Obituary of Stephen Charsky

Stephen Charsky, 83, of Hillcrest died Monday morning, December 20, 2004, at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital. He was predeceased by his wife, Bernadette "Betti" Charsky; his sister, Betty Micha; and his brothers, Mathew and Robert. He is survived by his daughter, Mary Frances Charsky, Hillcrest; his son and daughter-in-law, Stephen B. and Valerie Charsky, San Carlos, Calif.; several nieces and nephews. He was a first generation American, born to immigrant parents, Mathew and Elizabeth, who came here from Slovakia, nearly 100 years ago, married and settled in the 1st Ward to raise their family of four children, Stephen and his two brothers, Mathew and Robert, and their sister, Betty. His first day of school at the age of five found him with no knowledge of English and with no special classes, he simply learned it and everything else they could teach him. He went to Ithaca College on a scholarship, managing to letter in Football, while working as a fireman and a waiter there. When World War II came he joined the US Navy attending Officer Candidate training at Hobart, he was commissioned as an Ensign, then attended William & Mary for additional training as a bomb disposal officer. He then trained as member of a Underwater Demolition Team, the precursor for the elite Navy's Seals. Graduating with such high scores and skills he was assigned as instructor for the following three UDT classes at Fort Pierce before joining the 3rd Team who were back from action in the D-Day invasion and headed to the war in the Pacific. War's end found him assigned to mine disposal on the beaches of Japan and finally in the Brooklyn Naval Yard. Honorably Discharged, he headed to St. Bonaventure University to complete his college and some more football. He led the team to a win in the first ever Tobacco Bowl. Before graduation, he also married the one true love of his life, Bernadette 'Betti' Horney. Together they went to Chicago, while he played professional football with the Chicago Cardinals in the late 1940s. He returned with his wife to Binghamton in 1950 and settled there, raising two children while working as a research chemist and department manager covering more than three decades at the factory across the street from his boyhood home as it evolved from Ansco to GAF to Anitec and finally International Paper, just before he retired. In his spare time, he refereed high school football and baseball, and coached girls softball. Later he joined the Secular Franciscan Order, became a Eucharistic minister at St. Catherine of Siena Church, Hillcrest, and minister to the sick in Wilson Hospital. During the last seven years he volunteered at Donnelly Elementary School, working with children in reading and math. Funeral services will be held at the J.A. McCormack Sons Funeral Home, 141 Main Street, Binghamton, Thursday at 1 p.m. and at 1:30 p.m. at St. Catherine of Siena Church, where a Funeral Mass will be offered. Burial will be in Slovak Catholic Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the McCormack Funeral Home, Wednesday from 4-8 p.m. The Secular Franciscan Order will meet at the funeral home, Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy in memory of Steve may be made to St. Catherine of Siena Church, 1031 Chenango St., Binghamton, N.Y. 13901, or SS. Cyril & Methodius Church, 148 Clinton St., Binghamton, N.Y. 13905.