Obituary of Edward W. Savoie

Edward passed away at the Schenectady Center for Rehabilitation after a period of declining health. He was born in Cohoes and lived his younger years in Albany. He enlisted in the Guard and always said he enjoyed working in the Cryptology section. He married Helen Martin in September of 1957 in Albany where they started their family, and moved to Schenectady in 1963 where he remained in the same house for the rest of his life. After obtaining his Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from RPI, he worked in the apprenticeship program at General Electric, and subsequently spent most of his work years at the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation as an air monitoring engineer before retiring in 1989. He loved gardening and frequently raised many vegetables, fruits, and flowering perennials in his backyard, even making dandelion and grape wine for a few years. He also enjoyed photography, and for several years, was a member of the Schenectady Photographic Society, winning several awards on his contest entries. Another of his hobbies was painting, and many of his finished pieces – mostly landscapes, but a few abstracts - hung in the family’s living room. Pinochle was his card game of choice, often playing teams with his parents and his wife. He also played chess online but enjoyed challenging worthy opponents as well. He even enjoyed dominoes in his final months. When he retired, in addition to having more time to spend on his hobbies, he became the primary chef in the household, trying out various new cultural dishes (sometimes to the dismay of his children, who were accustomed to Mom’s familiar cooking). He and his wife also enjoyed travelling; they bought a pop-up trailer and travelled around the country, as well as took a cruise in Alaska. He is survived by his son, Edward Michael (Bertha); his daughter, Marie Annette (Daniel Escajeda); his son Joseph (Shirley Ann); 12 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his wife of 65 years, and his daughter, Nancy Helen (Kevin Bartley). He will be missed by all who knew him as a quiet, but caring person, always ready to lend a hand when others needed assistance. We will remember his love of classical music, enjoyment of frequent 5-minute cigarette breaks on the back porch, and his daily glass (or two) of red wine or a martini on special occasions. Calling hours will be held Saturday at St. Luke’s Church in Schenectady from 9-10 a.m., with a Mass of Christian Burial immediately following at the church at 10 a.m. Entombment will be in Most Holy Redeemer Cemetery Mausoleum, Niskayuna.