In Memory Of
Mildred L. Biancavilla-Pelkey
1924
2016
Mildred L. Biancavilla-Pelkey
March 17, 1924 — March 31, 2016
Mildred L. Biancavilla-Pelkey
March 31, 2016
Mildred Lorraine Biancavilla – Pelkey, age 92, died in her sleep on Thursday morning, March 31, 2016 in the Loretto Fahey Rehab clinic in Syracuse.
She was a resident of Malta Manor, 107 Trolley Barn Lane, North Syracuse. Born on March 17, 1924 on her parents' farm [father Theodore Heckman and mother Mamie] in Friend, Nebraska. She taught for several years in a rural, one-room-schoolhouse near Friend. She met her future husband, SGT. Bartolo [Barney] Biancavilla at a USO dance at the Fairmount Army Air Force Base in 1942. They married when he was discharged in 1945 and they moved to Syracuse, NY for their first home.
Two sons were born and they decided that city life was not for them and moved to a farm in Pennellville, NY to expand their family with two more children – a son and a daughter. Mildred & Barney raised this family while he tried his hand unsuccessfully at farming and then switched careers to that of rural mail carrier which lasted until he retired. Mildred occasionally assisted her husband on the mail route. When her youngest children were in their teens she took a job at the local school district, first as attendance office and then as the first district computer programmer in the 1960's for all of the district's planning. She divorced in 1971, bringing her two youngest from Pennellville to live with her in Phoenix for a few years. She then met and married Lynn R. Pelkey of Baldwinsville who had three children from a previous marriage. Mildred studied and obtained a certificate to practice marriage counseling at a small office in Bayberry for a few years. She traded this job for a new position as the proud first executive director of the new Senior Center in Baldwinsville which was funded by the three municipalities of the Village of Baldwinsville, the Town of Van Buren and the Town of Lysander. Once all of her children had graduated from high school and were advancing into college or new careers and families of their own, she then moved to Emporia, Virginia with her husband in 1980.
She was in semi-retirement at this time but things did not work out in her second marriage and she divorced again. She stayed in that region and settled in Glen Burnie, Maryland until 2013 when she returned to Central New York. She practiced her hobbies of genealogy and quilt-making all her life, assembling a stunning collection of self-published family history books, and beautiful hand-made quilts – many of which were given to her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren by her. Her recent years were plagued with declining health but she never lost her humor or spirit and even tried working on a last book on her roots in Nebraska calling it "The Turkey Creek Book." She leaves behind a loving sister - Mr. & Mrs. Roger & Jean Pentico of Council Bluffs, Iowa, and four loving children – Mr. & Mrs. Barney & Lynn Biancavilla of Curtis Bay, Maryland; Perry Biancavilla of Boise, Idaho; Dean Biancavilla of Baldwinsville; and Mr. & Mrs. Nick & Karen Lannie of Central Square; also two grandsons - Mr. & Mrs. David & Kelly Biancavilla of North Andover, Massachusetts, and Mr. & Mrs. Alex & Emily Biancavilla of Boise, Idaho; also two granddaughters Amanda Lannie of Rome, NY and Nicole Lannie of Liverpool, NY. She also leaves behind two great-grandchildren as well as many loving relations and friends.
A private service will be held for family at the New Comer Funeral Home on Wednesday morning, April 6th, 2016.
Following this will be cremation and burial will be in the Pennellville Cemetery, Oswego County.
To leave a special message for the family please visit www.NewcomerSyracuse.com
March 31, 2016
Mildred Lorraine Biancavilla – Pelkey, age 92, died in her sleep on Thursday morning, March 31, 2016 in the Loretto Fahey Rehab clinic in Syracuse.
She was a resident of Malta Manor, 107 Trolley Barn Lane, North Syracuse. Born on March 17, 1924 on her parents' farm [father Theodore Heckman and mother Mamie] in Friend, Nebraska. She taught for several years in a rural, one-room-schoolhouse near Friend. She met her future husband, SGT. Bartolo [Barney] Biancavilla at a USO dance at the Fairmount Army Air Force Base in 1942. They married when he was discharged in 1945 and they moved to Syracuse, NY for their first home.
Two sons were born and they decided that city life was not for them and moved to a farm in Pennellville, NY to expand their family with two more children – a son and a daughter. Mildred & Barney raised this family while he tried his hand unsuccessfully at farming and then switched careers to that of rural mail carrier which lasted until he retired. Mildred occasionally assisted her husband on the mail route. When her youngest children were in their teens she took a job at the local school district, first as attendance office and then as the first district computer programmer in the 1960's for all of the district's planning. She divorced in 1971, bringing her two youngest from Pennellville to live with her in Phoenix for a few years. She then met and married Lynn R. Pelkey of Baldwinsville who had three children from a previous marriage. Mildred studied and obtained a certificate to practice marriage counseling at a small office in Bayberry for a few years. She traded this job for a new position as the proud first executive director of the new Senior Center in Baldwinsville which was funded by the three municipalities of the Village of Baldwinsville, the Town of Van Buren and the Town of Lysander. Once all of her children had graduated from high school and were advancing into college or new careers and families of their own, she then moved to Emporia, Virginia with her husband in 1980.
She was in semi-retirement at this time but things did not work out in her second marriage and she divorced again. She stayed in that region and settled in Glen Burnie, Maryland until 2013 when she returned to Central New York. She practiced her hobbies of genealogy and quilt-making all her life, assembling a stunning collection of self-published family history books, and beautiful hand-made quilts – many of which were given to her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren by her. Her recent years were plagued with declining health but she never lost her humor or spirit and even tried working on a last book on her roots in Nebraska calling it "The Turkey Creek Book." She leaves behind a loving sister - Mr. & Mrs. Roger & Jean Pentico of Council Bluffs, Iowa, and four loving children – Mr. & Mrs. Barney & Lynn Biancavilla of Curtis Bay, Maryland; Perry Biancavilla of Boise, Idaho; Dean Biancavilla of Baldwinsville; and Mr. & Mrs. Nick & Karen Lannie of Central Square; also two grandsons - Mr. & Mrs. David & Kelly Biancavilla of North Andover, Massachusetts, and Mr. & Mrs. Alex & Emily Biancavilla of Boise, Idaho; also two granddaughters Amanda Lannie of Rome, NY and Nicole Lannie of Liverpool, NY. She also leaves behind two great-grandchildren as well as many loving relations and friends.
A private service will be held for family at the New Comer Funeral Home on Wednesday morning, April 6th, 2016.
Following this will be cremation and burial will be in the Pennellville Cemetery, Oswego County.
To leave a special message for the family please visit www.NewcomerSyracuse.com
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Mildred L. Biancavilla-Pelkey, please visit our flower store.
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