Author: Saratoga TODAY

Barbara Ann Rose Kantscheidt (nee Hinkley) passed away last fall after a beautiful life that touched so many in small, but meaningful ways.

Born in New York City in 1938 to Irish immigrants George Patrick Hinkley and Roseann (nee Gallagher), Barbara’s story is that of 20th Century America.  The 7th of 8 children, her formative years were colored by the lingering effects of the Depression, a World War, and the passing of both of her parents by the time she was 12 years old. Raised by her siblings who were determined to keep their clan together, these experiences instilled in Barbara a keen sense of family, as well as an easy warmth and openness that would allow her to connect with myriad people throughout her journey.

 In 1956, she disregarded her eldest brother’s stern warning and attended a high school dance. There, she met and fell in love with Richard Arthur Kantscheidt.  Barbara literally never went home after the dance, married Richard shortly thereafter, and shared 40 years of life with him before his passing in 1995.

In the 60’s Barbara lived “Mad Men” in real life as a secretary on Wall Street, and then became a full-time Mom. In the 70’s she co-owned a bungalow colony in the Catskills (Maplewood Gardens) and took her 6-year-old son to watch John Travolta film “Saturday Night Fever,” just a few blocks away from their apartment in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.  In the 80’s and 90’s, she returned to Manhattan (this time with shoulder pads, naturally) for a tenure at environmental consulting firm AT Kearney, a time she described as her most rewarding professional experience. However, this would soon be surpassed by retirement, her full-time role as Grandma, and a move to Water’s Edge in Saratoga Springs. In the final analysis, Barbara shared that she viewed these as the best years of her life. 

Through it all, Barbara’s ability to connect with people – from the random cashier at JCPenney’s to the closest of neighbors – led to a host of remarkable experiences.  Perhaps most notably, she once ran into a woman in Hamilton, Scotland who it turned out owned the house that her grandparents lived in for a time when Barbara’s mother was born.  A short chat later and three generations of her family were standing in this very living room.  Another memory was made.

Barbara’s spirit lives on in those that brought her everlasting joy and to whom she gave so much of herself – her son Steven, daughter-in-law Stephanie, and grandchildren Kerry Rose and Brendan Richard, all of Saratoga Springs, as well as her brother Eddie Hinkley of Brooklyn, and sister-in-law Mary Kent of South Carolina.  

Barbara was predeceased by her husband Richard, his brother Robert, and her own siblings Alfred, George, John, Leo, Mary, and Joan, all of whom lived to a ripe old age and filled countless photo albums together over the decades.

In lieu of services and donations, Barbara hoped that friends and family would simply raise a glass and smile a little smile.

WILTON — Joseph Louis “Joe” Zanchelli, 96, of Wilton, New York, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, surrounded by his loving family. Joe is predeceased by his parents, Antonio and Carolina (Florio), and his brothers, Pasquale and Anthony. He leaves behind his wife of 73 years, Joyce (Leavitt), children Mark (Regina Adams), Michael (Doris) and Lynn Tattersall (Robert John), eight grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his younger brother Frank (Mary Anne) and his sister, Angela Fraleigh. 

Joe was born on May 22, 1928, in Germantown, NY where he graduated from Germantown Central High School in 1945. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1949 and his master’s degree in 1950 from the New York State College for Teachers (SUNY Albany). He was a high school math teacher for 5 years before beginning a career as a high school guidance counselor which he did for 32 years, the last 22 years serving as the Chairperson of the Guidance Department at Great Neck South High School.

Joe, Joyce and family loved connecting with people throughout the world including sponsoring a visiting SUNY Stony Brook college student from India and a young woman from Uganda and fostering two young sisters from Central America. They were involved in many church activities, the anti-war movement in the 1960’s and 1970’s, numerous social causes, and Democratic Party politics. Joe and his family combined their love of learning and travel by traveling extensively both internationally and domestically and by participating in many Road Scholar adventures.

Following his retirement in 1986, Joe served in several executive positions with the Great Neck Retired Educators’ Chapter and served as an elder and deacon with the Roslyn Presbyterian Church where he was also the co-president for 20 years of the Local Causes Committee. He remained active with the Presbyterian Church after moving to Saratoga Springs, served as Chair of the Planning Committee for Young at Heart Adults (YAHA), volunteered with Yaddo tending rose gardens, was the Class Counselor since 2003 for the SUNY Albany class of 1949, for which he was awarded the Excellence in Alumni Service Award by SUNY Albany in 2014.

In his leisure time Joe enjoyed playing golf, riding his bicycle, and reading, all of which he did until the last few months of his life. He was an avid fan of the New York Yankees and the UConn women’s basketball team.

A Celebration of Life service will be held at the Presbyterian-United Church of Christ, 24 Circular Street, Saratoga Springs, NY, on Saturday, February 1, 2025, at 3:00pm. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Presbyterian- United Church of Christ, the Home of the Good Shepherd, Community Hospice of Saratoga and Washington Counties, or VoteBlue.  To leave a message of condolence for the family, please visit www.HansFuneralHome.com.

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