Constance P. Orcutt

Orcutt, Constance P. DELMAR Constance P. Orcutt, 57, of Delmar, following a courageous fight against peripheral T-cell lymphoma, began a new journey on January 16, 2007, passing beyond the veil to be with her beloved father, John Orcutt, her grand-parents, sister-in-law and brothers-in-law, and other dear friends and relatives on hand to welcome her home. No doubt she was eagerly greeted by her cherished dog, Baozi, who made the journey several years ago. The second oldest of 12 children, Connie spent her youth in Oneida, N.Y. Being part of a large and loving family did much to shape the selfless, giving person that she has always been. A talented artist, she instead chose the path of the healing arts as a registered nurse with a master's degree in public health from Columbia University. After an internship at the state legislature, she worked as a health educator with Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield and an AIDS trainer with BOCES. For the past 15 years, she traveled the country monitoring drug and medical device studies for major pharmaceutical firms and the National Institutes of Health. Connie was deeply interested in complementary healing practices. She was a sensitive and intuitive practitioner of Reiki, Therapeutic Touch, Healing Touch, and Healing Touch for Animals, and a longtime member of the Albany Holistic Nurses Society. Upon learning of her work in both allopathic and alternative healing, a qigong master in Xi'an, China, said that Connie was like a tiger with wings, embodying two powerful but contradictory energies. On New Year's Day 1985, Connie met her future husband, Paul Block, through mutual friends: Paul's parents, Estelle and Murray Block. After a long courtship and a bit of prodding from Paul, "cautious Connie" took the plunge, and they were married on March 3, 1990. Connie became stepmother to Paul's children, Kiva and Ueyn, and developed a close friendship with their mother, Amy Lent. In July of this year, she became a grandmother with the birth of Jonas Martin Block to Ueyn and his wife, Jen. Connie is also survived by her mother, Margaret P. Orcutt; sisters, Roxann Moore, Christine Orcutt, Barbara Flores, Maureen Marris, Patricia Hubbard and Gene Orcutt; brothers, John Orcutt, Stephen Orcutt, Mark Orcutt, Thomas Orcutt and Andrew Orcutt; and, at last count, 24 nieces and nephews. Friends and family are invited to gather at 2 p.m. Saturday at Meyers Funeral Home, 741 Delaware Ave., Delmar, N.Y., to share memories and pay witness to the life of Connie Orcutt. In lieu of flowers, you can make a donation in Connie's name to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society or to any charitable organization of your choosing.