Obituaries

Carol A. Hoefer, 84, of Oswego, went to be with the Lord Friday, December 15, 2017 at Upstate Medical University with her family by her side.

Born in Oswego to the late Charles and Rosalie (Mahar) Smith, Carol was a member of the community for most of her life. She was a graduate of Oswego High School.

Early in her life, Carol worked at Meeker’s Bakery before devoting her life to her family.

She was predeceased by the love her life, her husband of 54 years, Edward C. Hoefer in 2010.

She was a communicant of St. Peter’s Church, and later St. Mary’s of the Assumption. She was a former member of Catholic Daughters, and often volunteered by cleaning St. Peter’s and at the church bazaars.

Carol was very active throughout most of her life and enjoyed socializing. She loved Harborfest, and was proud that she attended every year of the festival. Wednesday night band concerts were a regular part of her summers, and she never missed an opportunity to watch a polka band. She loved to dance, and her signature “Grandma Dance” will never be forgotten.

While she loved to be out and about, Carol enjoyed the simple parts of her days most and was a creature of habit. Her days revolved around mealtimes and television shows. She rarely missed an episode of “The Price is Right” or her daily soap operas. Lunch was served daily at noon, and there was always a spot at her table for anyone who wanted to stop by. Her famous strawberry gel was a favorite of many, and she looked forward to making it every year with fresh Ferlito’s berries. Carol’s baking skills lasted long past her career, and her pies, cookies and kuchen were always delicious.

She took pride in maintaining her home inside and out, which included decorating for every holiday. Crocheting was one of her favorite hobbies until her hands no longer allowed her to do so. Always up-to-date with technology, she later enjoyed using her Kindle and iPhone to play games and read the news. While Carol never traveled far from Oswego, she has a large collection of shot glasses from places visited by her family and friends.

While Carol once bowled herself, she most enjoyed watching her children bowl. She was their biggest fan, and was especially proud when Lighthouse Lanes opened in 2003. Every year she prepared over 1,000 flyers to be mailed for the family bowling tournament, Super Bud Bowl. The hundreds of bowlers that attended always looked forward to seeing Carol at the check-in table.

Like her husband, her greatest accomplishment in life was her family. Carol was the definition of a family matriarch; a role that extended beyond her homestead and touched the lives of her many nieces, nephews, neighbors and friends. She cared for many children throughout the years. While her strictness seemed to lessen with each generation, she was always devoted to raising independent, caring, and kind children. She also had many pets throughout her lifetime that were an important part of her family, most recently her cats Sandy and Maggie.

Carol was the most generous person you would ever meet, always willing to share her home, love, and laughter. The love she has for her family is eternally unconditional, and she will continue to care for them as a guardian angel.

Carol is survived by a son, Robert (Suzanne) Hoefer; two daughters, Kathy (Tom) Miano and Tammy (Mike) Byrne; three granddaughters, Mary (Justin) Koskowski, Katie (Ben) Patnode, and Kristen (Myles) Maxon; four great-grandchildren, Anna and Eli Koskowski, Caroline Maxon, and Conner Patnode; step-grandsons, Cameron and Noah Byrne; a sister, Barbara Basile, of Cato; brother-in-law, Thomas (Katherine) Hoefer; sister-in-law, Ann Hoefer; many nieces, nephews and loyal friends. In addition to her parents and husband, she was predeceased by three brothers-in-law, a sister-in-law, and a niece, Joy Basile.

A funeral mass will be held at 10 a.m., Thursday, in St. Mary's Church. Burial will be in St. Peter's Cemetery. Calling hours will be held from 4-7 p.m., Wednesday, at the Dain-Cullinan Funeral Home, 112 E. Second St., in Oswego.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made on behalf of Carol’s great-grandchildren to the playground fund at Trinity Catholic School, 115 East 5th Street, Oswego, NY 13126.