William Boyd Hale

funeral mass

William Boyd Hale (Bill) died peacefully at age 79 on March 31, 2012, in Bonita Springs, Fla., with his loving wife Judy at his side. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at noon on Saturday, June 23, at St. Bartholomew’s Catholic Church in Old Forge. Burial will follow at the Riverview Cemetery.

In his lifetime of work as an engineer and lover of the outdoors, he left a lasting mark on the places he lived. In Puerto Rico, he was a mentor who inspired many. His handiwork can be seen in the roads and subways that will last long after his passing. In Old Forge, he created an oasis for his family that spawned generations of memories.  In Estero, Fla., he fulfilled his dream of living on a golf course and had a gentleman golfer reputation, gaining caring friends wherever he went.

Bill’s life journey took him all over the United States. He was born on October 26, 1932, in Iron Mountain, Mich., and grew up in Hamburg, NY, attending St. Peter and Paul’s elementary school and graduating from Hamburg High School in 1950. That year, he was a member of the Hamburg High Bulldogs football team that went undefeated. In 2011, this outstanding team was honored by the Hamburg Alumni, and the team picture was posted on the Wall of Fame at the high school.?Following graduation, Bill attended Kansas State University, majoring in Architectural Engineering and serving in the ROTC. He was a member of the Steel Ring Society, an honor bestowed upon outstanding seniors in the College of Engineers. In 1954, Bill married Catherine Liberty, also of Hamburg. After graduating, Bill served in the U.S. Air Force from 1955 to 1958. He completed flight training at Marana Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz., before becoming a pilot. He was also briefly assigned to Niagara Falls Air Base.  ?Bill greatly enjoyed drawing, and his talent and intellect led him naturally into his career. After leaving the Air Force, Bill joined the firm Barrett Associated Engineers LTD. The firm secured a contract with the government of Puerto Rico to design and oversee the construction of the first superhighway on the island linking San Juan with Ponce. Bill relocated his family to Puerto Rico in 1960 to manage the project. In 1964, Bill became a partner of Barrett and Hale after founding partner Elmer Barrett retired. In 2002, the company name was changed to Barrett Hale and Alamo to acknowledge his partner. BH&A has become renowned for their work on a number of transportation projects in Puerto Rico, including the first high-speed passenger rail system.

Bill stayed close to his upstate New York roots by vacationing nearly every summer at his family home in Old Forge. Bill loved his trees; townsfolk may remember the three giant oaks that long grew on the shoreline of his house on First Lake and became almost family friends over the years. For nearly 40 years, the house was the setting for family vacations, reunions, and even son Steve’s wedding. It was in Old Forge that Bill was able to fully enjoy his passion for outdoor activities, including fishing, golf and wildlife.

In his later 27 years, Bill enjoyed a comfortable, happy life with his second wife Judy Teilborg in their Puerto Rico and Florida homes. Their beloved dogs, Java and Mocha, were a special part of his life.

Bill will be dearly missed by his family and the many friends and colleagues whose lives he touched over the years. He was known to be rich in knowledge and life perspectives, always ‘the smartest man in the room,’ generous with his wit and wisdom. It is a comfort to his family that his legacy survives not just in his children and grandchildren but in the transportation systems he designed and the memories he created.

Surviving him are wife Judy Teilborg, daughters Debra Hale and Jennifer Hale of Austin, Texas; Catherine Stevens of Bridgewater, NJ; son Stephen Hale of Longwood, Fla; sons-in-law Robert Setty and Rick Stevens, daughter-in-law Sandra Hale, grandchildren Tyler, Christine, Hayley, Matthew, Katie, Stuart, and his siblings Thomas Hale and Charlotte O’Donnell. He is predeceased by his parents, Mary Rose of Lima McCormick and Charles Kenneth Hale.  

Donations may be made in Bill’s memory to an educational fund he supported in his brother-in-law’s name, the John F. O’Donnell, Esq. Scholarship, The College of Saint Rose, c/o Institutional Advancement Office, 432 Western Ave., Albany, New York 12203, office number (518) 454-5131.

Frances Horgan

May 21, 2012

Frances C. Horgan, 100, formerly of Ballston Lake, Utica, Macedon and Old Forge, died at Seton Health-Schuyler Ridge on May 21, 2012. She was born on April 17, 1912, in Old Forge, the daughter of the late William and Catherine Sullivan Christy and the granddaughter of Philip H. (Adirondack Guide) and Bridget Rivette Christy.

She graduated from the Town of Webb High School in Old Forge, and from Central Business College in Syracuse. Frances previously worked for the Cross and Foley Law Firm as a legal secretary in Utica and was later employed as a bookkeeper with the Utica Plating Company in Utica. She was a communicant of St. Edward the Confessor Church in Clifton Park.

She was the loving wife of the Late Edward A. Horgan, Sr. with whom she celebrated 55 years of marriage until his passing in 1994. Frances was the beloved mother to Mary Kay Horgan of Ballston Lake, Edward A. (Patricia) Horgan, Jr. of Glens Falls, Sheila (Richard) Vaeth of Webster and Lawrence (Nancy) Horgan of Victor; sister of Philip (Margaret) Christy of Syracuse, Maurice (Joan) Christy of Jamesville, Robert (Marie) Christy of Canton and Roland Christy of Syracuse; eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. She is also survived by many nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews.

Frances, granddaughter of an Adirondack guide, loved the Adirondacks, climbing, hiking, playing with her children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews in the beautiful setting of Old Forge, the family gathering place for many occasions. In particular, she will be remembered for popcorn, lemonade and fireworks on the 4th of July. She always had a twinkle in her eye and a song in her heart. Of utmost importance to her was her faith and her family.

In addition to her parents, Frances was predeceased by her siblings, Frederick and Rev. Lawrence Christy, Thelma Delgado, Theresa Smith and Lucille Christy.

Special thanks to Jay Brophy, neighbor and best of friends to Frances as well the devoted staff at Seton Health. She is also survived by many friends of all ages, as well as her dear companions at Seton Health at the Fine Dining Table.

A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Friday, May 25, at St. Edward the Confessor Church.

Interment was on Saturday, May 26, in the Calvary Cemetery in Utica.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Activities Fund at Seton Health-Schuyler Ridge, 1 Abele Blvd., Clifton Park, NY 12065.