William J. Male

NISKAYUNA William J. (Bill) Male, 89, died Thursday, October 28, 2004. He was born July 28, 1915 in Colon, Panama where his father, Charles T. Male, was an engineer working on the construction of the Panama Canal. His mother was Mildred S. Male. He is survived by his close friend, Dora (Betty) Mount of Schenectady; son, James W. Male and his wife Linda Bley of Portland, Ore.; daughter, Jacqueline M. Greenwalt and her husband John Greenwalt of Midlothian, Va; daughter, Mary Eileen Male of Penacook, N.H.; daughter, Susan Male Smith and her husband Robert G. Smith of Madison, N.J.; grandchildren, Tracy C. Greenwalt, Ryan Michael Male Smith, Jenna Lindsay Hubbard Smith, Owen F. Bley-Male and Max William Bley-Male; sister, Janette Burger of Niskayuna; brothers, C. Thomas Male Jr. of Niskayuna, Donald Male of Tenn. and Kenneth Male of Fla. He was predeceased by his wife of 42 years, Dorothy H. Male; his son, Peter B. Male; and his brother, Theodore Male. Bill lived most of his life in Niskayuna, having grown up working on his parents' vegetable farm and attending school in a two-room schoolhouse. In his youth, Bill was president of Christian Endeavor at Niskayuna Reformed Church. He was a member of the church choir for 65 years, serving as chair of the music committee for 25 years. Bill played clarinet in the band and orchestra at Mont Pleasant High School and at Union College, from which he graduated with a B.S. in civil engineering in 1938. He became a dedicated supporter of Union, helping to fundraise and attending virtually all his reunions. Following graduation, he worked at James E. Lowe & Sons on the construction of a new wing at Ellis Hospital. As a land surveyor, Bill worked at his father's surveying business, which later became C.T. Male Associates. From 1940 to 1941, Bill was in the U.S. Army Air Corps, followed by positions at ALCO; Voorhees, Walker, Foley & Smith, architects; and Union College. He learned to fly in an open-cockpit Stearman in Chicago. In 1943, he taught navigation to naval aviation cadets at Union College. From 1944 to 1949, he was a pilot with the Air Transport Command and American Airlines, flying C-47s. During that time, he enjoyed travel to Alaska, Copenhagen, Rome, London, Stockholm, Cairo and South America. Beginning in 1950, Bill worked for 27 years for the New York State Division of the Budget as principal civil engineer. Most of that time was spent working for the department of public works construction program, inspecting highways, parkways, waterways, flood control and shore erosion. With the creation of the NYS Department of Transportation in 1967, his responsibilities expanded to include the capital construction program for all areas of transportation. Special assignments included chairmanship of the state map advisory committee and liaison representative to the Hudson River Valley Commission. After retiring from the state, he worked for John J. Kassner Consulting (now Liro Company). He returned to working for New York on the state board of review for statewide fire and building codes. For many years, he also was an insurance agent for his grandfather's company, C.W. Male & Son, Inc. Bill was a member of the Niskayuna Fire Company for more than 50 years. He served as president of the Latham Rotary, was a Mason and was on the board of the Colonie Youth Center, which later named him an honorary board member. Bill was also active with the Albany County Convention and Visitors Bureau and was a member of the Ambassador Group at Albany International Airport. He was a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, New York State Society of Professional Engineers, New York State Association of Professional Land Surveyors and was a licensed real estate broker. Bill received many awards during his lifetime, capped by last year's Senior Lifetime Achievement Award from the Capital District Senior Issues Forum. He was known for taking the time to chat with people, making friends at the bank, the pharmacy and the airport, always remembering everyone's names. At home, Bill was a precise repairer of all things. A clock in his kitchen still has a piece of paper on it with dates and the number of seconds the clock was slow on those dates. He kept a keen eye on the weather, recording high and low temperatures every day for the past 40-odd years. Navigational skills he learned from his flying days fueled a passion for the stars and constellations that he enjoyed sharing with his grandchildren. A collector of the state quarters and New York State history, Bill was quick to share with anyone his disappointment that the New York State quarter depicted the Statue of Liberty rather than the Erie Canal. Bill enjoyed the love of his friend, Betty Mount and was proud of his children and grandchildren, attending all of their high school and college graduation ceremonies, and was always optimistic he would attend those of his three youngest grandchildren. He will be greatly missed by his family and friends. Funeral service 10:30 a.m. Saturday, November 6 at the Niskayuna Reformed Church. Friends are invited and may call 4-8 p.m. Friday, November 5, at the Bowen Funeral Home, 97 Old Loudon Road, Latham. Interment in Niskayuna Reformed Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Niskayuna Reformed Church, 3041 Troy-Schenectady Road, Niskayuna, NY 12309 or the Colonie Youth Center, 272 Maxwell Road, Latham, NY, 12110. Condolence page and directions @ www.bowenfuneralhome.com