Marie Post, 90, of Manorville Rd., died Friday, Feb. 20 at the Kingston City Hospital. Born May 24, 1924 in Mt. View, New Jersey, she was the daughter of the late William and Ada Gowing Stage.
She was an area resident since 1941 when she and her mother relocated from Jersey City to Saugerties. Marie became active in her community immediately. She joined the West Saugerties Rebekahs and was a lifelong member of the Blue Mt. Church. She became the choir director, organist, elder and member of the Cheerful Workers Ladies Society of the church.
Marie became involved in several organizations over the years with an emphasis on helping senior citizens, the underprivileged and animals. She was a past president of the Ulster County SPCA and created the Town of Saugerties Animal Shelter. She became the manager of the shelter and was constantly raising funds for the care of the animals. She also served as the manager of the Town of Saugerties Transfer Station. In 1999 she was instrumental in establishing the Animal Emergency Fund that provided for the treatment of sick and injured cats and dogs in cases in which the owners were financially unable to do so. It also helped stray cats and dogs and subsidized spaying and neutering.
Read the Saugerties Times 2012 profile of Marie, “Compassion counts.”
Elected to the Saugerties Town Board in 1992, she served in that position until 2003. She became the Town Board liaison to the Saugerties Police Department and was instrumental in the formation of the Canine Unit. Her term of service included Woodstock ’94 Concert and the formation with the Council of Churches of a committee that would secure temporary housing for the homeless, including victims of domestic violence, until further assistance could be provided.
She was active member of the Ellen Russell Finger Emergency Fund. She was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award presented by the Saugerties Chamber of Commerce. In 2014 she was named the Ulster County Senior Citizen of the Year and was a nominee for New York State Senior Citizen of the Year. Always wanting to learn, she enrolled at Ulster County Community College to take evening courses and maintained straight A’s.
A constant role model as a mom for her children and grandchildren, survivors include her husband, Claude, with whom she recently celebrated their 73rd wedding anniversary; two daughters: Jean Marie and her husband Bruce Fellows, Adele and her husband Robert Zinderman; two sons: C. Howard “Howie” and his wife Gail Post and Kenneth W. and his wife Denise Post; a son-in-law: Jerry O’Connell; 16 grandchildren: Griffin, David and Kenneth W. Post Jr.; Ashley Amici; Steven and Scott Fellows; Troy, Craig and Mark Zinderman; Damian Kane; Sara English; Kristin Houston; Daniel, Shannon, Owen and Joseph O’Connell; nine great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews also survive. She was predeceased by a daughter: Dori O’Connell; a son: David Post; two sisters: Dolly Malone and Dora Garbee; and a brother: Jack Gowing.
Her funeral service will be held 11 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 25 at the Seamon-Wilsey Funeral Home, Inc. corner of John and Lafayette streets. Friends will be received Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 23-24, 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Interment will follow in the Blue Mt. Cemetery. Family suggests donations in her memory be made to the Animal Emergency Fund, 19 N. Main St., Pine Plains, NY 12567. Expressions of condolence may be shared with the family at SeamonWilseyFuneralHome.com.
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