Kathy L. Janeczek

Kathy L. Janeczek of Merilina Ave., Kingston died Thursday, September 3, 2009. She was 55. A native and lifelong Kingston resident, she was born May 14, 1954, a daughter of Corinne Perry Janeczek and the late Stanley V. Janeczek. A graduate of John A. Coleman Catholic High School, class of '72, Kathy then attended Ulster County Community College. In 1979 she received a BA in Political Science from SUNY Brockport. Kathy graduated The George Washington University, Washington, D.C. with a Masters in Higher Education Administration in 1991. She continued in Doctoral Study at GWU in 1993. From 1984 - 1994 she held various positions at The George Washington University, School of Business and Public Management, including Academic Advisor, Executive Assistant and Director of Fellowships/Scholarships. Kathy received the "Quality Student Service Award" from George Washington University in 1993. Her public sector experience included her appointment as City Clerk for the City of Kingston in December 1996. Kathy facilitated all city special events, was the City liaison to local business associations, community groups, the school district and Ulster County Chamber of Commerce. In 1996 she was the director of the Kingston Office of Community Development. A former member of the Salvation Army Advisory Board, Kathy currently served on the Heritage Area Commission, Community Development Advisory Board, Everette Hodge Community Center Advisory Board, and the NAACP (Charter Member of the Kingston Chapter.) She was a board member of the United Way of Ulster County and the Foxhall Ambulatory Surgery Center. Kathy volunteered for the Clinton Avenue United Methodist Church Soup Kitchen, the Hudson Valley AIDS Auction, and was a founding member of the Guardian Club. She was recognized as "Irishman of the Year" from the Ulster County Chamber of Commerce. Surviving are her mother Corinne Perry Janeczek of Kingston, her sister Tris Korol and her husband Barry of Hurley; her beloved niece and nephew Amy and Adam Korol, many aunts, uncles and cousins. Reposing at the Simpson - Gaus Funeral Home, 411 Albany Ave. on Saturday 4:00 - 7:00 p.m. and Sunday 4:00 - 8:00 p.m. The funeral procession will form on Monday (Labor Day) at 9:00 a.m. from the funeral home. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at the Immaculate Conception Church at 10:00 a.m. Interment will follow in St. Mary's Cemetery. Contributions in Kathy's memory may be made to a charity of choice. -------------------------------------------------- Daily Freeman article by PAUL KIRBY Freeman staff KINGSTON City Clerk Kathy L. Janeczek, who possessed a spirited work ethic and volunteerism born out of her genuine love for Kingston, died Thursday after a battle with cancer. She was 55. Janeczek had been city clerk since November 1996, and many who knew her said she took the job to heart and transformed the office into more of a community giving center. "She was the ambassador of Kingston," said Fire Chief Richard Salzmann, a close friend of Janeczek's for many years. Mayor James Sottile described Janeczek as the ultimate public servant who gave much of herself and her time to the city where she lived all her life. "The city has suffered a great loss with the passing of Kathy Janeczek," Sottile said, wiping away tears. "... Kathy is the kind of person we all strive to be as public servants. "She had high moral and ethical standards, and she was loyal to the citizens of this city," the mayor added. "She was proud to be an employee of her hometown." Sottile said city workers were "devastated" by Janeczek's death. Alderman Michael Madsen described Janeczek as "bigger than life, the heart and soul of the city." Madsen, D-Ward, 9, said the longtime clerk had a "never-ending enthusiasm for all things Kingston. I think you would be hard-pressed to find someone else so in love with Kingston." As city clerk, Janeczek was in charge of licensing, City Hall maintenance and the city's insurance budget. But she turned the office more outward, helping organize community events, festivals and fundraisers and often appearing at events as the city's representative when Sottile couldn't make it. A tireless volunteer, Janeczek also served as a liaison to local business associations, community groups, the school district and Ulster County Chamber of Commerce. Janeczek's oft-cluttered office usually was filled with trinkets collected from events, calendars being sold for a cause or paintings awaiting sale to help beef up city finances. And Janeczek became the go-to woman for lawmakers when they needed information or advice. "She was a dedicated public servant who gave 110 percent to the job," said Ward 7 Alderman Bill Reynolds, the Common Council's Democratic majority leader. "City Hall and the city of Kingston just won't be the same without her." --------------------------- By Adam Bosch Times Herald-Record KINGSTON Kathy Janeczek, the city clerk of Kingston whose kindness and benevolent spirit made her one of the city's favorite daughters, died Thursday after a short battle against cancer. She was 55. The suddenness of her death has devastated those who knew her. Janeczek was diagnosed with cancer just two weeks before her death. "Two weeks it was only two weeks," said James Noble, president of Kingston's Common Council. "It teaches me that we really have to live for today." Aside from her job as the custodian of city records, Janeczek sat to the right of Noble at every Common Council meeting and kept track of the city's minutes, legislation and calendar of meetings and events. Co-workers in the City Clerk's Office said she'll be remembered for doing the job with diligence, grace and a smile. "She inspired us all to be better," Deputy City Clerk Mimi Croswell said. "Our whole thing now is that this was the most important thing to Kathy, so we're trying to carry on in homage to her." Janeczek also contributed to several business, school and community groups. In one of her recurring roles, Janeczek was the dispatcher for turkey distribution for the Clinton Street United Methodist Church every Thanksgiving, organizing the drive that brought meals to the underprivileged and those confined to their homes. Janeczek, a Catholic, pitched in simply to help her neighbors. "She knew everybody and everything in Kingston," said the Rev. Darlene Kelley, who added that Janeczek was among the first people she met after taking over the Methodist Church here. "I was just getting to know her on a personal level before she died, and like so many people in Kingston, I feel like I've been robbed of a friend."