All Obituaries

John J. Murphy, a long-time resident of Ithaca, New York, and the retired Tompkins County Administrator, died on Saturday, January 15 at the Syracuse Home at McHarrie Center in Baldwinsville, New York after a brief illness. He was born on April 4, 1922, in Archbald, Pennsylvania, the son of John Thomas Murphy and Anna Mahon.  He married Molly Ruane on December 1, 1951, and they had five children. During World War Two, he served as a Second Lieutenant and Navigator in U.S. Army Air...

Damon Allen Jesmer born on January 3, 2022,  passed away January 11, 2022 at Cayuga Medical Center in the arms of his mother. He left behind his mother Hope Jesmer and father Jordan Barrios; grandfather John Nelson;  aunt Jamilla Cubero aunt Yessareee Nelson, uncle Attavin Magee; great-uncle Charlie Barrios on his father's side uncle, Joseph Lewis; Aunt Tiffany Jesmer; great aunt Elizabeth Lafort; great-grandmother Pat Lewis; Godfather Kai Greene; godmother Jody Ward and...

Jesse David Siemon (42) was born May 22,1979 and passed away suddenly on January 7, 2022. He was the beloved son of Edward and Nancy Siemon . He was raised in Ithaca, NY where his favorite memory was spending his summers enjoying swimming, canoeing, and fishing at their family cottage on Cayuga Lake. Jesse attended The Gow school in Buffalo, NY as well as Ithaca High School. Jesse was survived by the mother of his children, Jaime Siemon and their four children- Branden Decker(Michaela) ,...

The Reverend Tracy H. Wilder, III, retired Episcopal priest and beloved dad, grandpa, brother and uncle, departed this life on January 6, 2022 after a short illness.  He was 76. Tracy was born April 17, 1945, at the tail end of WWII while his naval-officer father was at sea.  As a Navy brat (nicknamed “Skip”)  he grew up in different towns all over the US, from Washington D.C., to Newport, to Boston, to Latham, New York, to Garden Grove, California to Virginia...

Filomena H. Hubble, age 86 of Ithaca, NY passed away Monday, January 3, 2022 at Cayuga Medical Center. Born March 21, 1935 in Endicott, NY she was the daughter of the late Frank and Angelina Barbato Grassi and wife of the late Stephen I. Hubble who passed away October 26, 2015. Fil was a very caring nurse who was employed for over 40 years with Cayuga Medical Center in Ithaca. She was very musical, playing the guitar and piano, and made sure she brought her children up to appreciate and...

Ellen Lorraine Shoemaker, 89, of Newfield, passed away December 28, 2021 at the Beechtree Care Center. She was born November 1, 1932 in Newfield, NY to RosAnne Merithew. She was preceded in death by her mother RosAnne, daughter Marsha Freelove and sons David and Kenneth Shoemaker. She is survived by her daughter Kathy Carman, son-in-law Leonard Freelove, grandchildren Caren Carman Gonzalez, Megan (Toby) Walker, Michelle Freelove and Mark Freelove, great-grandchildren Andrew, Alex and Adam...

Dorothea “Dottie” Christopher 104 of Ithaca, NY passed away peacefully on December 28,2021. She leaves a huge hole in the hearts of her family and friends who were always entertained by her stories and hilarious sense of humor. She truly brought the life to the party. Dottie was born in Syracuse, NY but lived most of her life in Ithaca, a town she loved and never left. Dottie spent her time volunteering for the Hospital Auxiliary, and an active member of the Greek Orthodox...

Fred W. McLafferty, the Peter J. W. Debye Professor of Chemistry Emeritus at Cornell University, passed away on December 26, 2021 in Ithaca, NY. He was 98 years old. He was an eminent scientist, a decorated veteran, and known for his quick wit, self-deprecating and friendly manner, and devotion to his wife Tibby and their family. Born on May 11, 1923 in Evanston, IL, his family moved to his mother’s family farm in Nuckolls County, Nebraska following the...

Raymond Thomas Ankrum, 45 of Cortland, New York passed away Tuesday, December 21, 2021 at Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre, PA. Ray was the son of the late David L Ankrum and loving mother Laura M Langendoerfer Ankrum. He attended Ithaca High School until he reached 11th grade. He played Football and Lacrosse during that time. A bit later in life he met his wife, Winnie who he married in August of 2005. They do not have children, but 3 cats that they have raised and loved...

Ithaca - Robert S. Strichartz died December 19, 2021 after a long illness. He was born October 14, 1943 to Sonia Moskowitz and Harvey Strichartz. He was raised in the Bronx by his immigrant mother. He attended the Bronx School of Science and developed his talents in mathematics and music. He graduated from Dartmouth and in 1966 he finished his PhD in Mathematics from Princeton University under the supervision of Professor Elias Stein. He met his wife, Naomi Richardson, a ballet dancer from...