James R. Krathaus

DELMAR- James R. Krathaus, 77, passed away peacefully on January 4, 2011 at St. Peter's Hospice Inn after a long battle with cancer. Jim was born on October 24th, 1933 in Buffalo, NY, the son of late James and Eileen (Shaw) Krathaus. He attended Timon High and graduated from Canisius College in Buffalo with a degree in History. Following college, he was drafted into the Army and served as an MP in Germany and at Fort Niagara near Buffalo. Jim and his loving wife of 52 years, Joan, moved to Delmar in 1965 to assume position of District Manager at Merck & Co. He worked at Merck for over 30 years and enjoyed traveling throughout the Northeast meeting with doctors and pharmacy representatives. Through these travels, he developed a keen interest in the rich history of this region, which came to fulfillment upon his retirement from Merck, where he became a guide at Historic Cherry Hill in Albany. Along with a love of Cherry Hill, Jim was a voracious reader, enjoyed Sunday NY Times crosswords, golfing, fishing the shores of Lake Champlain and running after Striper in the Hudson. Jim was also a 20 year member of Kiwanis Delmar and served as past president. He'll be missed by his friends and family for his quick wit and sense of humor. Survivors include his wife, Joan, daughter Linda, son Alan and his wife Fiona McGettigan and their daughters Caoilin and Enya. Relatives and friends are invited to call on Saturday, January 8th from 3 to 6 pm at the Applebee Funeral Home, 403 Kenwood Ave., Delmar. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Historic Cherry Hill, 523 1/2 South Pearl St. Albany, NY, 12202 or visit www.historiccherryhill.org.