William Peter Behuniak

William Peter Behuniak KINGSTON - William Peter Behuniak, beloved husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather and beloved community member, died peacefully on Thursday, Aug. 9, 2012 at his home, 58 Andrew Street, Kingston, N.Y. at the age of 97. Born in Peekskill he was the son of Peter and Tanka Mihalchak Behuniak with eight siblings. William, known as "Bill", graduated from Peekskill High School. He was a member of the Civil Conservation Corp. (CCC) during the Great Depression and helped to create large public projects such as the Pound Ridge Reservation in Westchester County where he began his love of gardening. He worked at General Motors manufacturing in Tarrytown for 42 years building cars in peacetime and planes in wartime. Bill Behuniak also worked a second-job as a private gardener and grew into an avid horticulturalist, growing prize-winning giant 400 pound plus pumpkins for national competition from his own seed, maintaining beautiful flowering gardens in his large backyard including a thriving apple tree from the original Johnny Appleseed seed stock, and growing 100 extremely rare American Chestnut Trees then planted at the Mountaintop Arboretum in the Catskills, four of which still survive over 20 feet. He was an active and a respected elder in the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Kingston. He was an avid reader of history, science and philosophy, a collector of over 1500 National Geographics and loved to discuss news and world events even recently. Bill was predeceased by his eldest son William Behuniak Jr., of Dobbs Ferry and his first wife and mother of his children Ruth Wilke Behuniak, and brothers Paul, Donald, George and Michael Behuniak and sisters Helen Candrea, Mary Barthelmas and Ann Maricheck. He is survived by his beloved wife of 32 years, Ellen Petersen Behuniak (95 years old) at Ferncliff in Rhinebeck and younger brother, Frank Behuniak, 83, in S.C., three children: Ruthann Rabuffo and her husband Gregory of Rosendale, Robert Behuniak of Kingston, and Bryan Behuniak of Raleigh, N.C., and a stepson Walter Lehmann and his wife Cheryl of Cardiff, Calif. and a daughter-in-law Ann Behuniak of Dobbs Ferry; grandchildren Scott Greenberg of Rosendale, Laurel Bright and her husband Peter of York, Maine, William John Behuniak of Dobbs Ferry, Tanya DeLeon and her husband Anthony of N.C. and Alisha Behuniak of Van Cortland, David and Ross Behuniak of N.C., and three great-grandchildren Dylan and Elena Bright, and Delilah DeLeon. Many nieces and nephews also survive. There will be no calling hours. His body has been donated to Albany Medical College as an anatomical gift per his wishes. Family members and friends are invited to a memorial service on Sept. 22nd at 1 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 320 Sawkill Road, Kingston. Condolences may be sent to The Behuniak Family, 58 Andrew Street, Kingston, N.Y. 12401. The family requests that in lieu of flowers memorial contributions be made to the National Arbor Day Foundation or Mental Health Association in Ulster County.