Obituary of Sylvester Battiste

ROTTERDAM JUNCTION- Sylvester "Squeak" B. Battiste, 85, of Main Street, passed away Saturday evening, October 17, 2009 at St. Mary's Hospital, Amsterdam. A lifelong Rotterdam Junction resident, Squeak, as he was lovingly referred to by all, was born January 12, 1924, a son of the late Luigi and Jennie Fasula Battisti (now, Battiste). He was a graduate of Woestina High School, class of 1942 and later graduated from Hudson Valley Community College, with a degree in diesel engineering. During World War II, Squeak faithfully served in the United States Army from 1943 to 1946 where he was honored the American Campaign Medal, European -African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, Good Conduct Medal and the World War II Victory Medal. Squeak was a 44 year employee for Schenectady Chemicals (now, Schenectady International) where he worked as a maintenance supervisor. He retired in 1995. Squeak participated in the company's golf league, was a former member of the Amsterdam Municipal Golf Course and a communicant of the Church of St. Margaret. An avid wood-worker who always had a tool in his hand, enjoyed spending most of his life building cabinets, bookshelves and doing repair work. Squeak's last wish was to come home and build wooden railings for his basement stairs so he could go down to his workshop and toil. Predeceased by his siblings, Dominick, Ralph, Virginia and Luigi. Survivors include his beloved wife, Elizabeth T. Swider Battiste, whom he married May 27, 1952; children, Christopher J. Battiste and his wife Maureen of Niskayuna, Barbara A. Battiste of Orchard Park, NY, Janice L. Battiste of Astoria, NY, and Stephen B. Battiste and his wife Julie of Valley Stream, NY; grandchildren, Jeffrey Pokerwinski, Katherine Pokerwinski, Lisa G. Battiste, Christina M. Battiste, Lucas Battiste and Daisy Battiste; sister, Sylvia McKee and her husband Kenneth "Skip" of Ft. Worth, TX; and several nieces, nephews and cousins. Funeral service will be held Thursday morning at 9 AM from the Daly Funeral Home, 242 McClellan Street, Schenectady, then to the Church of St. Margaret of Cortona, Main Street, Rotterdam Junction, where a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 AM. Interment will follow in St. Anthony Cemetery, Glenville. Calling hours to which friends and relatives are invited, will be held Wednesday evening from 4 to 7 PM at the Daly Funeral Home. Memorial contributions may be made in Squeak's name to the American Heart Association, 440 New Karner Road, Albany, NY 12205 or to American Diabetes Association, 7 Washington Square, Albany, NY 12205.