Obituary of Joseph Boochever

Joseph Boochever, 91, of Albany and Bolton Landing, beloved husband, father and grandfather, died at home on August 1, 2015 after a 4½ year illness. A life-long Albanian , Joe was born on June 7, 1924 the only child of the late Clara (Simon) and William Boochever. In December 1942, at the age of eighteen, Joe was drafted and entered the Army in March 1943. He was shipped to Europe in August 1944 as a replacement infantryman, fought in the Battle of the Bulge, and was awarded the Combat Infantrymen’s Badge and the Bronze Star. Upon his discharge from the Army in November 1945, he resumed his studies on the G.I. bill, graduating from Syracuse University in 1946 and Cornell Law School in 1949. Joe specialized in healthcare law for 46 years at Hinman Straub, P.C., retiring in 1996. He was proud of his military service and devoted to his community, serving as president of the Boards of the Daughters of Sarah and Albany Jewish Family Services, and as a board member for the Visiting Nurse Association, the Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York, Senior Services of Albany, the Community Health Plan (CHP) and Congregation Beth Emeth. In 2009, he was honored with a Senior Lifetime Achievement Award from the Capital District Senior Issues Forum. Joe is survived by his daughter Susan Feldman (Arthur) of Philadelphia; his son Stephen Boochever (Patti) of Estero, Florida; and his grandchildren Samuel Boochever of Charlottesville, VA; Rachel Boochever of Palo Alto, CA; Emily Feldman of La Jolla, CA; and Elizabeth Feldman of Philadelphia. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased in 2011 by his wife of 61 years, Arliene. Joe was a modest, kind, smart and gentle man. He loved spending time with his grandchildren and was very proud of their accomplishments. He enjoyed reading the New York Times and the New Yorker while listening to jazz and sitting on his porch overlooking Lake George, where he had summered since the age of 4. Funeral services will be held at Congregation Beth Emeth, 100 Academy Road, Albany on Tuesday, August 4 at 11:00. Burial will follow in the Beth Emeth Cemetery in Loudonville. Friends are invited to the Boochever residence in Albany immediately following burial. There will be no further calling hours. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The Fund for Lake George.