Gleason and Jerry Lewis. He loved nothing better than donning one of his tailored suits or tuxedos and walking onstage for a show or a benefit and being entertaining. His comedy and demeanor were not some contrived gimmick to “put on” a character. He was the real deal. He belonged to a different time, a different generation, and he didn’t particularly care if he was not au courant. He was Hiram Kasten, and to know him and be his friend, one had to step into his world – and there were many who did, just to get a glimpse of what they were missing. His peers would come into the room to see him perform, not for his jokes or any semblance of great material, but for his panache and escape into a world of show business that was part vaudeville, part Catskills and a whole lot of Rat Pack. He always liked the piano players at the clubs to stay onstage while he was doing his set and follow him, and only the best could, like Eddie Rabin at Catch or Bob Sprayberry at The Strip. He would often break into song and then do a soft shoe across the stage. His act was never the same twice; his bits would never be in any order to get him that solid set he needed for “The Tonight Show” or Letterman. He liked being a free spirit, and he felt he was there to entertain, which was all he ever wanted to do, even at the detriment of furthering his career. “A truly charming guy”, the moniker given to him by the wonderfully talented artist and his dear friend Lori Field, could make audiences love him. He only had to take his cigarette case out of his inside pocket, take out a Kent, tap it on the case, pull out his black onyx lighter and then snap his fingers à la Jackie Gleason and say “smoke ‘em, if you got ‘em”. Then he would lift up his drink and toast the crowd and he was “off to the races” with the audience in the palm of his hand.
Hiram rode the wave that was the Comedy Boom of the 1980s. He performed in some club, somewhere in the tri-state area or on the road six nights a week. Monday was his self-imposed “night off”. The Comic Strip was his home base, and for many years, he was the resident Emcee. He also became a regular at Catch a Rising Star and occasionally The Improv, The Comedy Cellar and Caroline’s. He added to his club roster, Dangerfield’s, where he ran his own show every Sunday night for years. He got to work with and hang with many of the great comics and jazz artists that passed through there such as Jackie Mason, “Mr. B” Billy Eckstine and Sara Vaughan, besides Rodney himself. They would talk for hours in the Green Room and the bar after hours, all about show biz and they would regale him with their stories of how it used to be.
Around 1981, he worked a new club called The Big Apple. His first night there he spotted a waitress that caught his ever-roving eye. He asked another comic, Scott Blakeman, to make the introduction. She was a young actress, and the two found common ground in their love of theatre and the arts. Diana Kisiel started to make the scene at the clubs with Hiram. Their courtship went on for five years through the exciting days of the early 80s comedy boom. They forged lifelong friendships with other young comedians, singers, musicians, actors and artists of the day, all beginning their careers. Their life and the lives of their friends were heady days. Hiram and his fellow comedians made the rounds of the clubs in Manhattan during the weeknights. However, weekend gigs could be out on The Island or New Jersey and then come back to Manhattan for late-night sets at The Strip and Catch on the Upper East Side, The Improv on the West Side, or The Cellar in the Village. It was a big deal to have a show outside of town and then two or three spots in town on the weekend. One could actually make a living, and he did! After the clubs closed, they would do some late-night bar-hopping with fellow comedians, followed up by early morning repasts at some all-night diner or Chinatown. This went on for several years in the early 80s, and the shared dreams and ambitions of their fellow comedians and actors led to unshakeable bonds throughout their lives.
Hiram loved talking “shop” with his colleagues. He could pull out a reference that even they would marvel at how he knew that. If any of them got him on the phone, they had better be prepared for a
very long conversation that would go on for hours. There were so many stories in his head, but not being the writer or having that discipline, he very rarely put pen to paper. Hiram was in the moment, and if you weren’t there with him in that moment, then it would be lost forever.
Hiram and Diana married in 1986 in New York City in a storybook wedding at Park Avenue Synagogue and Tavern-on-the-Green. A year after their marriage, Diana gave Hiram an ultimatum: time to leave the Bronx and either get a house upstate and continue working as a stand-up, or move to LA and follow his dream of working as an actor in television which he always wanted, even more than stand-up. In 1987, they packed up their apartment and drove cross-country with their dachshund Petruchio for their next big scene change.
Some of their New York friends, comics and actors, had already gone out to the West Coast to find work in TV and film. By the late 80s, the mass exodus from New York to LA was in full swing. Having had the great camaraderie that was fostered in the New York comedy clubs, the couple and all of their New York friends had no trouble picking up where they left off and had their own very unique community. Diana even found apartments for several of the NY comics and writers, and their own little comedy compound developed in Hollywood. Immediately upon getting to LA, Hiram landed a recurring role in a pilot for CBS with Frank Langella and Sally Kellerman, called “Dr. Paradise.” Other roles followed in many sitcoms and some have become classics. He played Michael, a co-worker to Elaine Benes (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), in “Seinfeld.” He had guest starring roles in “Mad About You,” “Everybody Loves Raymond,” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” Some of his other TV credits included “7th Heaven”, “Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” “Brooklyn Bridge,” “Without a Trace,” “Saved by the Bell,” “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” “Brotherly Love,” “My Wife and Kids,” “Men of a Certain Age,” “Dirty Sexy Money,” “Fat Actress,” “Yes, Dear,” “State of Grace,” “It’s Like, You Know...,” “Cybill,” “L.A. Law,” to name a few.
During this time, their daughter Millicent came along. Hiram loved being a dad and was a stay-at-home father for the first few years of Millie’s childhood. He would come up with new things for the two of them to do every day. Lots of times, it was to an audition, and she would sit amongst the waiting actors chatting up a storm. They would have a standing late lunch at Jerry’s Deli. Many times, other comedians would join them, and Millie would hear the stories, pick up the timing and repeat the jokes. Hiram adored his little girl, and when she would pull out a reference or make a callback, he was thrilled! He was always so proud of the show-biz education she got from him.
Out of all the roles he played, his most perfect part was yet to come. Television writer and producer, Don Reo and actor/musician David Cassidy were producing a show at The Desert Inn in Las Vegas based on the Rat Pack. They were casting for a Joey Bishop-like character to add the comedy element to the show. Don Reo asked two TV producer/writer friends, Jim Vallely and Ron Zimmerman, if they knew of anyone. The two suggested Hiram, and as luck would have it, he would be hosting that very evening a “roast” for Mike Rowe, the comedy writer/producer of such hits as “Family Guy” and “Futurama.” The roast was to be held at the world-famous Beverly Hills Friars Club, a place where the original Rat Pack ate and played cards. Unbeknown to Hiram, Don Reo and David Cassidy showed up at the Friars Club that evening to see for themselves. Never had a part and an actor been so ideally suited! Hiram killed, and before he knew it, he was mixing drinks in a tuxedo onstage in Vegas eight times a week!
One night during the run, the actor playing Sammy, was nowhere to be found. He was not able to make the show. Hiram, always the show biz trouper, believed “the show must go on!” Without missing a beat, Hiram decided he would play both parts. Much to the amazement and sheer terror of the cast and crew, he perfectly melded the two parts together onstage and seamlessly set up the cues for the other actors and the orchestra. The audience loved it! Diana, always thought the show should be called “Hiram Meets the Rat Pack.” Friends and family from both coasts came to see him, and the original Reo/Cassidy production “The Rat Pack is Back” was the toast of the town! His old friend Jerry Seinfeld gathered up some close friends – Paul Reiser, Larry Miller, Mark Schiff, Michael Richards, Mario Joyner, to name a few – and jetted them all in to catch the show at The Desert Inn. Word got out it was the show to see in Vegas! Again, that “truly charming guy” was in his element.
Hiram continued his stand-up by performing in clubs and on cruise ships. He traveled the world on luxury cruises such as Seabourn, Royal Viking and Princess. He was the consummate Master of Ceremonies and loved donning his tux and doing a benefit for some organization anywhere. His favorite was for a benefit in LA at The Beverly Hilton for Bar-Ilan University in Israel. He wished his parents could have been there to see their son, Tzvi Hersh (his Hebrew name), the boy from The Bronx, honor and introduce Jewish philanthropists and political figures who supported higher education in Eretz Yisrael. He had come a long way from Clarke Place.
After 25 years, Hiram and Diana moved to Batavia, New York, where Diana was born and raised and many of her family still lived. The decision to leave LA was a difficult one, but a necessary one for Diana. She wanted to be near her aging father after her mother had passed away; she had a family business in which she was a partner that she needed to attend to; they already had a house they only lived in during summer vacations when they visited her parents, their daughter would be attending Cornell University which was only two and a half hours away. So, they packed up and moved back East. Hiram went back and forth between Batavia and New York City for a few seasons, but the landscape had changed, as had the business. In 2016, Diana ran for Congress on the Democratic ticket in NY-27. Hiram was so proud and supportive of her. He was also thrilled to see his daughter graduate with Honors from Cornell University in Government and then later receive her Juris Doctor degree from Fordham University in New York.
In 2017, his health had taken a downturn, and he no longer performed or actively pursued his career. Never mentioning it to his friends, he carried on as usual over the phone and with trips to NY and LA. After seven years of fighting through a multitude of illnesses, including prostate cancer and his lifelong battle with Crohn’s disease, he only began to share the terminality of it all with his friends in the last six months. His great comedy and artistic community rallied to his side. Some made trips to Batavia to visit him, late night Zoom meetings with friends on both coasts ensued and went into the wee hours of the morning. On his first Zoom, he held court. He loved it and was at the top of his game, throwing down references to comedy history and recalling stories from the past. Diana said it prolonged his life for at least another two months to be able to laugh with his peers.
Hiram Kasten loved show business and lived his dream of being in show business. His most satisfying and greatest role, though, was as a family man. He loved being a dad to his beautiful and brilliant daughter who survives him, Millicent Jade Kastenbaum of Manhattan. Her many achievements in her young life and in her career as an Assistant District Attorney have made him burst with pride and love. He is survived by his beloved wife, Diana Kisiel Kastenbaum of Batavia, New York, who loved and tenderly cared for him until the end. Theirs was a great love affair. They were married on June 15, 1986, and he died in her arms the day after their 38th wedding anniversary. He is also survived by his brother-in-law, Kevin John Kisiel of Rochester, New York and several loving nieces and nephews and their children, as well as wonderful cousins on both sides of the family.
Funeral services will be at Schwartz Brothers-Jeffers Memorial Chapel, 114-03 Queens Boulevard in Forest Hills, New York. Burial will take place immediately after services at Mount Hebron Cemetery, 130- 04 Horace Harding Expressway, Flushing, New York.
A memorial service will be held in Los Angeles later this summer, time and place to be announced.
The family has asked that if anyone cares to make a memorial tribute that it be made in the form of a charitable donation to:
Crossroads House
https://www.crossroadshouse.com
Entertainment Community Fund (formerly The Actors Fund)
https://entertainmentcommunity.org
Hazel F. Shortt Fletcher, age 89, passed away on Saturday, February 3, 2024 at United Memorial Medcial Center. She was born on February 9, 1934, in Brockport, a daughter of the late Basil Whitney, Sr. and Addie Wheeler Whitney. Hazel is predeceased by her her husbands, Donald Shortt and John Fletcher, Sr. and her daughter, Donna L. Shortt. Surviving are her sons, Edward (Eileen) Shortt and Michael (Julia) Shortt, both of Bergen; granddaughters, Stephanie Bowen of Las Vegas and Amy Shortt; four great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; her brother, Basil (Charlene) Whitney, Jr. of Bergen; sisters, Ruth (Calvin) Platten and Betty (Tom) Kent, both of Batavia, Katherine Anderson and Dorothy Goodell, both of Florida along with several nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews. Hazel had a fondness for word puzzles and enjoyed time with her late husband, John Fletcher Sr., while traveling on the road in his tractor trailer. Friends and family are invited to call on Friday, February 9, 2023 from 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm at the H.E. Turner & Co. Funeral Home, 51 South Lake Street, Bergen. Private burial will be held at the convenience of the family at Mount Rest Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please make donations in her memory to Volunteers for Animals, P.O. Box 1621, Batavia, New York 14021 or the Bergen Fire Department, P.O. Box 428, Bergen, New York 14416. To leave a condolence, share a story or light a candle in her memory, please visit www.bataviafuneralhomes.com.
Robert (Bob) Walsh, son, husband, father, grandfather, friend, left us peacefully on January 25th, 2024 after a brief illness and short hospitalization at Millard Fillmore Suburban. Bob joins the following loved ones in Heaven: wife, Brenda, daughter, Cindy, and son, Bobby. Robert is survived by his children; Robin and Patrick Walsh (Jocelyn Berg, also Bob’s caregiver) as well as, Son in Law Mark (Cindy) Fugle; Grandchildren: Jeremy (Lisa) Perry, Catherine Perry (Jeffrey Bloomer), Nicole Perkins (Jared), Wesley and Jason Ellsworth. Bob also leaves behind three beloved great grandchildren Ryan and Oliver Perry, and Zaiden Bloomer. Bob worked as a Mechanic, Corrections officer, Fire and Safety Inspector, Carpenter and Master Craftsmen, Small Business Owner, Firefighter and Emergency Rescue Volunteer. He had many hobbies including snowmobiling, hunting, fishing, and trapping. Bob’s expertise in trapping has been passed down to individuals who have thrived to the point of local and national recognition in the field. Many hunters were welcomed into his home over the years for an annual deer camp that took place in the Walsh’s garage. His skills, methods, and hospitality impacted many. Bob will be laid to rest next to Brenda, in St. Joseph’s Cemetery after a Christian Mass at the Church of Saints Joachim and Anne. Bob’s funeral will be held on Saturday, February 10th, 2024 at 10 am at Sts Joachim and Anne’s church in Varysburg, NY. There will be no wake or calling hours as per his final wishes. The family asks that any flowers be sent to the church for the ceremony and that any donations be gifted to the Varysburg Volunteer Fire Department or to Saints Joachim and Anne’s Parish. Bob stayed with us diligently and remained with all of his faculties until the age of 85. His presence and wisdom will be greatly missed, yet we find some solace that he has gone home to the Lord and to the rest of his family members, awaiting his arrival. Thank you to Marley’s Funeral Home for making the arrangements for Robert Walsh and his Family. Online condolences at www.marleyfuneralhome.com.
Norma L. Hale, 98 of Batavia passed away on Saturday, (February 3, 2024) at East Side Living and Rehabilitation Center in Warsaw. Mrs. Hale was born June 13, 1925 in Batavia, a daughter of the late Spencer and Clara (Sheer) Foster. Norma was a longtime parishioner of Resurrection Parish – St. Mary’s Church in Batavia. She worked in the cafeteria in all of the Batavia City Schools and enjoyed volunteering at the Senior Center and the Mgsr. Kirby Lunch Program. She is survived by her children, Margaret (Frank) Zambito of Elba, and Patricia (Jerome) Piepenburg of Wethersfield; a sister-in-law, Margaret Foster of Maryland; close friend Lois Nanni of Batavia. 8 grandchildren, including Jacqueline (Doug) Ferris of LeRoy, 8 great-grandchildren, including Jacob Ferris of LeRoy, and several nieces and nephews also survive. Along with her parents, Norma is preceded in death by her husband, LaVerne S. Hale; children, Daniel F. Hale, and Richard (late Sheila) Hale; grandsons, Ethan Diaz, and Jason Hale; brother, Spencer “Sonny” Foster; sisters, Dorothy (late Gordon) Amidon, and Doris (late Harry) Pask. There will be no visitation. Family and Friends are invited to attend Norma’s Mass of Christian Burial on Friday (February 9, 2024) at 11:00 a.m. at Resurrection Parish – St. Joseph’s Church, 303 East Main Street in Batavia. Burial in St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Batavia will be private. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Volunteer for Animals, PO Box 1621, Batavia, New York 14021. Arrangements for Norma were entrusted to the care of Bohm-Calarco-Smith Funeral Home in Batavia. Please leave a condolence, share a story, or light a candle at www.bataviafuneralhomes.com.
Lowell J. Fairbanks, 86 of Batavia, passed away on Thursday, (February 1, 2024) at Premier Genesee Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation in Batavia. Mr. Fairbanks was born May 21, 1937 in Batavia, a son of the late Lester and Matilda (Coffey) Fairbanks. He was a member of the Batavia First United Methodist Church. Lowell was an avid golfer and greatly enjoyed spending time in the Adirondacks where he would hunt and fish. Most of all, Mr. Fairbanks cherished time spent surrounded by family and friends. Surviving are his children, Lowell T. (Linda) Fairbanks of Texas, Lester Fairbanks (Judy Fairbanks Sanders) of Batavia, Steven (Daphne) Fairbanks of Batavia, Cheryl (Mark) Yasses of East Bethany, and Lori Beherns-Fairbanks of Batavia; a brother, Norman (Sharon) Fairbanks of Byron; sister, Carol (Carmelo) LoVerdi of Byron; brothers-in-law, Lester (Gloria) Stevens, William (Sue) Stevens; sisters-in-law, Missy Blackmon, and Norma Stevens. 13 grandchildren, 26 great-grandchildren, and 4 great-great-grandchildren, along with several nieces and nephews also survive. Along with his parents, Lowell is preceded in death by his wife, Elaine (Stevens) Fairbanks; a grandson, Eric Fairbanks; brother-in-law, George Stevens; sister-in-law, Helen (late William) Powers; and beloved dog Bozo. Family and friends are invited to call on Saturday, (February 10, 2024) from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at H.E. Turner & Co. Funeral Home, 403 East Main Street in Batavia. Lowell ‘s Funeral Service will immediately follow visitation at 1:00 p.m. at the funeral home. Burial will be in Grand View Cemetery in Batavia. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association of WNY, 6400 Sheridan Drive, Suite #320, Buffalo, New York 14221. Please leave a condolence, share a story, or light a candle at www.bataviafuneralhomes.com.