THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2022
THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA A-7
OBITUARIES Carl Lusins, 53
September 6, 1968 – April 25, 2022
Carl Lusins with children Alex and Catherine
ONEONTA – Carl Lusins, longtime Oneonta resident, died in Albany, N.Y. on Monday April 25. He was 53. He is survived by his children, Alex Lusins, 25, and Catherine Lusins, 20, his mother, Anna Marie Lusins and his siblings, Gillian
Lusins, Dr. John Lusins III, and Matthew Lusins. Carl’s beloved father, Dr. John O. Lusins, and sister, Noelle Lusins, predeceased him in 2001. Carl was born in New York City on September 6, 1968. His family lived in
Bronxville until he was 15. Carl attended Bronxville Elementary School and Middle School, and he meet his lifelong best friend, Chris Long, and formed many other close bonds. Carl moved to Oneonta with his family and soon became a vibrant part of the community. He graduated from Oneonta High School in 1987. He was an avid hockey goalie and played in Binghamton throughout high school. He loved throwing parties and driving around Oneonta in his Mazda RX7 — a love of cars stayed a constant in his life — and was always willing to help his friends and family. He
was a graduate of New England College. A highlight of his college years was a semester abroad in England. During that year, he traveled throughout Europe and he was in Berlin, in 1989, when the Berlin Wall fell, a memory he treasured. Carl married Jennifer Livanavage in 1994. They lived in Seattle briefly until Carl and Jennifer returned to Oneonta with their son Alex in 1998. They divorced in 2004 but shared a continuing love for and dedication to their children. Carl worked alongside his physician father as a medical technician at Catskill Neurosciences.
Robert B. Schlather, Esq., 75 Esq. joined Bob, and they formed Schlather & Birch, Attorneys at Law. In 1987 they formed a real estate service business, Cooper County Abstract Company, Inc., the largest abstract and title insurance company in Central New York, as well as Northern Otsego Management Company, Inc. In recent years, he was part of Schlather & Kinley CPAs PLLC with his partner, Patrick R. Kinley. Bob was a member of the New York State Bar Association and a member and treasurer of the Otsego County Bar Association. Karen and Bob’s son, Robert Hammer (R.B.) Schlather was born and grew up in Cooperstown, to the joy of all who experienced his theatrical and operatic exploits. In addition to his professional practice, Bob was an active member of his community through many memberships and affiliations. A long-time devotee of the Glimmerglass Opera, he served what is now Glimmerglass Festival for more than forty years in various leadership positions including as Chairman of the Board of Trustees, as well as Treasurer of the Board and briefly as Interim General Director. In February of this year, Glimmerglass Festival’s Board of Trustees named Bob an Honorary Life Trustee in recognition of his extraordinary service and exceptional contributions with the worldrenowned program. The highest honor a Trustee can ever reach, Bob contributed thousands of hours to the Festival, helping the organization evolve from its years in the Cooperstown High School auditorium, and finding and securing the Company’s 37,000
square feet warehouse and rehearsal hall in the Town of Warren, a necessity and game-changer as the Festival grew in scope and reputation. Bob also served as Trustee and Treasurer for more than thirty years of the Friends of Bassett Healthcare, and for many years as Trustee and President of Helios (Hospice) Foundation. He particularly enjoyed working with the parents of residents of Pathfinder Village, helping to ensure that those residents could remain at Pathfinder for as long as each chose, and considered these residents “his kids.” He and his siblings established the SchlatherBilskey Family Foundation in memory of their parents to provide scholarships to Elyria Catholic High School from which most of them were graduated. A Paul Harris Fellow, he was an active member since 1979 and former president of the Cooperstown Rotary Club. He served nine years as Trustee of Hartwick College with a commitment to the importance of independent liberal arts colleges. Through the years he was also a member of the New York State Historical Association, the New York State Forest Owners Association, the Roseboom Historical Association, the Cooperstown Art Association, The Mohican Club and most recently was a founder of the Community Foundation of Otsego County. An avid golfer, he was a subscriber to the Leatherstocking Golf Course since arriving in Cooperstown. As well, he was a member of Otsego Golf Club and a shareholder of Head of the Lake, Inc., the owner of the land on which Otsego Golf Club is located. He reveled in the
“When I reach the other side; I’ll find a place to rest my spirit if I can; Perhaps I may become a highwayman again; Or I may simply be a single drop of rain; But I will remain.” He will be deeply missed. Calling hours will be 1-3 p.m. on Saturday April 30 at the Lester R. Grummons Funeral Home, 14 Grand Street, Oneonta, New York. Following that there will be a celebration of his life at the Oneonta Country Club at 4 p.m. To send an online condolence please visit www. grummonsfuneralhome. com
Ann Lois Edwards, 81
May 3, 1946 – April 27, 2022
COOPERSTOWN – Robert Bernard Schlather, Esq., Cooperstown lawyer, CPA and philanthropist, died Wednesday afternoon, April 27, 2022, at Bassett Medical Center in Cooperstown as a result of a brain tumor diagnosed in June 2020. He was 75. Born May 3, 1946, in Olmsted Falls, Ohio, Bob was the second eldest of thirteen children of Bernard Paul Schlather and Helen Virginia Bilskey. Raised in Elyria, Ohio, he graduated in 1964 from Elyria Catholic High School. He went on to attend and graduate magna cum laude with a BA in Accounting from Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa., and earned his Juris Doctorate and graduated cum laude from University of Notre Dame Law School in South Bend, Ind. In addition, he was awarded a certificate in English and American Law from the University of London as part of the Notre Dame Law School curriculum. He successfully completed the New York State Bar and Certified Public Accountancy Exams in 1971 and commenced work in the tax department of Price Waterhouse & Co, in both New York City and London. On July 14, 1973, Bob married his best friend, Karen Ruth Hammer in a ceremony at Saints Philip and James Roman Catholic Church in St. James, Long Island. They moved to Cooperstown in 1976. As both an Attorney and a Certified PublicAccountant, Bob began his practice in Cooperstown in 1977 with a focus on tax planning preparation, estate and trust planning and administration and real property transactions. In 1986, Robert W. Birch,
His daughter, Catherine, was born in Oneonta in late 2001. Carl loved working with his father and helping people. After his father’s death in 2001, he continued working at the practice, and then worked at various car dealerships in the area. Most recently, Carl worked as a Client Administrator at Horizon House in Albany and was thrilled to be able to help people get a fresh start. Carl loved and was enormously proud of his children Alex and Catherine. He treasured his lifelong friendships. In good times and in bad, Carl could be found listening to the country superband, The Highwaymen.
February 22, 1942 – April 29, 2022
time spent each winter in Vero Beach, Florida, with Bob, Chris, Richard, Ron and Earle, for as long as it lasted. Bob is survived by his wife of 48 years, Karen; son R.B.; son-in-law Adam Weinert; his mother’s sister Rosemary Bilskey; sisters Sr. Mary Rita Schlather, SND, Sr. Mary Margaret Ann Schlather, SND, Jeanne Frey, Roseann Brown and Mary Agnes Schlather (Gary Hammil); and brothers Raymond (Kathleen), Paul (Karen), Donald (Darlene), David (Jennifer), Kenneth (Donna) and Patrick (Joanne); sister-in-law Rebecca; former sister-inlaw Brooke; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents, their many siblings, brother William, niece Erin Schlather and brother-in-law Lawrence Frey. There will be no calling hours. A private Mass will be held at St. Mary’s “Our Lady of the Lake” Roman Catholic Church in Cooperstown. Livestream will be available by going to https://stmaryscoop.org and click on “View Livestream Here.” He will be laid to rest in the St. James Methodist Church Cemetery in St. James on Long Island. In lieu of flowers, please consider a gift to the Community Foundation of Otsego County, PO Box 55, Springfield Center, NY 13468, to be added to the Robert and Karen Schlather Donor Advised Fund for support of all things Otsego County, New York, particularly the performing arts. Arrangements are under the care and guidance of the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home in Cooperstown. A few personal tributes to Bob Schlather are featured on pages 1 and 6.
Grandma loved her farm, her family, and playing her old guitar. Lester R. Grummons Funeral Home will take the time to find out what made your loved one special. Whether it’s finding just the right flowers, or finding a musician to play her favorite tunes on her old guitar, we’ll do what’s necessary to make her service as unique as she was.
Lester R. Grummons Funeral Home 14 Grand Street, Oneonta • 607-432-6821 www.grummonsfuneralhome.com
COOPERSTOWN – At them “properly”. She was Noon on April 29, 2022, active for many years in the Ann Lois Edwards passed Fenimore Quilt Club and away unexpectedly but many family and friends peacefully, of natural causes, were the recipients of her at home, with her husband handiwork. On occasion at her side. She was in her friends and family called eighty-first year. on her for “emerBorn February gency” clothing 22, 1942, in Little repair. She usually Falls, N.Y., she was accommodated the daughter of the them, but she did late Francis J. Ashe not encourage it. and Elizabeth Lois was a Dudik Ashe. Her Life Member of paternal ancestry the American descended from Wine Society, a Ann Lois Germans who had member of the Edwards made the Great Wi l l i a m s p o r t , Swabian Trek down the Pennsylvania Chapter, and, Danube, and on her maternal along with her husband, was side from Slovaks who made the founding Co-Chair of the Little Falls “the second Glimmerglass Chapter of Myjava”. All her grandpar- the American Wine Society ents were immigrants. in Cooperstown. She was Lois graduated from a member of the Town St. Mary’s Academy in of Middlefield Historical Little Falls in 1960 and the Association. State University College Lois’ career long focus at Oswego in1964 with on teaching reading led a degree in Elementary to her favorite retirement Education. She received activity, volunteering at her Masters degree from the Cooperstown Village Marywood College in Library which gave her the Pennsylvania. opportunity to meet many She met her future new friends as well as interhusband in kindergarten, esting people. tolerated him until well She is survived by her into high school when they husband of 56 years David became close friends and D. Edwards; their son Brian, were married on June 25, his wife Erika and grandson 1966, at St. Mary’s Roman Benjamin in Essex Junction, Catholic Church (now Holy Vermont; their son Mark, his Family Parish) in Little wife Lisa and granddaughFalls. ters Lauren and Claudia Lois taught briefly in in Portland, Oregon; her Dolgeville and Cooperstown brother Ronald and his wife before moving to Patricia in Arden, North Pennsylvania and spending Carolina; and her aunt the rest of her career with Dorothy Frederick in Myrtle the Montoursville Area Beach, South Carolina, as School District. She and well as numerous cousins her husband retired back and their offspring. to Cooperstown in the year She was a communicant 2000, building the home of St. Mary’s “Our Lady of that she had envisioned in the Lake” Roman Catholic the Town of Middlefield. Church in Cooperstown. The consummate mother, The Edwards family will she supported all her boys’ receive family and friends activities as they grew up. from 5-7 p.m. Monday, A Cub Scout Den leader, May 9, 2022, at the Connell, swimming official and Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Montoursville’s original Home in Cooperstown. soccer Mom, she did whatA Mass of Christian ever had to be done without Burial will be offered at 11 need for recognition. a.m. Tuesday, May 10, 2022, She was an excellent at St. Mary’s “Our Lady of cook who could do wonders the Lake” Roman Catholic with a pound of hamburger Church in Cooperstown with or a chicken breast, and Fr. David Wm. Mickiewicz no holiday was complete officiating. A reception will without her Slovak pastry. follow. Pinena paprika, Kapustnica, In lieu of flowers the Sovenske Palacinky, and family suggests a donation Kolache were all within her to your local Food Bank, repertoire. before sharing a bottle of She was a very talented wine with friends. seamstress, making her own Funeral arrangements are clothes from age 12 until under the care and guidshe was about 40 years old, ance of the Connell, Dow & then choosing to purchase Deysenroth Funeral Home clothes, deconstruct them in Cooperstown. at home, and reconstruct
