Stephenson Waithe (1970 – 2020)

HUDSON—Stephenson “Junior” Waithe, 49, of Hudson passed away Sunday June 21, 2020 at Columbia Memorial Hospital.

Born in Bridgetown, Barbados, August 2, 1970 he was the son of Rudolph Nightengale and the late Evadney Thomas.

He was a loving husband, father, brother and uncle. He was a self-employed contractor and owner of his company, Prestige Painting, in Hudson. He did painting and repairs but was a man of many talents. As a boy he enjoyed playing cricket and soccer and on the soccer field his skills were a force to be reckoned with.

He will be greatly missed by: his loving wife, Phillipa Lambert Waithe; his daughter, Shakira Waithe of England; brother, Rodney Waithe; sisters, Janelle Waithe-Powell of Mt. Vernon and Rashida Nightengale of Barbados; aunts, Patricia Waithe, Sybil Seale, Beverly Gill and Ann Waithe; uncles, Shurland and Samuel Waithe of Barbados; nieces, Shaquila and Janiel; nephews, Brandon and Daniel; cousins, Dwayne, Merrissa, Donna, Shawn, Andre and David Waithe; sister in-law, Debbie Waithe; numerous other cousins and relatives in Barbados and Canada.

Calling hours will be held Tuesday, June 30 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Sacco Funeral Home, 700 Town Hall Drive, Greenport. Funeral services will be held Wednesday, July 1, 2020, 11 a.m. at the Pentecostal Lighthouse Church, 2885 Atlantic Avenue, Stottville with Pastor Felder Luma officiating. Burial will follow in Cedar Park Cemetery Hudson.

Milton E. Shufelt, Sr. (1942 – 2020)

ANCRAMDALE—Milton Edwin Shufelt, Sr., passed away June 24, 2020, with his loving family.

Also known to many as “Milt” or “Poppy,” he was born May 21, 1942 in Windham.

He was predeceased by: his mother, Clara Shufelt and father, Edgar Shufelt.

He resided in Ancramdale for 40-plus years. Mr. Shufelt showed his family the meaning of hard work. He worked for the Willow Brook Farm in Millerton, and the Town of Ancram Highway Department for more than 40 years. Many knew his town truck within the community and his skillful driving to keep the roads safe. He enjoyed the work he did and valued the farm life.

Mr. Shufelt touched the lives of everyone around him with his storytelling and humor. He will be forever remembered by his love for John Deere, the Yankees, and a good western. In his younger years, he enjoyed a good time, including with his bowling and softball teams. He enjoyed weekend outings to the racetrack at Lebanon Valley. He could never let a good farming or hunting story pass by. He had a love for animals, especially his dogs. One of his famous quotes from John Wayne was, “Come here, dog.”

Mr. Shufelt is survived by his wife of 44 years, Betty Lou; son, Milton, Jr., and his wife Natalie, and grandchildren Shane, Timothy, Zara, Steven, and one great-grandchild; son, Robert, Sr., and grandchildren Robert, Alicia, and four great-grandchildren; daughter, Dianne and husband Ken Roberts, grandchildren Ashley, Emmerson, and four great-grandchildren; daughter, Denise and Joey, and grandchildren Harold, Micaela, Austin, Colleen, Kaylee and Aubrii (known to “Poppy” as “Turkey”); son, Matthew and grandchild Noah (known to “Poppy” as “Noot”); daughter, Autumn (known to “Poppy” as “May-May”), James, granddaughter Danielle, and great-granddaughter Myra-Lynn.

His family will hold on to the loving memories always in their hearts.

There will be graveside service at Irondale Cemetery in Millerton, Wednesday, July 1 at 11 a.m. with the Reverend William Mayhew officiating. Masks are required (highly encouraged) per Peck and Peck Funeral Homes, Inc., guidelines due to Covid-19.

Any donations in honor of Mr. Shufelt may be made to the Columbia-Greene Humane Society in Hudson.

Maria C. Hunkele (1953 – 2020)

CLAVERACK—Maria Hunkele, 66, passed away June 26, 2020, with her husband of 39 years, Richard, by her side.

She was born September 3, 1953 in the Bronx to Harding and Louise Carminucci.

A graduate of Lehman College School of Continuing and Professional Studies, she went on to obtain her master’s degree in accounting from LIU.

Upon her marriage to Richard, they moved to Somers where they lived for many years before moving to Claverack. She was known for her devout faith and her love for her family. She was an active member of St. Mary’s Church in Hudson.

In addition to her husband, Richard, she is survived by: her son, Richard Hunkele, Jr.; her brother, Arthur Carminucci and his wife Antoinette; her sister, Catherine DiGiovanni and her husband Ronald as well as her niece and nephews, Christina Carminucci, Arthur Carminucci and Ronald DiGiovanni.

Funeral services will be held Tuesday, June 30 at 5 p.m. from the Bates & Anderson-Redmond & Keeler Funeral Home, 110 Green Street, Hudson. Visitation prior to the funeral service will be from 2 to 5 p.m.

Richard O. Bruno (1937 – 2020)

ALBANY—Richard Otello Bruno, 83, of Stuyvesant passed away June 26, 2020 at St. Peter’s Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.

Born April 12, 1937 in Manhattan, he was the son of the late Pasquale Bruno and Adis Balli.

Mr. Bruno was a U.S. Navy veteran, having proudly served from 1955 to 1958 aboard the U.S.S. Forrestal, on her commissioning voyage.

For his last 15 years of employment, he served as a corrections officer for the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office. He proudly lead the Columbia County Conservative Party, as chairman for 21 years and was a member of the Church of St. Joseph, Stuyvesant Falls.

Mr. Bruno was married to Kathleen C. Bruno (Newman) for 60 years. Together, they raised six children: Steven (Patricia), William (Noreen), Joseph (Colleen), Deneen (Frederick), Richard (Crystal) and Christine Pulcher (Paul), and were blessed with 12 grandchildren: Steven (Baleigh), Jonathan (Mariah), Jason, Jessica (PJ), Joseph (Danielle), Aleisha (Norman), Lawrence (Rebekah), Lexxie, Anthony, Ashley, Nicky and Amanda, as well as 11 great-grandchildren, Bristol, Julia, James, Vincent, William, Jacob, Savannah, Michael, Dane, Olivia and Spencer.

He treasured spending time with his family and was a lifelong Yankees fan. Not so long ago, he also enjoyed deer hunting. His immediate family and many relatives will miss his extraordinary story-telling from the “good old days.” His watermelon machete skills at family barbecues were legendary and icicles were no match for his marksmanship.

Relatives and friends may call at the Raymond E. Bond Funeral Home, 1015 Kinderhook Street, Valatie, Wednesday, July 1, 4 to 7 p.m. Funeral services will be held Thursday, July 2, 11 a.m. at the funeral home with burial to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Peter’s Nursing/Rehab or St. Joseph’s Church.