Obituary of William R. Bannan

DELMAR - William "Bill" R. Bannan, age 84, died Saturday evening, August 2, 2014 after a long illness. He passed away peacefully surrounded by his family. Born in Albany in 1930, Bill was the son of the late John W. and Madeline (Bremm) Bannan. He was a 1948 graduate of Cathedral Academy in Albany. After high school, Bill served stateside in the U.S. Army as a cryptographer during the Korean War and worked for the New York Telephone Company in a number of capacities until his retirement in 1988. Devoted to charity, he aided many a friend and stranger in their time of need, and as a devout Catholic, was active in St. Thomas Church parish serving with the St. Vincent de Paul Society and as an usher, as well as numerous other activities throughout the years. In his leisure, Bill was an avid golfer, bowler and stamp collector, but most of all, he loved gardening. Bill frequently spent his afternoons in the summer and fall delivering raspberries, tomatoes and the many other fruits of his garden to family and friends. Bill was predeceased by his wife of 58 years Patricia A. (Layden); sisters, Helen Barrett (Joe) and Jacqueline Messenger (Bob); brother, Alfred and infant brother, John. He is survived by his sons William R. Bannan Jr. (Patricia), of High Falls, N.Y., and Martin J. Bannan (Dena), of Albany and his sister, Margret "Peggy" Nare (Richard), of Amsterdam, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. The family would like to thank the staff at Daughters of Sarah Nursing Home for the kind and compassionate care they provided him. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday, August 6, 2014 at 9:30 am in St. Thomas Church, 35 Adams Pl., Delmar. Relatives and friends are invited to call at the Applebee Funeral Home, Tuesday, from 4 to 7pm. Interment will follow the Mass in Bethlehem Cemetery, Delmar. Donations in his memory may be made to the Saint Vincent DePaul Society, St Thomas Church 35 Adams Place, Delmar, NY 12054