Thank you!
Your support is sustaining the future of local news in our communities.

Robert A. Krissel

LAKEVILLE — Robert A. Krissel, 76, died at home, Dec. 4, 2010, surrounded by loving family and friends.  

Bob was well known in Lakeville having been a part-time resident for the past 41 years.  He was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Jan. 10,1934, to Ricka Rosenfeld and Walter DuPont Krissel.   

He spent his childhood years in Rye and attended the local high school and the Fieldstone School. Bob graduated from Dartmouth in 1956 where he was active in ROTC and was captain of both the tennis and swim teams.  After Dartmouth he served in the U.S. Air Force from 1956 to 1960 and earned the rank of captain.

He married Janet Meryl Carter of Dallas, Texas, in 1957.
The couple lived in Germany for two years, where their first child, Kimberly, was born in 1958.  They returned to the states in 1960 and resided in Manhattan where Bob began work at Equitable Bag, the family-owned and operated shopping bag business.  He started in sales and worked his way up to CEO and president.  

Bob’s son, Jim, was born in 1961 and youngest daughter, Dina, in 1963. The family built their home in Lakeville in 1969 and spent many holidays, summers and weekends with local friends. In addition to their Lakeville home they spent many winters in Vail, Colo., and summers at their home in Santa Fe, N.M.

Bob supported many non-profit boards and organizations throughout his life. He served on the boards of Beth Israel, the National Museum of the American Indian, Sharon Hospital, the Santa Fe Opera,  as president, the Yale Club and National Jewish Hospital in Denver. Bob was also a member of the Sharon Country Club, the Beaver Creek Club, the Harmony Club and the Young Presidents Organization.

Bob loved to fly. He flew privately in his own plane, commuting between his homes with his wife, Janet, and their loyal dachshunds (first Nina and Oscar and then Baxter and Lulu).  He loved good food, wine, skiing and a game of golf. Bob maintained a very active social calendar, attending various events for the causes he passionately supported.
His wife,Janet, died in 2005.

He married Jenelle Soderquist of Minneapolis in 2007. Bob and Jenelle traveled to Italy, France, England and Argentina. They spent time renovating their Lakeville home and enjoying their grandchildren.

In addition to his wife, Jenelle, he is survived by his children, Kim and her husband, Matt Jones, of Denver, Colo., Jim and his wife, Jessica Fowler, of Sharon, and Dina Jaeger of Falls Village; a stepson, William Soderquist of Los Angeles, Calif.; his eight grandchildren;  his sister, Toni and her husband, Jamie Goodale, of Manhattan; a nephew, Timothy Goodale of London; a niece, Ashley and her husband, CJ Muse, of Manhattan; and his cousin Jonathan Canno and his spouse, Pierce Roberts, of East Hampton, N.Y.  

Enjoy your flight, Bob.  

A memorial service will take place in the spring. Donations can be sent to the Salisbury VNA, 30A Salmon Kill Road, Salisbury CT 06068.

Arrangements are under the care of the Kenny Funeral Home in Sharon.

Latest News

Lelah M. Somers

Lelah M. Somers

DOVER PLAINS — Lelah M. Somers, 97, a longtime Dover Plains, New York, resident, passed away peacefully on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, at Ferncliff Nursing Home in Rhinebeck, New York. Lelah was born on July 3, 1929, in Pawling, New York, to the late Byron and Lelah (Watts) Brill. Lelah grew up in Pawling and on Nov. 22, 1946, in Pleasant Valley, New York, she married James F. Somers, Sr. Mr. Somers passed away on Sept. 3, 1970. Lelah worked for New York State as a therapy aide for thirty-years and as a senior companion for New York State for thirty-two-years, with specific care provided to the mentally disabled.

She enjoyed taking care of the mentally disabled, was a wonderful mother to her four children, always putting her family first. She is survived by her son, James F. Somers, Jr. and his wife Donna of Dover Plains; two daughters, Doreen Monica of Wingdale, and Frances “Fran” Horton of Dover Plains, who was also her caregiver for many years; seven grandchildren, Debbie, Margie, Leah, Stephanie, Deirdra, Benji and Jimmy and several great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews, and her step-son, Kenny Elliott. In addition to her parents and husband, Lelah was predeceased by her daughter and son-in-law, Carol “DeeDee” Maile and Gil Maile, her son-in-law, Stephen Monica, and her son-in-law, Benny Horton as well as her companion of over forty-years, Andrew “Mac” McAlravey and her siblings, Ferris Brill, Eleanor Barryann, Richard Brill, William Brill and Barney Brill.

Keep ReadingShow less

The art of getting into art school

The art of getting into art school

Hudson Valley Regional Portfolio Day returns to Poughkeepsie.

Provided

For a young artist considering college, the question isn’t simply whether the work is good enough. It’s which work to show, which school might be the right fit and even whether a creative life can lead to a sustainable career.

On Friday, Oct. 16, hundreds of aspiring artists will have the opportunity to explore those questions at Hudson Valley Regional Portfolio Day, presented by The Art Effect at the MJN Convention Center in Poughkeepsie.

Keep ReadingShow less
A colorful life together at Atelier Valla

Textile designer Justine Valla sits in her father’s chair, which she painted, alongside her husband, illustrator and muralist Victor Valla, in their Atelier Valla studio.

L. Tomaino
I lost the ability to paint after the accident. I struggled to paint again.
— Justine Valla

Husband and wife Victor and Justine Valla share a lavender and pink studio, Atelier Valla, across the driveway from their pink house, nestled into a hillside in Salisbury. The colors, said Justine, “were inspired by Monet’s house at Giverny.”

Creating art has been a lifelong pursuit for both.

Keep ReadingShow less
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.

David Ruchman’s “Acquired Taste”

Filmmaker David Ruchman

Bleacher and Everard Photography

In a region known for its vibrant but geographically scattered arts community, discovering something new can require a little effort. The same might be said for finding a new place for an extraordinary meal. While the Northwest Corner, Berkshires and Hudson Valley have no shortage of creative talent, opportunities to experience it — whether on a stage, in a gallery or on a plate — aren’t always just around the corner.

In David Ruchman’s short film “Acquired Taste,” that challenge becomes the premise for an unlikely friendship between Nick, an aspiring young food critic living in an area with limited dining options, and a gruff New York City master chef.

Keep ReadingShow less
Follow the Clay Way for ceramic delights

Jane Herold’s beautifully simple dinnerware.

Provided

As the leaves across Litchfield and Dutchess counties rush to make it to the ground, your last chance to peep autumn is fast approaching. On Oct.17 and 18, the 10th annual Clay Way offers peepers a route to follow lined with unique art that rivals the area’s natural beauty.

The two-day event is a ceramics-focused open studio tour through northwestern Connecticut, with a few studios peppered in just over the border in Dutchess County. Featuring nine open studios and 25 participating artists, the tour promises a wide variety of work, from decorative objects to grand vessels and a whole world in between.

Keep ReadingShow less
A new home for the unexpected at Kent Fine Art

CAMERON (1922-1995) is on view at Kent Fine Art in Pine Plains through Nov. 14.

Provided

Where can one find the work of an artist associated with occult rituals, surrealist visions and the underground California art scene? In a beautifully renovated former carriage house in Pine Plains, of course.

Unexpected discoveries are, after all, part of what Doug Walla has spent his career making possible. The longtime New York City art dealer and founder of Kent Fine Art, has brought the work of Marjorie Cameron Parsons Kimmel, known simply as Cameron, to his new gallery space. The exhibition, on view through Nov. 14, introduces visitors to an artist whose life and work moved between mysticism, poetry, film and the avant-garde.

Keep ReadingShow less
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.

google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.