MILLERTON — Howard J. Brusie Sr., 77, died April 27, 2010, at Sharon Hospital, surrounded by his loving family. He suffered from heart disease for several years.
Born Feb. 23, 1933, in Hillsdale, N.Y., he was the first son of Minnie and John Brusie.
On March 10, 1954, he married the love of his life, Marguerite C. Brusie, who survives at home. They enjoyed 56 years of marriage. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather.
Howard was an avid wood-worker, spending numerous hours in his shop making many wood projects for family and friends. He was also a great reader. Howard enjoyed gardening and working around his yard, always maintaining a meticulous yard and grounds. He received much joy from bird-watching and feeding the birds, hanging as many as 20 feeders at one time. He spent many hours building and flying radio-controlled airplanes with his son.
In Howard’s younger days, he enjoyed hunting, snowmobiling, boating and water skiing. He worked as a volunteer for the Denny Memorial Pool and was a town constable for the town of North East. Howard was a member of the Webutuck CB radio club, where he served as vice president for several years. He was a member of the Copake Fire Department.
After moving to Millerton, he joined the Millerton Fire Department, where he was also a fire policeman. In addition, Howard was a member of the Webutuck Lodge 480 of Millerton and a lifetime member of the American Legion Post 178. He was a previous member of Sharon Legion Post 126.
Howard was employed by Amenia Sand & Gravel for 21 years as a payloader operator. He worked for Brewer’s Mower Service for 10 years and finally retired from Sharon Hospital after being chief of security for 17 years.
Howard served in the U.S. Army at Fort Devins, Mass., then Fort Story, Va., where he was an instructor on the amphibian ducks. He was also stationed in the Transportation Corp 355 2nd Army at Fort Eustis, Va.
In 1954, he served in Operation Pine Tree, which was the installation of the Distant Early Warning line, also known as the DEW line, which was a system of radar stations in the Arctic North, including Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Greenland. The DEW line became a cornerstone for the new NORAD operation. Howard was given an honorable discharge with the rank of sergeant.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by a son, Howard J. Brusie Jr. and his wife, Nancy, of Millerton; two granddaughters, Melissa Dipper of Ancramdale and Amanda Hurn and her husband, Scott; three great-grandchildren, Byron , Savannah and Lucia Hurn, all of Millerton; his brothers, Richard and his wife, Carolyn, of Copake Falls and Gerald and his wife, Karen, of Hillsdale; a sister, Sheila Finger of Lincolndale, N.Y.; two brothers-in-law, Gerald Cooper of Glendale, Mass., and William R. Clum of Ancramdale; and several nieces and nephews.
Howard was predeceased by his parents; a sister, Barbara Cooper of Glendale; and a sister-in-law, Jeannette Clum of Copake.
Memorial donations may be made to the Millerton Fire. Co., Century Boulevard, Millerton, NY 12546. The Valentine Funeral Home in Millerton has charge of the arrangements.
