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Karen Vetter — Dancing in the Dark

Karen Vetter lost her sight to diabetic retinopathy in her late twenties.

We met her many years later, in 1993, when she discovered square dancing and asked if we could teach her to square dance. Our caller, Jerry Carmen, and our club, the Village Squares, took on the challenge.

She quickly became one of the more proficient dancers in the club, and stayed with us for many, many years—as long as she was physically able. She also joined two different line dance groups that danced weekly with Jerry Carmen and Will Herzog.

As we got to know Karen through the 1990s, we found she was a very active and energetic lady, on a mission to make guide dogs available to anyone who needed them. She founded and grew the Upstate Guide Dog Association, raising, training and placing guide dogs in the Rochester area. They also distributed an inspiring book: “Through Otis’ Eyes—Lessons from a Guide Dog Puppy.”

As the internet grew, she became proficient with email and enjoyed her online connection to friends and access to audio books and other resources.

Karen passed away on January 15, after a long journey down a hard road, but she always found ways to help others and have fun all along the way—focusing on what she *could* do, rather than dwelling on what she couldn’t do.

Photo #1: Karen and her guide dog, Shelby, with Tom Reynolds at a Village Squares Costume square dance in the 1990s. Karen, totally blind but with her ready sense of humor, came as a “Seer” with a crystal ball, and Shelby came as an angel with wings. Karen graduated from our square dance class in 1993. She and Shelby were active and welcome members of the club for many years. If we bumped into Karen during a dance, it was never Karen who was out of position!

Photo #2: Karen and Cody in 2016, with square dance caller Jerry Carmen, at a special dance in honor of Jerry’s 50 years of square dance calling and teaching. Karen gave a moving speech thanking Jerry for teaching her to square dance and line dance in 1993—activities that she enjoyed for many, many years.

Submitted by Peter Emmel

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RAF Return To Dance Task Force — Club COVID Safety Guidelines (Updated for Spring 2021)

UPDATE: The availability of vaccines is beginning to make a difference in our area, as increasing numbers of dancers are protecting themselves from COVID-19. We’ve decided to hold this article over for the Spring issue, in hopes it will be useful to clubs planning to resume dancing before Fall. Depending on your dance venue’s rules and NY State mandates, some of these considerations might be allowed to relax.

One goal of the RAF’s “Return To Dance” task force is to gather and share “best practices” for clubs to consider when they plan their own return to dancing. The tabulation that accompanies this article is one outcome of that effort—a matrix of Club Safety Considerations. It’s a work in progress but it gives a good idea of where the consensus is heading.

At the bottom for reference are links to available CDC cleaning guidelines and EPA approved cleaning materials. This matrix is available in spreadsheet form. Send your email request to the Promenader and we will make the connection (promenader@rochester.rr.com).

The Silver Squares were on the verge of resuming club dancing, but when COVID conditions deteriorated over the winter Holidays they decided to wait. For COVID risk management, they had developed a plan (consistent with the matrix) that other clubs can use as a starting point for their own planning.

Their process is described in “Silver Squares COVID19 In-Person Guidelines” that accompanies this article. In addition to taking temperatures at sign-in, a key feature of their plan is a list of “Screening Questions” for dancers to sign on entry to the hall. Dancers would answer the questions and sign the questionnaire on arrival. The sheet would then be saved by the club for re-use use at future dances, where the signatures would go on the log printed on the back of the questionnaire.

UPDATE: An obvious addition would be to add a “Vaccination Status” section above the “Screening Questions,” leaving the other questions as is.

An image of the questionnaire and signature log accompanies this article. These documents (Guidelines, Screening Questions and Signature Log) are available in editable form on request. Send your email request to the Promenader and we will make the connection (promenader@rochester.rr.com).

From materials submitted by the RTD Task Force

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Heard on the Street

With so little dancing going on, it’s hard to find news. So, here’s a run-down of what we’ve heard since December at various Zoom gatherings and other events. Refer to the Club News section for further activities and thoughts from area clubs.

Seen on the trail

For in-person encounters with square dancers, I’m batting 0.500 on the Quaker Pond Trail at Mendon Ponds Park! Today (2/21—see photos) I encountered Jet & Shirley Thomas (Copy Cats), along with Shirley’s sister, Pat. A couple of weeks ago, someone looked at me and said “You look familiar.” It was Gary Albright (Grand Squares) out on the trail with his daughter.

Zoom gatherings

The Silver Squares and the Belles ’N’ Beaus (and friends) continue regular Zoom chats on Monday evenings at 6:30pm. There’s always something to talk about. (For an invitation, contact Anne Granger … ssunnyweather7@gmail.com)

On Wednesdays at 7:00pm, the Village Squares (and friends) gather for their weekly Zoom chats. (For an invitation, contact Peter Emmel … pemmel@frontiernet.net)

Virtual Dancing with Rochester Callers and Cuers

The Federation-sponsored Zoom “Virtual Fun Dances” are continuing, with two square dances and one round dance each month. Flyers are posted in the Promenader, and reminder emails are sent to club leaders for distribution.

Attendance at these seems light compared to a full dance floor, but those who join in are having fun—see photo from the 2/13 square dance. The remaining schedule—with tentative caller listings—is shown beside this article.

Summer In-Person dancing

The Federation is looking for venues where outdoor dances could be held when the weather warms up. If you know of a park or other site with a roof, electricity and smooth floor that would work for dancing over the summer, please contact Jeff and Debbie Blood, or any member of the RTD task force.

Resumption of Club dancing

Now that vaccines are flowing, the talk is turning to resumption of dancing. Most venues have not issued new guidelines or even established timelines, but it seems clear that sometime between now and September, most clubs should be able to settle re-opening plans.

A separate article in this Promenader provides COVID safety protocol “templates” established by members of the Federation’s Return To Dancing (RTD) Task Force. Club leaders may use these as starting points for their own planning.

If your club has already developed guidelines, they might be useful for other clubs, so please consider sharing them with a task force member—or email them to us at promenader@rochester.rr.com and we’ll relay them.

Future of Square Dancing

There’s a wide range of opinions on what’s next for square dancing, but almost everyone I’ve heard from agrees that the initial focus in our clubs should be on re-grouping existing dancers around Mainstream calls to get us back into the swing.

For clubs with classes, this means reaching out to recent class members and encouraging them back to dance for the coming season. Over the next few months, callers and club reps in the RTD task force will be thinking through the options for resuming classes and recruiting new dancers. Given the uncertainty in COVID risk levels in 2021, many view recruitment and teaching as a 2022 priority, with 2021 devoted to re-establishing club dancing—maybe re-teaching.

The Federation’s “Return to Dance” task force and our area callers and cuers are thinking through some of these issues, to envision and plan for the resurgence of square dancing. If you have ideas or would like to join the group of dancers who are working to shape the future of square dancing in our area, please contact Jeff and Debbie Blood (dfbjvbhome@aol.com or 585-880-9161) to offer your help.

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Federation Seeking Volunteers

The Federation is looking to fill three open positions to join a team of dedicated local dancers for the current season! Even in COVID times, the Federation is active, keeping attention focused on activities that are keeping dancers in touch and active, and facilitating the return of dancing when the pandemic recedes.

The open positions (traditionally occupied by couples) are: Vice President, Secretary, and Promotions Coordinator

Quoting the Federation Constitution and By-Laws: “The Federation has a dual purpose: (1) to promote and maintain interest in western-style square & round dancing in the Rochester area, and (2) to foster a collaborative spirit among affiliated square dance and round dance clubs.”

About six times each year, the Federation officers get together (on Zoom, lately) with representatives from area clubs to carry out its mission. This includes planning and cross-club activities like Dance-O-Rama and other multi-club dances, and to develop promotional campaigns.

This is the “behind the scenes” team that helps keep clubs informed, communicating and collaborating in our area. The Promenader is the newsletter of the Federation.

We would love for you to join us!

Please contact Jeff and Debbie Blood to discuss: dfbjvbhome@aol.com or 585-880-9161

DOR-ish Dance Planning Set to Resume for Fall 2021

Dance-O-Rama 2020 was torpedoed by COVID. Its cousin “DOR-ish” planned over-optimistically for fall, 2020, was also canceled, and there’s no realistic chance for DOR, 2021, in its normal May time slot. So, we are setting our sights on early fall for an outdoor version of DOR-ish in 2021. The date is still open, while outdoor venues are being evaluated. Rather than line up a big indoor hall, our plan is to schedule it in early fall, while the weather is still good enough for an outdoor gathering.

From all signs, it looks like this will be well timed to coincide with the resumption of dancing at several clubs. We’d like to make it a festive occasion, with some of the familiar features of Dance-O-Rama, but that depends on lining up enough helpers.

This will be a Federation dance, so it will rely on volunteers from several clubs. With nearly zero dancing going on, it will be hard for us to recruit volunteers, so please help us out by contacting Jeff and Debbie Blood to offer a little of your time. (dfbjvbhome@aol.com or 585-880-9161)

Submitted by Peter Emmel

Karen Vetter — January 15, 2021

Karen L. Vetter, age 66, passed peacefully into the Lord’s arms on January 15, 2021. She was predeceased by her father, Ernest “Bud” Vetter and beloved guide dogs, Megan, Shelby and Kelly. Karen is survived by her guide dog, Cody; mother, Gladys Vetter; three sisters, Ginny (Rich) Muller, Linda Vetter and Pam (Terry) Cleveland; two brothers, Eric and Greg Vetter; and several nieces and nephews.

Karen was a graduate of Bloomfield Central School, class of 1972 and Rochester Business Institute, class of 1973. She worked as an executive secretary for Farm Credit Bureau in Rochester until health issues forced her to retire. Karen lost her sight due to Type 1 diabetes and embarked on a journey to educate the public and in particular, school-age children about the role guide dogs have in assisting their humans. She wasn’t held back in her choice of activities and enjoyed many years of square dancing and line dancing. Karen’s faith remained strong throughout the years with the knowledge that Heaven awaited her and where she would be made whole. She was blessed with friends whose support allowed her to remain independent and in return, were blessed by Karen’s sense of humor and simply by spending time with her.

Her memorial service was held on Thursday, January 21, at 4pm, at Perinton Community Church, 636 High St., Ext., Fairport. A graveside service was held Friday, January 22, at 3 pm, at Woodlawn Cemetery, 130 N. Pearl St., Canandaigua. Memorial contributions may be made to Guiding Eyes for the Blind, 611 Granite Springs Rd., Yorktown Heights, NY 10598. Arrangements are by Johnson-Kennedy Funeral Home, Inc., Canandaigua. Condolences may be offered at www.johnsonkennedy.com.

To Plant Memorial Trees in memory, please visit our Sympathy Store.

Published in Rochester Democrat And Chronicle from Jan. 19 to Jan. 20, 2021.




Some of you may remember Karen from her square dancing days. In 1993 she came, with her friends and counselor, Anita and Dave Olsson, to the Village Squares (along with Megan, her seeing eye dog) to see if Jerry Carmen, Will Herzog and the club dancers could help a blind person learn to square dance. The answer was yes (!) and for the following many years we had the inspiration of Karen’s company on the dance floor—with Megan (and later Shelby) standing by for scraps in the kitchen.

Eventually, her health made square dancing impossible, but she continued with line dancing, and some of you might remember she spoke at Jerry Carmen’s 50th Anniversary celebration dance, in 2016. As her ‘tech support guy’ I kept in touch with Karen over the years, helping her stay connected with friends and the online world via her laptop and talking keyboard, until the past several months when even that became too difficult for her. She passed away on January 15th, at end of a long and inspiring road. She certainly showed us how much you can make out of a limited set of options if you focus on what you *can* do, rather than dwell on what you can’t do!

Submitted by Peter Emmel

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William Mishoe — January 12, 2021

William Mishoe, 87, of Binghamton, NY passed away on January 12th 2021 at Lourdes Hospital in Binghamton, NY. He was born in St. Johns, Newfoundland. He was a longtime resident of Binghamton, NY and also lived in Sodus Bay and Rochester areas for several years. As a young man, he served in the US Army and put himself through college, graduating with an Accounting Degree from Syracuse University. He had a career he loved working for the New York State Dept of Labor. Bill loved to travel and he loved sailing. He spent much time navigating the waters of Cayuga Lake and Lake Ontario. Bill is predeceased by his sister Martha Lovallo. He is survived by his partner Ericka (Pinky) Bradley, children Dean Mishoe, Scott Mishoe (Teresa) and Janet Michaud. He has three grandchildren Tracy Miller, Jamie Spellman and Drew Michaud-Goetz as well as four great grandchildren Natalie, Nora, Eddie and Charlie, two nieces Nancy and Frances Lovallo.

A Memorial will be held at a later date. Online condolences may be expressed at www.SavageFS.com. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to www.michaeljfox.org Parkinson’s foundation. Arrangements were entrusted to SAVAGE-Demarco Funeral Service.




Bill and his partner Ericka (Pinky) Bradley were long time members of the Copy Cats Square Dance Club. Bill had also been a member of Cloverleaf Squares. They stopped square dancing a few years ago, because of Bill’s declining health. They moved to the Binghamton area to be closer to Bill’s sons.

Submitted by Tom & Liz Chrzanowski

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Patricia Sue Smith — January 10, 2021

Junius/Waterloo—Patricia Sue Smith, 57, passed away Sunday (January 10, 2021) at her home with her loving family by her side.

Patty was born July 24, 1963, in Waterloo, NY, the daughter of Clarence A. and Margaret L. Bates Green. She was a 1981 graduate of Waterloo Central High School. Patty earned an Associates Degree in Accounting from Cayuga County Community College in Auburn. She was employed with P & C and then Tops for 30 years. She loved Square Dancing with the Cayuga County Cut-ups and playing with her grandchildren. Patty was a devoted wife, mother, and Nana.

She is survived by her husband Robert J. Smith; son Curtis (Marti Faul) Andreas of Covington, LA; daughters Sarah (Donnell) Jackson of Geneva, NY, Erica (Jovan) Wimberly of Sherrill, NY, and Latasha Baker of Auburn, NY; grandchildren Taliyah, Alexandria, Jayden, Andrea, Jillian, Donnell, Jr., Olivia, Daniel, Milana, Lucas, Isaac, Onolee, Adrianna, Mia, and Theodore; brother Daniel (Valerie) Green of Waterloo, NY; sisters Victoria Green of Leicester, NC, Pamela Patterson of Mooresboro, NC, and Catherine McKoy of Geneva, NY; half-brothers William Green of Bath, NY, Ronald (Betty) Green of Geneva, NY, and Fred Stickane of Ithaca, NY; half-sisters Diane Schibley of Waterloo, NY and Sharon Green of Cato, NY; many nieces and nephews.

Patty was predeceased by her parents.

Condolences and remembrances for the family may be sent to www.coegenungfuneralhome.com.




Pat Smith was club treasurer and a relative newcomer to square dancing and the Cut-Ups. Her enthusiasm for the club and dancing was a joy to watch. She was at every event ready to dance! She told us, “When I get to heaven I will be looking for a square.” Go with God, we will miss you always!

Submitted by Linda English

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Robert M. Frendak — January 6, 2021

Robert M. Frendak, 84, passed away on Jan. 6, 2021, from complications due to COVID-19. He was born in Elmira, N.Y., on May 18, 1936, to Paul and Sue Frendak.

In his younger days, Bob lived and worked on the family farm on Lacy Road in Mandana. He was a member of the Skaneateles High School Class of 1955. Bob later worked as a carpenter at the Syracuse University Physical Plant, retiring in 1998 after 33 years of service. He was a lifelong communicant of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Skaneateles.

Bob enjoyed working in his wood shop, playing golf, watching SU basketball and the NY Yankees, square dancing with the Cayuga Cut-ups, and wintering in Winter Haven, FL.

Bob is survived by his beloved wife of over 39 years, Melissa; his sons, Rodney and Todd Frendak (Tammy), all of Skaneateles; his daughter Jessica Meyer of Auburn; and his grandchildren, Sierra and Trevor Frendak. He is also survived by his brother Paul (Beverly) Frendak of Georgia and sister Joyce Sholtes of Florida. Bob was predeceased by his parents; infant brother James; his first wife and the mother of his two sons, Dolores Horning; and infant daughter, Lisa.

Calling hours will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 13, with a private service to follow at Robert D. Gray Funeral Home, Skaneateles. Burial in Lakeview Cemetery, Skaneateles.

To send condolences, visit robertdgrayfuneralhome.com




Bob & Missy Frendak are long time Cayuga Cut-Ups, part of the backbone of our club. They served as club officers and angels to new students. Bob’s easy-going manner and wit will be greatly missed. Love and blessings to Missy and family.

Submitted by Linda English

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David W. Fisher — December 12, 2020

Hilton, NY—After a full and rich life, David W. Fisher, 82, passed away on December 12, 2020, at home with his wife and family by his side. He was born in Hornell, NY, and is predeceased by his parents, Ethel and Harold Fisher, and his sister, Kay Varlan-Britt.

David is survived by his loving wife, Mary; children, David (Kristin Shields), Andrew, and Timothy (Megan) Fisher, Wendy (Richard Sheldon) Salamone; Habteab (Saba) Yemane; grandchildren, Cassidy (Landon Allen) and William Salamone, Hannah and Nathan Yemane, Kailyn and Anthony Sheldon, and Brandon O’Brien; sister-in-law, Christine (Christopher) Casaccia; brothers-in-laws, Lawrence Britt, William (Eileen) Perkins, Thomas (Ethel) Perkins, and Timothy (Anne) Perkins, and many nieces, nephews, cousins and dear friends. A special thank you to Tom and Eileen Henion for their love and support.

David was a friendly, caring, kind person who always had a twinkle in his eyes. He was a dedicated, active member of Hilton Baptist Church. He loved to entertain his family and friends and was known for his clambakes, picnics, Easter egg hunts, cross country ski parties and game nights. Most of all, he loved his family and found great joy in spending time with his grandchildren.

A celebration of David’s life will be held in 2021. Those wishing may make memorials in his name to the Hilton Baptist Church, 50 Lake Ave., Hilton, NY 14468. To share a memory, send the family a condolence, or to view photos, please visit www.burgerfuneralhome.com.

To Plant Memorial Trees in memory, please visit our Sympathy Store.

Published in Rochester Democrat And Chronicle from Dec. 18 to Dec. 20, 2020.




David Fisher was a past SSDUSA president and chairperson of Dance-A-Rama ’88 in Rochester, New York. He also mentored the committee for the Dance-A-Rama ’06 in Rochester. He also was a president of the local singles club, the Cloverleaf Squares. I have attached a copy of the June, July, August 1993 issue of the “Promenader” (page 5), the Rochester Federation newsletter that carried an article honoring him as a recipient of the Daphne-Norma Leadership Award that year.

Submitted by Carl Webster

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Bernard R. Heroux Sr. — November 21, 2020

Bernard R. Heroux Sr. of Rochester—Passed away peacefully on November 21, 2020.

Bernie was predeceased by his beloved wife, Denise; parents, Ovila and Jeanne; brothers, Rémi, Marcel, Jean Claude, and Clement. He is survived by his children, Danielle (Eric) Zielinski, Pierre (Karen), Paul (Linda), Jacqueline (William) Penwell, & Bernard Jr. (Vilmarie); brother, Roland (Monique); sister, Grace (Steve); 13 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren.

Due to the COVID pandemic a private family service will be held.

In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to: Alzheimer’s Association at alz.org

To share a memory please visit: www.NewcomerRochester.com

Published in Rochester Democrat And Chronicle on Nov. 29, 2020.




Bernie and his wife, Denise, were long-time members of the Country Twirlers, of Chili, NY. I remember how consistently welcoming they were whenever Sally and I visited the Washington Irving School to dance with the Country Twirlers.

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Chip Kellogg — December 12, 2020

Chip (Murray) Kellogg, a long-time square dancer and square dance caller, passed away on December 12th. Chip’s only survivor in the area is his wife Sue, who is in poor health. Square dancing and square dance calling were major activities in Chip’s life for many years, including a stint as the Copy Cats class caller. He was Liz’s and my first square dance instructor when we started square dancing in 1993. Health problems forced him to retire from teaching square dancing in 1994. Both he and Sue continued dancing until Sue’s health forced them to give it up.

Chip’s other hobbies were centered on his farm in Walworth. He really loved that farm with its horses, beef cows, pigs, etc. His John Deere tractors were also a major hobby which included his belonging to the two-cylinder club.

Liz and I first met Chip and Sue at his square dance class in 1993. We remained friends and did things (square dance trips, dinners, farm tasks, etc) with them all these years. As a result, I came to know and understand Chip as a very fair and honest man of his word, and a very good friend. Both Liz and I are going to miss him.

Submitted by Tom Chrzanowski

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Ed Briggs — January 15, 2021

Our beloved Ed Briggs passed away on Friday, January 15, 2021, at the age of 96. Ed was predeceased by his wives, Millie and Sybil, and son Charles Durling, and survived by his children, Edward 11, Ellen, Walter, Cindy, Jim, Ruth and Mary; 17 grandchildren and 27 great-grandchildren. He is also mourned by the square dance community. Ed served in the Navy (Submarine Service) during WWII. He retired from the US Postal Service and loved square dancing, camping and hunting, and was an avid fan of the Buffalo Bills.

Ed was dancing before most of us were walking. He was a beloved member of Country Twirlers, Village Squares, Circul-8-tors, Victor Swing-Alongs and Southern Tier Wheelers. In 2000, Ed rejuvenated the faltering Dance-O-Rama, Rochester’s annual spring square dance festival, turning a negative balance into a consistent profit. Ed and Sybil received the Daphne Norma Leadership Award at their successful 2001 DOR. For many years he served as a Federation Rep and DOR organizer. Ed then turned his attention to reorganizing the Circul-8-tors club, for which he received the Circle of Service Award.

Ed never missed a dance or an opportunity to go camping. He was active in the National Square Dancers Campers Association as a representative of the Southern Tier Wheelers, and was the Northeast area representative for the organization.

Ed was full of tales that enlivened the conversation at any dance. He drew on a long list of past exploits, including: His days riding the rails in the 30s, at age 13 as a true hobo; His WWII submarine service; His job at ‘Surplus World’ in Chili, selling Army/Navy items after the war; The many battles he waged with Post Office management; His retirement job as the ‘Tooth Fairy’ delivering false teeth for a dental lab; or Humbly (but with a twinkling eye) acknowledging his consistent casino winnings.

If you danced with the Village Squares when we were in East Rochester, you might remember Ed and Sybil (pictured here) leaving a few minutes early, to reserve tables at Friendly’s for the after-party. Even when health issues prevented him from dancing, he would drive across town to socialize with dancers—and support the 50/50 (which he often won).

Ed was a beloved role model for dancers in every organization he took part in. He will be sadly missed.

Due to COVID restrictions, a private service will be held at the convenience of Ed’s family. Memorials may be made to a charity of your choice.

Submitted by Sally Emmel

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Priscilla "Peela" Hooke — November 7, 2020

Priscilla “Peela” Hooke, loving wife and mother, passed away on November 7, 2020 after a brief illness. She was 96.

Peela was the daughter of the late Livingston Platt and Agnes Booth Platt of Rye, N.Y. She married Albert B. Hooke (Al) in 1945 and had four children, Helen, Carrie, Bill and Rich.

Peela graduated from Miss Hall‘s School and Smith College and moved to Rochester in 1948 with Al. In Rochester, Peela was a Girl Scout leader, and active in the YMCA, Copy Cats, and her Saturday morning breakfast club. She was known for her sunny, lively disposition and the love, care and generosity she shared with all who knew her. At 55, she returned to college and got her AAS Degree in Horticulture at FLCC, and became a New York State Master Gardener.

Peela was happiest in the company of her family and extended family of friends and neighbors, and she cherished the time she spent creating her beautiful garden. A long-time member of Unity Church of Greater Rochester, she also served on the Board, and she attended YMCA Family Camp Gorham annually for 50 years. She loved going to the Seneca Park Zoo and Rochester Philharmonic concerts. Peela‘s ability to find joy in life and gratitude for everything is a gift to all those who knew her.

She was predeceased by her husband Albert, her sister Ellen Barstow “Polly”, and her three brothers. Frank. William , and Livingston “Peter”. She is survived by her four children, Helen Hooke (Colleen McDonough), Carolyn Stockman (Mike), A. William Hooke (Casey), and Richard Schuyler Hooke; four grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

Once the fog of the pandemic has cleared, a joyous celebration of her life will be held in Rochester. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent in her name to Unity Church of Greater Rochester, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, and PBS-WXXI.

To Plant Memorial Trees in memory, please visit our Sympathy Store.

Published in Rochester Democrat And Chronicle from Nov. 23 to Nov. 29, 2020.




Peela Hooke was a friend to everyone who knew her: always smiling, happy and welcoming. Peela with husband Al, started dancing during the nineteen-eighties. They were presidents of the Copy Cats at least twice. We first met Peela (and Al) in 1993 when we started square dance class. They were our mentors that first year. Peela was the perfect square dance ambassador. Family was also important to Peela. The Hookes were very supportive of Camp Goram which gave them a chance to combine two activities they loved: square dancing and family time. Peela was also an avid gardener and was always eager to share her plants. Though only we old-timers might remember Peela, she will always be thought of fondly.

Submitted by Liz & Tom Chrzanowski

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Walter L. Boughton, Sr. — December 30, 2020

Victor, NY—Walter L. Boughton, Sr. passed away on December 30, 2020, at age 99. He was predeceased by his wife Doris; daughter Camille Boughton. Walter is survived by his children Lane (Kathy) Boughton and Douglas (Patty) Boughton; 6 grandchildren; 2 great-grandchildren.

Funeral Services at this time will be private. Interment Boughton Hill Cemetery. In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to UR Medicine Hospice (2180 Empire Blvd Webster, NY 14580) or a charity of choice in his memory.

Published in Rochester Democrat And Chronicle from Jan. 6 to Jan. 11, 2021.




Walter Boughton and his dance partner Eileen Hellems (who died in October 2019) danced for many years with Grand Squares. Records of their membership go back to the 1990’s, when the group was Lima Grand Squares. They danced with Grand Squares up to about 10 years ago, proving that square dancing helps to keep you young. Those who have been dancing for a while will, I’m sure, remember his quiet but friendly smile.

Submitted by Carol Ann Stahl

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