Obituaries
Sharon Elizabeth Cappozzo Fredericks
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| Sharon Elizabeth Cappozzo Fredericks |
GUILDERLAND – Sharon Elizabeth Cappozzo Fredericks passed away September 5, 2009, at her home in Guilderland after living with the affects of ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) for more than two years. She was 46 years old.
Sharon was a mother of three, a wife and partner, a teacher, and a joyful friend to many. For the past several years Sharon was a stay at home mom lovingly raising her 3 young children. Prior to that she was employed as an elementary school reading teacher/specialist in the South Colonie and Voorheesville school districts, and other area schools; a profession which she found both rewarding and enjoyable.
Despite the physical limitations caused by her illness Sharon maintained her calm confidence, easy laugh, warm smile, and most significantly her motherly pride, encouragement, and support of her children for whom she was still making arrangements in the week before she died. She was ordering school clothes, organizing birthday parties, and arranging for the purchase of appropriate (read Scooby Doo and horses) school supplies. With her family Sharon enjoyed all sorts of adventures, and they had many fun excursions exploring new destinations and favorite locations near and far from home.
Sharon, born in Hudson, NY, was the daughter of Frank and Rose Cappozzo of Chatham, NY. She greatly enjoyed her childhood in Chatham where she graduated from Chatham High School, and then attended and graduated from SUNY Oneonta before starting her career in Albany. Sharon later earned a Master’s in Education degree from the College of St. Rose as she became a reading teacher.
Sharon is survived by her husband Peter, her wonderful children, sons Matthew and Sam, and daughter Sydney, parents Frank and Rose Cappozzo, brothers Frank and Fred Cappozzo of Chatham and Kinderhook, NY respectively, her Aunt Madeline Voelbel, nieces and nephews, cousins, and many, many wonderful friends who have sustained and been a source of strength and support for Sharon and her family during her illness. As Sharon once said at a fundraiser for the St. Peter’s ALS Center, “The thing about ALS is that you need a lot of support, both emotional and physical” before noting “as with most things in life, it is the people who really make the difference.” Sharon’s grace in dealing with her illness has been an inspiration to many and there have been many wonderful people who really did “make the difference” in helping Sharon as she lived very bravely with ALS.
A memorial service for Sharon will be held at 11 A.M. on Monday, September 7 at St. James Catholic Church, 117 Hudson Avenue, Chatham, NY. Friends are invited to celebrate her life along with her family at 2 P.M. Monday at the family’s home, 127 VanBael Drive in Guilderland 12159. Memorial gifts in Sharon’s memory may be made to St. Peters Regional ALS Center, 19 Warehouse Row, Albany, NY 12205 or to the Guilderland Elementary School (GES) Reading Program, 2225 Western Avenue, Guilderland, NY 12084.
Sharon was a mother of three, a wife and partner, a teacher, and a joyful friend to many. For the past several years Sharon was a stay at home mom lovingly raising her 3 young children. Prior to that she was employed as an elementary school reading teacher/specialist in the South Colonie and Voorheesville school districts, and other area schools; a profession which she found both rewarding and enjoyable.
Despite the physical limitations caused by her illness Sharon maintained her calm confidence, easy laugh, warm smile, and most significantly her motherly pride, encouragement, and support of her children for whom she was still making arrangements in the week before she died. She was ordering school clothes, organizing birthday parties, and arranging for the purchase of appropriate (read Scooby Doo and horses) school supplies. With her family Sharon enjoyed all sorts of adventures, and they had many fun excursions exploring new destinations and favorite locations near and far from home.
Sharon, born in Hudson, NY, was the daughter of Frank and Rose Cappozzo of Chatham, NY. She greatly enjoyed her childhood in Chatham where she graduated from Chatham High School, and then attended and graduated from SUNY Oneonta before starting her career in Albany. Sharon later earned a Master’s in Education degree from the College of St. Rose as she became a reading teacher.
Sharon is survived by her husband Peter, her wonderful children, sons Matthew and Sam, and daughter Sydney, parents Frank and Rose Cappozzo, brothers Frank and Fred Cappozzo of Chatham and Kinderhook, NY respectively, her Aunt Madeline Voelbel, nieces and nephews, cousins, and many, many wonderful friends who have sustained and been a source of strength and support for Sharon and her family during her illness. As Sharon once said at a fundraiser for the St. Peter’s ALS Center, “The thing about ALS is that you need a lot of support, both emotional and physical” before noting “as with most things in life, it is the people who really make the difference.” Sharon’s grace in dealing with her illness has been an inspiration to many and there have been many wonderful people who really did “make the difference” in helping Sharon as she lived very bravely with ALS.
A memorial service for Sharon will be held at 11 A.M. on Monday, September 7 at St. James Catholic Church, 117 Hudson Avenue, Chatham, NY. Friends are invited to celebrate her life along with her family at 2 P.M. Monday at the family’s home, 127 VanBael Drive in Guilderland 12159. Memorial gifts in Sharon’s memory may be made to St. Peters Regional ALS Center, 19 Warehouse Row, Albany, NY 12205 or to the Guilderland Elementary School (GES) Reading Program, 2225 Western Avenue, Guilderland, NY 12084.
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