Ellen C. Lyons

Lyons, Ellen C. CITY Ellen Agnes Carswell Lyons was born on January 10, 1924 in Meadowbrook, N.Y., and died on July 26, 2011 at age 87 in Troy, N.Y., from lung cancer. She previously resided in East Greenbush, N.Y., for over 50 years. She was the daughter of Samuel Carswell and Mary Veronica (Mae) Gillick and as a young girl resided in South Fallsburg, N.Y. She was eighth grade valedictorian and graduated from South Fallsburg High School in 1941. She attended Spencer's Business School in Kingston, N.Y. She married Arthur Bolen Lyons on April 8, 1945 at St. Peter's Church in Monticel lo, N.Y., a union that lasted nearly 62 years. Together they had five children, Lauretta, Arthur, Stephen, Barbara Ann and Mary Beth, all of who graduated from Columbia High in East Greenbush. She was supportive and proud of the educational efforts of her children and their collective 11 college degrees. Ellen worked as a telephone operator as a young woman and was later employed by Weight Watchers for many years. She was involved in her childrens' activities serving in various capacities in East Greenbush schools, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Little League and 4-H. After her children were grown, she was involved in genealogy research, was a member of the Capital District Genealogical Society and occasionally taught genealogy classes. She was a charter member of the National Bottle Museum Society. Ellen was an avid collector and was an accomplished seamstress, needle worker and Christmas cookie baker. She was a lifelong fan of the New York Mets and the New York Giants and enjoyed watching sports of all kinds. The greatest love of her life was her family. Ellen was preceded in death by her parents; sister, Lauretta Carswell; husband, Arthur; and daughter, Mary Beth Lyons and is survived by her sister, Alice Walter of Denver; children and their spouses, Lauretta and Earl Steven LeFevre of Niskayuna, N.Y., Arthur Bolen III, M.D., and Kathryn of Granite Bay, Calif., Stephen Patrick and Marlene Lyons of Montrose, Pa., Barbara Ann Lyons and Ed Beazley of Friendswood, Texas, and Mary Beth's husband, Steven Warner and wife Debra Piccirillo of Great Falls, Va.; grandchildren, Kellie LaViolette and husband Charles, Erin LeFevre and spouse Kara Burnham Ph.D, Sean, Clare, Arthur IV, Samuel, Benjamin and Paul Lyons, Elizabeth (Betsy) and Emily Beazley, Kathleen (Katie) and Maegan Warner; and two great-grandchildren, Adeline and Zachary Burnham-LeFevre; nephew, Kenneth Walter and wife Carol Montana of Grahamsville, N.Y.; and niece, Michele Truitt and husband John Clark of Washington D.C. and Las Vegas, as well as their children, Nicole Persson and husband Mark, Samuel Walter, Sabrina Decker and husband Michael, and Sherstin Lommatzsch M.D. and husband Steven; special friends, Joyce and Gus Lapham, Stasea Plog and Lee Devine and a host of other relatives and friends. Ellen was a lifelong member of the Roman Catholic Church and a communicant, lector, prayer group member and a stalwart attendee of the 4 p.m. Saturday, Vigil Mass at Church of the Holy Spirit in East Greenbush where she had been a member since 1959. She was known as a person of great faith. Friends and relatives are invited to call at Wm. Rockefeller Funeral Home, 165 Columbia Tpke., Rensselaer, N.Y., on Thursday, August 11 from 4-7 p.m. Funeral will be on Friday, August 12 at 9:30 a.m. from Rockefeller Funeral Home and 10 a.m. at Church of the Holy Spirit, 667 Columbia Tpk., East Greenbush, where the Liturgy of Christian Death and Burial will be celebrated by Father Joseph O'Brien. Interment will be at Arthur's side at the Gerald B.H. Sullivan Saratoga National Cemetery, Schuylerville, N.Y. The family would like to thank the families of Jim and Stephanie Graham and Ted and Blossom Mayor who were Ellen's excellent neighbors, the staff and residents of The Terrace at Eddy Memorial in Troy where she lived for the last few months of her life for their welcoming and genuinely caring manner, Dr. Sergio Biguzzi and staff for their care, and the staff of Samaritan Hospital sixth floor and Community Hospice for their care and support during her final days. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Holy Spirit, The Eddy, Community Hospice, the American Lung Association or the charity of your choice. Light a condolence candle at www.wjrockefeller.com.