Obituary of Donald E. Gifford

Donald E. Gifford Beaver Dams: Donald E. Gifford, age 81, of Beaver Dams, NY passed away on Thursday March 31, 2016 at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hospital, in Penn Yan, NY. The family will receive friends following his memorial service at 5:00 pm Wednesday (Apr. 6) at the Barrington Community Church, Old Bath Rd., Dundee with Rev. Gerald Vanaman officiating. Inurnment will be in the church cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to American Cancer Society, 1400 Winton Road North, Rochester, NY 14609-5896, or the American Heart Assoc. Finger Lakes Chpt., 2113 Chili Ave., Rochester, NY 14624. Donald was born Nov. 27, 1934 in Avoca, NY, the son of the late Ronald and Carrie Edwards Gifford. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1954 – 1960. In April of 1955 in Penn Yan, NY, he married the mother of his children, the late Eleanor Ruth VanHorn who passed away on Aug. 25, 1996. On Feb. 6, 1998 in Hammondsport, NY he married the former Marian K. Daley Eastwood, and doubled the size of his family. Donald was a former employee of Mercury Aircraft, in Hammondsport, NY, retiring as a Line Supervisor after more than 30 years in 1997. Mr. Gifford was a member of the Barrington Community Church, and was a former member of the Pleasant Valley Moose Lodge, the Retreads Motorcycle Club, and the Christian Motorcycle Assoc.; and was a former Dog Control Officer in the towns of Wheeler and Prattsburg. In his spare time he enjoyed hunting in his younger years, collecting toy cars, his remote control truck, woodworking and of course motorcycles. He is loved and will be dearly missed by his wife of 18 years Marian K. Gifford at home, 5 children Pamela A. (Roland) Storms of Cohocton, NY, George H. (Jan) Gifford of Miles, TX, Nancy J. (John) Cardona of Bath, NY, Kelly S. (Chris F. Hakes) Quackenbush of Greece, NY, Charlene "Josie" E. Daley at home; 6 stepchildren whom he loved as his own; 3 brothers Edward (Barb) Gifford of Branchport, NY, Kenneth Gifford of Penn Yan, John Gifford of Waterloo, NY; a sister Ida Smith of Dundee; 10 grandchildren; 7 great grandchildren; and numerous nieces, nephews, and step grandchildren. Besides his parents, and his first wife, he was pre-deceased by 2 sons James A. Gifford in 1983, Donald Thomas Gifford in 2006, and a grandson Daniel Cardona in 1988. Arrangements were entrusted to the Baird Funeral Home, 36 Water Street, Dundee, NY. Online condolences can be sent by visiting www.bairdfuneralhomedundee.com.