Gene C Terry

WHITEHALL: Gene C. Terry, 80, passed away on Monday, May 9, 2016 in the comfort of his home with his loving family by his side, following a long illness.

Born June 10, 1935 to the late Ken and Vera (Scism) Terry in Whitehall.

He was 1954 graduate of Whitehall High School where he played on the undefeated football team from 1951 to 1953. 

After graduation, Gene went to work for Northern Indiana Brass Company (Nibco) in South Glens Falls. After 16 years, he went to work for the Department of Corrections for 30 years along with working for the Village of Whitehall as a chlorine plant operator.  He retired from both in 1993.

For 20 years as a correction officer, he had an outside inmate work crew doing community service in various communities and villages. He was a carpenter and a very good stone mason. Many inmates learned a trade by working with him.  One of his best masonry achievements was the refacing of the stone library in Fort Ann and the construction of the field stone monument which stands outside the entrance to Great Meadow Correctional Facility.

Gene fought to live and lived to fight for the sportsman rights and for the future of our youths.  He was the sportsman rep for our region on Lake Champlain Advisory Committee for 15 years, president of the Adirondack Conservation Council for many years which takes in all six counties in the northern part of the state, president of sportsman clubs for many years as well as 20 years as president of the Whitehall Fish and Game Club.  He was a member of the Whitehall Elks Lodge #1491 and the Skenesborough Skeet Club. For many years Gene wrote a weekly column in the Whitehall Times “Outdoors in Whitehall” and sometime he got a little heated about writing about DEC but he loved it.

For 20 years he taught the youth of Whitehall to shoot safely under the then DCM which is the Department of Civilian Marksmanship at the senior rifle range on lower Main Street. He had many volunteers to help with making the program a success.

In his spare time and love for woodworking, he made over 5000 bluebird houses that were given away free to the senior citizens at the Washington County Fair.

Gene’s passions were the great outdoors, especially anticipating the fall hunting season and spending time with his family at their hunting camp on the mountain in South Bay. One of his greatest pleasures was sharing hunting stories over coffee with his friends, John and Linda Rozell’s at their home.

Gene was a gentle man with a big heart and will be greatly missed by his family and friends.

Gene married Jean Townsend in 1955 and they were together for 35 years until she passed away in 1990. In 1993, he married his present wife, Dixie Stewart Terry and have been together for 23 years.

In addition to his parents and his late wife, he was predeceased by a brother, Russell Terry, his sister, Rita Macy and her husband Bill, son-in-law Tom Simmes and grandson, Scott Golden,

Left to cherish his memory is his wife, his children, Debbie Crandall (Butch) of Melrose, NY, Pete (Betty) Terry, Polly Simmes and fiancé, Ron Munger , all of Whitehall, Penny (John) Austin of Schuylerville; his grandchildren, Joe (Tabitha) Terry and children, Jacob and Alanna, Paul (Jess) Terry and son, Logan, Jennifer (John) Douglass and sons, Johnny and Liam,  Tim (Samantha) Simmes and daughter, Ruby, all of Whitehall, Terri (Scott) Buckner and children, Dylan and Sabrina of Poughkeepsie, Thomas (Sarah) Simmes and children, Carson, Ryder and Josie of Ballston Spa, his wife’s children, Tammie (Terry) Chamberlain and daughters, Megan and Brooke, and her son and his daughter, Chiara Leigh; sisters-in –law, Fay Terry of Whitehall and Shirley Ann Forth of Queensbury and several nieces and nephews.

There will be no calling hours.

Funeral services and burial will be private and at the convenience of the family.

The family would like to thank the nurses and staff at the C. R. Wood Cancer Center and also the staff on Tower 2.  A special thank you to Dr. Hoffman, Elizabeth and Melissa for the compassionate care that you gave our husband, father and grandfather during this difficult journey.

Donations in Gene’s memory may be made to the Junior Rifle Club c/o John Hollister or the charity of one’s choice.

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