Index Deaths of local interest in Chenango, Delaware, Otsego and Schoharie counties are: • *Arthur (Artie) L. Anderson Jr., 56, Richfield Springs. • *Willis Daniel Birch (’Bill’), 81, Binghamton. • *Dorothy Brown Flanigan, 90, East Greenbush. • *Stanley L. McIntyre, 53, Oneonta. • *Steve Spytko, 77, Richfield Springs. *Full obituary in today’s Daily Star.

He was born in Kingston on May 7, 1949, the son of Arthur L. and Audrey (Greene) Anderson, formerly of Glenerie Lake Park.

Artie was a graduate of Kingston High School, class of 1967, and served in the United States Army from 1967 to 1970.

He married Dianna Zook on Oct. 31, 1971, in Kingston.

Artie lived and worked in Ulster County until moving to upstate New York several years ago. He also worked for many years in the antique business.

Artie is survived by his wife, Dianna Anderson, of Richfield Springs; two daughters, Justine Anderson of Richfield Springs and Yolanda Reuss of Palenville; three grandchildren; his mother, Audrey Anderson; two sisters, Mary Parry of Lake Katrina and Norma Decker of Decatur; and many cousins, nieces and nephews.

He was predeceased by his father, Arthur L. Anderson Sr.

Calling hours will be held Saturday, March 4, 2006, at the E.J. Skinner Co. Funeral Chapel in Worcester from 11 a.m. to the funeral service time at 2:30 p.m., with the Rev. Tom Shimp, pastor of the Faith Baptist Church in Roxbury, officiating.

Interment will be in the Decatur Cemetery at a later date.

Contributions may be made to Bassett Healthcare, 1 Atwell Drive, Cooperstown, NY 13326.

The E.J. Skinner Co., 155 Main St., in Worcester, is serving the family.

Raised in Saranac Lake, and subsequently moved to Oneonta, where she taught and retired from the Public School District.

A lifelong and accomplished musician and pianist, she was at one time musical director and organist for the Catholic Church in Oneonta and at St. Mary’s of Clinton Heights Church in Rensselaer.

Never far from her beloved Adirondack Mountains, Dorothy and her husband, Albert, built a summer home near Ausable Forks, where her joy in climbing mountains and the outdoor life were shared by her family.

Dorothy is survived by a daughter, Karen Moseley of Jupiter, Fla.; a son, William Flanigan and his wife, Mary Jane, of Delmar; her grandsons, Christopher LaSalle of Los Angeles, Calif., and Peter Flanigan of New York City; and two great-grandchildren; a sister, Katherine; and brother, Graham; and several nieces and nephews.

Dorothy was predeceased by her husband, Albert Flanigan.

A memorial service will be held at a later date. Interment will be in St. Matthew’s Cemetery, Black Brook, in the spring.

In lieu of flowers and in memory of Dorothy, contributions may be made to her favorite church activity: the Altar Rosary Society of St. Mary’s of Clinton Heights Church, 163 Columbia Turnpike, Rensselaer, NY 12144.

A special thank-you to the staffs of both the emergency room and the cardiac care unit at Albany Medical Center and the nursing staffs in units 2 and 3 in Eddy-Ford. Your professionalism and compassionate care for Dorothy were deeply appreciated.

He was born Dec. 18, 1952, in Oneonta, the son of Louis Raymond and Ida (Fuller) McIntyre.

Stan was a custodian at Hartwick College for several years.

He enjoyed hunting, fishing, bowling and riding his motorcycle.

Stan is survived by his sister, Bonnie Shoemaker of Oneonta; one niece, Brenda Harding and her husband, Ray, of Oneonta; one great-niece, Christina Losie and her husband, Shannon, of Oneonta; five great-nephews, Jared and Kyle Macken, Justin and Chad Harding and Jonathan Welch, all of Oneonta; one great-great-niece, Cadence Losie of Oneonta; as well as several aunts, uncles and cousins.

He was predeceased by his parents, Louis and Ida McIntyre; his brother-in-law, Louis Shoemaker; and one niece, Michelle Welch.

Graveside services will be held in the spring in the Hillington Cemetery, Morris.

There will be no calling hours.

Memorial contributions in Stanley’s name may be made to the favorite charity of one’s choice.

Funeral arrangements are by the Bookhout Funeral Home of Oneonta.

From his humble youth in the slums of Chicago, to a successful practice of law for more than 40 years, Bill lived a remarkable life that epitomized the American dream.

Bill took great pride in sharing with all who might listen, the accomplishments of his beloved wife, Ruth Esther, and their three children, Tom, Martha and Bob. Yet his own extraordinary story remained untold outside his immediate family.

Born on 13 Feb. 1925, to Arthur and Estrid Birch on Chicago’s north side, Bill and his younger sister, Rosemary, learned early on the value of hard work. By age 10, during the height of the Great Depression, Bill shined shoes in taverns along Milwaukee Avenue, to help his unemployed father put food on their family table. Tragically, at age 12, Bill and Rosemary were orphaned when both their parents died within two months of each other. To provide a more wholesome environment in which to grow, an aunt and uncle agreed to raise Bill and his sister on their small dairy farm in Sparta, Wis. There Bill spent his teen years "on the farm" milking 24 cows by hand and plowing fields behind teams of draft horses.

At age 18, Bill enlisted in the United States Naval flight program where he trained to become a flight navigator. Fortunately, the war ended before he saw active combat and he was discharged with full honors. With financial help from the "GI Bill of Rights," Bill enrolled at the University of Illinois, where he met his bride of 57 years, Ruth Wahlberg (Birch).

When Ruth received a teaching position in the fine arts department at Cortland Teacher’s College, Bill followed her east to enroll at Cornell Law School from which he graduated with a Juris Doctor degree.

After passing the New York State Bar examination, Bill found employment as a young trial lawyer in the Binghamton firms Deyo, Turnbull & Normile; Chernin & Gold; and as general partner at Night, Keller, & Birch, before striking out to form his own firm in 1962.

For many years, Bill served as Justice of the Peace for the Town of Fenton. As past president and founding member of the Hillcrest Rotary Club, Bill organized a service project to ensure passage of a special bond act to build an Olympic lap and diving pool — which continues to serve students and families at Chenango Valley High School to this day. Bill took great satisfaction in the nickname that developed for his project: "Birch’s Bathtub!"

Singing was Bill’s greatest passion. Bill loved to sing, and his booming base voice could be heard during the early days of the Triple Cities Opera Company, in the choir at the First Presbyterian Church, and in barbershop quartets throughout the area. One such quartet — the Chordmasters — won the national championship title in 1955.

Apart from his professional and civic accomplishments, Bill was first and foremost a family man. He adored his children and his beloved wife, Ruth. Unpretentious by nature, Bill worked, saved, and lived frugally to ensure that his own family never would know the poverty he experienced as a young child. While Bill would swell with pride in the retelling of his family’s most minor accomplishments, it was he who was — and remains — their hero.

Bill is survived by his wife, Ruth; daughter, Martha; sons, Tom and Bob, and their wives, Aurora and Marcy; five grandchildren, Erica, Jessica, Drew, Jonathan and Anthony; his sister, Rosemary; and his nephew, Gary.

A celebration of Bill’s life will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 11, with calling hours immediately preceding the service beginning at 10 a.m. at the Chase Funeral Home, Chenango Street, Port Dickinson.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Bill’s name to the American Heart Association, 7272 Greenville Ave., Dallas, TX 75231-4596 or the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, 322 Eighth Ave., 6th Floor, New York, NY 10001.

He was born Feb. 16, 1929, in the town of Exeter, son of the late Steve and Pauline Waznac Spytko.

A lifelong area resident, he was educated in Richfield Springs Central School.

A United States Army veteran, he served with the 101st Transport Company during the Korean War, and was honorably discharged with the rank of Corporal in 1952.

On May 9, 1953, he was united in marriage with the former Genevieve V. Seamon in the Greek Orthodox Church in Herkimer. After a loving and devoted union of 50 years, Mrs. Spytko preceded him in death March 6, 2004.

Steve started out owning his own dairy farm and in the late 1950s started the S & J Slaughterhouse on State Highway 28 that he owned and operated for 40 years, retiring in the late 1990s.

Steve had a strong belief in God and had regularly attended Saint Joseph’s Church, Richfield Springs.

He was a member of the Hugick-Purcell-Shepard American Legion Post No. 616, Richfield Springs.

Nothing can detract from the joy of that we shared in knowing Steve. He was a strong willed man who enjoyed the outdoors and nature. He was a fisherman who loved Canadarago Lake and the wonderful memories of time he spent there.

Anyone who knew Steve remembers a man who kept constantly busy. He was never afraid to accept a challenge, no matter how difficult. To his family he was the strength that held them together and was always there for them. Any conversation with Steve was very frank and to the point. But you could sense the warmth and friendship whenever you were with him. He was a friend to many and will never be forgotten.

Surviving him are two daughters and their husbands, Darlene and Donald Calhoun of Kansas City, Mo., and Marlene and John Wagner of Middletown; a sister, Ann Garbera of Richfield Springs; four grandchildren, Donald Steven Calhoun, Kenneth Christopher Calhoun, Danielle Darlene Calhoun and Steven John Wagner; and several nieces, nephews and cousins.

Besides his parents, and wife, Jennie, he was predeceased by four brothers, Joseph, John, Walter and Michael Spytko; and two sisters, Helen Penalis and Mary Brykalo.

Funeral services from J. Seaton McGrath Funeral Home, 40 West James St., Richfield Springs, will be held at 9:30 a.m. Friday. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. in Saint Joseph’s Church, Richfield Springs. The Rev. Terence Healy will officiate.

Entombment with military honors will follow in Lakeview Cemetery.

The family will be present in the funeral home to receive relatives and friends from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday.

Expressions of sympathy may be made with donations to The Otsego Manor Celebration Fund. Envelopes will be available at the funeral home.

Members of Hugick-Purcell-Shepard American Legion Post No. 616 are asked to meet at the funeral home Thursday evening at 7:30 p.m. for services.