Obituary of Garry A. Pollow

Garry Allen Pollow, 65, of Delmar (formerly of Slingerlands) died peacefully on July 2, 2014 at the Hospice Inn of St. Peter's Hospital, surrounded by the love of his family. Garry had fought a heroic battle with pancreatic cancer for more than six years prior to his death. Garry was born in Rochester, N.Y., on September 5, 1948 to Marguerite (Parfitt) Bodane and the late Gale Pollow. Garry was predeceased by his brother, Scott Pollow. Garry graduated from The University of Buffalo in 1968. As a conscientious objector, he moved to Albany to serve in an alternative service position as a childcare worker at the Albany Home for Children, now Parsons Child & Family Center. Garry's time at Parsons gave him his first taste of service to the public and to the education of children, to both of which he would devote the remainder of his professional life. He began as a BOCES teacher in 1973 at the Craig Elementary School in Niskayuna before joining OMRDD's Eleanor Roosevelt Developmental Center. The recognition he garnered in that position earned him an appointment as Team Leader for the Autism Program at O.D. Heck Developmental Center. In the meantime, Garry earned his M.A. in Special Education from The College of St. Rose and later attained his New York State Administrator's Certification. In 1990 Garry became an Education Supervisor in the New York State Education Department, where he remained until his retirement in 2004. Garry's first priority in life was the care of his family. He was devoted to Jan (Silverman), his loving wife of 35 years, and to his children, Gabriel, Lauren and Daniel. They knew and loved him as a person of integrity, strength, compassion and, perhaps most often and especially, tremendous and often irreverent humor. Garry's family and friends also knew his athletic, competitive and artistic pursuits. He loved hiking, biking and kayaking. He trained and competed in marathons and triathlons. Following his retirement from State service, Garry honed his skills as a stone sculptor, poet, pianist, birdwatcher and amateur chef. Garry was known for his willingness to give freely of himself and his time for the benefit of his community and those he loved, serving as a coach of his children's sports teams and as a member of school committees and competitions. He also served as Treasurer of the Board of Trustees of the Town the Bethlehem Library. His diagnosis with cancer expanded his opportunities for service to others: Garry volunteered for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, speaking with hundreds of other patients and their family members and making a personal and informational video for the PANCAN Network. Possessed of a keen mind and superb athletic and aesthetic judgment, Garry was a lifelong, diehard Yankees fan and (often while watching a game with the sound turned off) read one of the several books he devoured each week. He was great lover of all music, especially jazz, gospel and the Blues. In addition to his wife and children, Garry is also survived by his mother, Marguerite; his niece, Debra Pollow, and several nephews, and grand- nieces and nephews. Garry, Jan and family wish to extend special thanks to "Dr. Dave" - David Shaffer, M.D. and his staff at New York Oncology-Hematology at Albany Medical Center, who cared for Garry, physically and spiritually, until the very end. Thank you to the Hospice Inn at St Peter's for guidance and a gentle passage. A memorial service celebrating Garry's life will be held at 5 P.M. on Tuesday, July 8, 2014 at the Levine Memorial Chapel, 649 Washington Avenue, Albany NY 12206. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to call commencing at 4pm. In accordance with Garry's wishes, his body will be cremated and his ashes scattered near the family's home on Martha's Vineyard, where Garry always felt most at peace. Family and friends are invited to join the family following the service at the home of Garry's and Jan's dear friends, Lisa O'Connor and Joel Hodes, at 3 Greyledge Drive in Bishop's Gate, Loudonville 12211. In lieu of flowers, donations made be made to www.heiferfoundation.org or www.pancan.org.