William Ward Monks Jr.

PITTSFIELD -- William Ward Monks Jr., 75, of 397 Stevers Mills Road, Broadalbin, N.Y., died Tuesday at home.

Born in Pittsfield on June 16, 1932, son of William W. and Wilhelmina Kirchner Monks, he was a 1950 graduate of Pittsfield High School and received a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Northeastern University in 1955.

Mr. Monks was Naval Reserve veteran of the Korean War.

He was employed by International Paper Inc. in Niagara Falls, N.Y., Upon moving to Latham, N.Y., he was employed by Mohawk Paper Mills in Cohoes, N.Y., and worked there from 1963 until retiring in 1994 as vice president of manufacturing. Mr. Monks moved to Broadalbin in 1984, and in 1999 became the proprietor of Meadowlark Farm, which nurtured 2,700 blueberry bushes.

Mr. Monks enjoyed woodworking, fishing, tending to his blueberries and was a fan of the Boston Red Sox.

He was a member of the New York State Berry Growers Association at Cornell University, and was a member of the Northeastern University Alumni Association.

Mr. Monks leaves three sons, William Ward Monks III of Constable, N.Y., Laurance C. Monks of Broadalbin, N.Y., and Michael H. Monks of Mayfield, N.Y.; two daughters, Michelle A. Myers and Charla Simonson of Broadalbin; a brother, David Monks of North Bennington, Vt.; a sister, Annette Moser of Panama City, Fla.; and 12 grandchildren.

FUNERAL NOTICE -- Cremation of William Ward Monks Jr., who died Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2007, will be performed at Parkview Crematorium in Schenectady, N.Y. A memorial service will be conducted Saturday at noon at the ROBERT M. HALGAS FUNERAL HOME INC., 38 West Main St., Broadalbin, N.Y., by the Rev. R.W. Williams. Calling hours will be from 10 a.m. to noon at the funeral home the morning of the service. Expressions of sympathy may be made to Mountain Valley Hospice in care of the funeral home. Mr. Monks also leaves 12 grandchildren, Tara, William, and Kathleen Monks, Sarah, Matthew and Nicholas Myers, Connor, Cameron, Zachary and Hunter Monks, and Casey and Zoe Simonson; seven nephews; several cousins; and his special god-daughter, Katrina Kerr.