Verna Prehoda Katchmar, born Nov. 6, 1916, in Granville, died peacefully July 10, 2009.
A 1933 graduate of Granville High School, she was a resident of Third Avenue Extension, East Greenbush, a member of St. Nicholas Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Troy and spent all of her adult life in the Capital District.
Verna was the devoted military wife of Capt. Gerald Katchmar, a Pearl Harbor hero. Verna and Gerry shared their commitment to marriage for 58 years until his passing on July 5, 2001.
Mother to Gertrude Katchmar (John Batki) of Syracuse; Christine Katchmar (Eugene Monaco) of Niskayuna; Gerald P. Katchmar (Karen) of Dennis, Mass.; grandmother to Matthew, Alexis, Michael (Miranda), JSeph, Joseph and Max. Great-grandmother to Cody, Lilya and Annika.
Verna enjoyed spending her many summer holidays traveling with her sister, Mary, and her winter holidays with her extended family. She was uniquely devoted to homemaking and thrived on her family and their accomplishments, taking great pride in their sports, artistic talents, graduations, travels around the world and remained an omnipresent force through all their successes. She was always at home in the truest sense of the word.
Upon her death at age 93, Verna had witnessed the many historical events of the 20th century – women’s voting rights, the First Great War, the Roaring Twenties, Prohibition, the Crash, the Depression, the Second Great War, the Korean War, Vietnam conflict, civil rights, Flower Power, the first moon landing, Woodstock, the Summer of Love and on to the Millennium and 9/11. She was truly a member of “the Greatest Generation.”
At the end of her life, Verna expressed love for her family and especially her caretakers at the Eddy Village Green, NorthEast Health, Cohoes.
The funeral service for Verna was held on Monday, July 13, at 10 a.m. at The Wm. Leahy Funeral Home, 336 Third St., Troy. Calling hours were held at the funeral home Monday morning. Interment was at Saratoga National Cemetery.
Those wanting to make a donation in lieu of flowers may send their remembrance in Verna’s name to the Eddy Village Green, House No. 10, 421 West Columbus St., Cohoes, N.Y. 12047.
