Watervliet – Genevieve Kania Grabowski, 94, a longtime Watervliet resident, passed away on Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at the Avenue Nursing and Rehabilitation Centre in Schenectady. Known by many as “Gen” she was born in Schenectady on January 2, 1917 and was the daughter of the late Valentine and Viola Borowski Kania. Raised and educated in Watervliet, Genevieve was employed by the former Behr-Manning Company in Watervliet which later became the Norton/Nashua Corporation. She retired after 29 years of service. Genevieve was a member and former auxiliary president of the Pulaski Club in Watervliet; was a member of the Watervliet Senior Citizens, where she volunteered and worked in the office and sang with the Senior Choir; and was a member of the United Papermakers International Union. She was a longtime communicant of the former Immaculate Conception Church in Watervliet where she sang in the choir and was a member of the Rosary Society. She had, at one time, served as president of the PTA of the former Immaculate Conception School in Watervliet. Genevieve loved volunteering and giving back to her community. One of her proudest moments came when she was presented with the Outstanding Citizen Award on November 10, 2011 by the Watervliet Lodge of Elks recognizing her volunteer service to the Watervliet Community. Genevieve enjoyed playing Bocce, Senior Citizen’s Dinner night and, in her younger years, league bowling. She was a devoted mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister and aunt who gave much love and support to her family and in return was loved and cherished. She will be missed by all those whose lives she touched.
She was the beloved wife of the late Frank J. Grabowski to whom she was married on June 24, 1939. Mr. Grabowski passed away in 1947. She is survived by her two loving sons, Frank J. Grabowski of Halfmoon, NY and Robert F. (Joyce) Grabowski of Charleston, SC; her dear sister, Marion (Leonard) Zanghi of Latham, NY as well as six grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews. She was pre-deceased by her siblings, Isabelle Koskey, Edward Kania, Helen Tkacz and John Kania.
Her funeral will be held from the Parker Bros. Memorial, 2013 Broadway, Watervliet on Friday at 9:15am and at 10am in Our Lady of the Assumption Church, Latham where a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated by the Reverend Geoffrey D. Burke, pastor. Interment will follow in the Immaculate Conception Cemetery in Latham. Relatives and friends are invited and may call at the funeral home on Thursday from 4 until 8pm. To those who prefer, contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association, Pine West Plaza, Washington Avenue Extension, Suite 204, Albany, NY 12205 in memory of Genevieve K. Grabowski.

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