Harold A. Silvernail

MILLERTON — Harold A. Silvernail, 75, of New Lebanon, N.Y., and formerly of Millerton, passed away Dec. 7, 2010, at Columbia Memorial Hospital in Hudson, N.Y.

Harold was born in Millerton Feb. 23, 1935, the son of Gertrude (Dean) and Stewart F. Silvernail.

He was a member of American Legion Post 1236, in New Lebanon. Harold was an Army veteran serving in the Transportation Corps from 1953 to 1956 as a railway trainsman.

He always loved steam locomotives. As a teenager “Sonny,†as most people knew him, would skip school and hop the switch train to Chatham then hop the milk train home at night. He never lost that love for the Big Iron Horse. He drove a tractor-trailer and for many years he worked as a diesel mechanic for Dutchess Co. Diesel.

In 1993 he married Sharron Murphy and moved to New Lebanon. He went back to truck driving for Rouse Motor Express, which was sold to ECO in 2005 in Canaan, N.Y.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by one son, Thomas Silvernail and his wife, Sylvia, of Winter Haven, Fla.; three daughters, Deone Polonis of Lakeville, Debra Johnson of Sharon and Kelly and her husband, Chip Moore, of Stormville, N.Y.; a stepdaughter, Theresa and her husband, Danny Matuozzi, of Fort Walton Beach, Fla.; a stepson, Joseph and his wife, Shelley Murphy, of Fulton, N.Y.; 12 grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; two sisters, Janet and her husband, Ronald Murphy, and Barbara and her husband, Ronald Fournier; one half sister, Evelyn Dysord, of Ancram, N.Y.; two half brothers, Fred Silvernale and his wife, Nola, of Powell, Wyo., and Edward Snyder and his wife, Lillian, of Hudson; and several nieces and nephews.

He was predeceased by three half brothers, Earl Silvernail, Rusty Snyder and Raymond Snyder.

 His ashes will be interred in the Irondale Cemetery in Millerton, with military honors, in the spring of 2011. Memorial donations in his name may be made to the charity of the donor’s choice.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the French, Gifford, Preiter and Blasl funeral home in Chatham, N.Y. To send an online condolence go to frenchblasl.com.