Janet M. Steeves

Janet M. Steeves
September 4, 2019
Washingtonville, NY
Janet M. Steeves of Washingtonville died Wednesday, September 4, 2019 after a life will lived.
Janet was the daughter of Louis and Ruby Copp Milner of Rochdale, Massachusetts. She played Baritone horn in high school and graduated first in her class in 8th and 12th grade. She graduated from Massachusetts State College, now the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. She married her husband, Earle Raymond Steeves Jr. in 1944 and began a lifelong career in dairy farming and education. Family, faith and community were her passions.
She is survived by her three sons: Earle R. Steeves III and wife, Lois, James Steeves and wife, Janice, and William; her daughter, Sharen Casazza M.D. and husband, James; and her sister, Mary Deming. She cherished her grandchildren: James Casazza, Margaret Casazza, David Casazza, Dan Steeves, Matthew Steeves, Caitlin Steeves, Elizabeth Steeves and Nally Steeves. Nine great-grandchildren filled her later years with joy and laughter and were recipients of her love and wisdom: Edylene and Everett Goodglass, Brayden, Dylan and Avery Steeves, Elizabeth Steeves, and Myles, Henry and Theodore Casazza. She is predeceased by her husband, Earle R. Steeves Jr. and her eldest son, David Steeves and her brothers, Gordon Milner, Raymond Milner and Louis Milner Jr.
Janet's life was full of service to her family, church and community. She acted upon the belief that a single person with strength and determination can make a difference. She fed children ill with TB at summer camp as a college student, was a nanny to professor's children for tuition money and cooked for a college sorority. She was a leader in the PTA, Boy and Girl Scouts, 4-H Club, Sunday school all while raising five children and teaching school. She was instrumental in bringing environmental education to the Washingtonville schools in the Lake Tiorati program, and supervised her class with the Clearwater Ship, and trips to Ashokan Reservoir. She held camp outs on the farm and taught her students about dairy production, campfire cooking, and star gazing and so much more. She acted as a Deacon, Trustee, Women's group, and leader of Stewardship for her church. She worked tirelessly for Church World Service and NY Help Honduras, Pennies for People, and The Heifer Project. She was honored as Lay Leader of the year for the State of New York for her work with NY Women. Caps for Kids was a program she created to raise money for children in Africa orphaned by AIDS and gathered a team of people in 30 states to knit and sell caps and encouraged all her grandchildren to sell hats on their college campuses. She raised over $40,000. The Country Store Thrift Shop benefited from her volunteer work for over 60 years. She delivered Meals on Wheels and was always available to lend a helping hand. Lasting friendships were created as a founding member of the Orange County Classic Choral Society where she sang for 62 years and in her Wednesday Bridge group.
Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m., Friday, September 20 at Ferguson Funeral Home, 20 North Street, Washingtonville, NY. A Memorial service will be held at 11 a.m., Saturday September 21 at the Blooming Grove United Church of Christ, 2 Old Dominion Road, Blooming Grove, NY.
Memorial contributions in Janet's name may be sent to the Nora Cronin Presentation Academy, 69 Bay View Terrace, Newburgh, N.Y. 12550.