Chet Machlin

Chester (Chet) Elia Machlin was born March 3, 1947 in Cleveland, Ohio. He died on October 7, 2024 in Syracuse, New York. He was 77 years old. He is preceded in death by his beloved wife Dinita Machlin, his mother Gertrude Green Machlin, his father Eugene Machlin, his stepmother Edda Servi Machlin, his mother and father-in-law Dominic and Tosca DeSantis, his brother-in-law Timothy Haley, and his brother and sister-in-law Steve and Fedora Paolelli. 

He is survived by his son Joshua Machlin, his sisters Rona Machlin and Gia Machlin, his sister-in-law Nina Haley, his first wife Dorianne Machlin-Gutierrez, his nieces and nephews Noah and Talia Sclar, Tina (Bruce) McQuiston, Crystal (Aaron Knight) Paolelli, Paul Haley, Dominic (Tristi Hessler) Paolelli, Peter (Nicole) Haley, his great-nieces and nephews Colin, Owen, Cameron and Lily, and his pet dachshunds Luca and Willow, who have found a new, loving home.

 The son of Professor Eugene S. Machlin and Gertude Green Machlin, Chet spent the early part of his life in Croton-on-Hudson, NY. As a young man, he was an avid participant in the Civil Rights and Peace movements of the late-1960s and also deeply involved in the Greenwich Village music and film scene, serving as a ‘roadie’ for the legendary NYC garage-rock band The Blues Magoos.

Chet attended Syracuse University, where he earned his BFA in Film Studies and his MFA in Library Science. He was a full-time librarian at Syracuse University’s Bird Library for 23 years, as well as a night manager at Drumlins Health Shoppe. He was a beloved member of the Syracuse community and an avid Syracuse Orangemen sports fan. After his retirement, he was active in volunteering for local civic and arts organizations, and enjoyed attending local concerts and outdoor festivals with his wife Dinita. He was an award-winning, self-trained gourmet cook, and enjoyed painting and creating other personal arts and crafts. 

Chet was an incredibly kind soul who brought light and happiness to all who knew him. He overcame much adversity and never let his physical disabilities sour his demeanor or limit his life. Chet will be sorely missed by all who loved him.

 Visitation hours and a remembrance service will be held on October 22, 2024 at Burns-Garfield Funeral Home, 3175 E. Genesee St, Syracuse, New York, beginning at 11am. In lieu of flowers, the family is asking for donations to The Food Bank of Central New York. https://foodbankcny.org/