Bill Text: NY J00594 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Mourning the death of Marilyn Anna VanDyke, Ph.D., longtime Town Queensbury historian, distinguished citizen and devoted member of her community

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2023-03-28 - ADOPTED [J00594 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-J00594-Introduced.html

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Senate Resolution No. 594

BY: Senator STEC

        MOURNING the death of Marilyn Anna VanDyke, Ph.D.,
        longtime Town of Queensbury historian, distinguished
        citizen and devoted member of her community

  WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to pay tribute to
citizens  of  the  State  of  New York whose lifework and civic endeavor
served to enhance the quality of life in their communities and the great
State of New York; and

  WHEREAS, Marilyn Anna VanDyke  of  Queensbury,  New  York,  died  on
Monday, March 13, 2023, at the age of 92; and

  WHEREAS,  Marilyn Anna Johnson was born on January 26, 1931, to Edna
(Cleveland) and Milford Johnson in South Glens  Falls,  New  York;  upon
graduating  from  the  local  high  school,  she became the first in her
family to attend college, earning her bachelor's degree from  the  State
University of New York at Albany; and

  WHEREAS,  Marilyn Anna Johnson then began her long and distinguished
career in education, teaching at Fort Ann High School; and

  WHEREAS, On April  17,  1954,  Marilyn  Anna  Johnson  married  Paul
VanDyke,  and  together,  they raised two daughters in their home on Bay
Road, and operated Idlewild Cottages on Lake George for 15 years; and

  WHEREAS, Devoted to her daughters, Marilyn Anna VanDyke was a career
Girl Scout, serving as a Troop Leader, Board Member, Council  President,
and Interim Executive Director for six years; and

  WHEREAS,  In  addition  to  the  Girl  Scouts,  Marilyn Anna VanDyke
volunteered her time and energy to the PTA,  Adirondack  Mountain  Club,
and  the  Quaker  Friends  Meeting;  for  her  steadfast and unremitting
commitment to her community she was the recipient of several awards  and
accolades  including  being  named an "Outstanding Historian" by the New
York State Association  of  Municipal  Historians,  the  2007  Woman  of
Distinction Award by the Adirondack Girl Scount Council and in 2009, the
Chapman  Museum  honored her for her "Outstanding Contributions to Local
History"; and

  WHEREAS, In 1985, at the age of 53, Marilyn Anna  VanDyke  furthered
her  education by obtaining her master's degree and an E.D. in Education
Administration and Policy; during this time, she completed  research  at
Albany  BOCES  on  Gifted Education and worked at Lake George Elementary
School directing the Gifted and Talented Program; and

  WHEREAS, Marilyn Anna VanDyke then held the positions  of  Principal
at  Moriah  Central School, Adjunct Professor at North Country Community
College  and  SUNY  Plattsburgh,   and   Training   Director/Educational
Consultant  for  the Association of Public Historians of New York State;
and

  WHEREAS, In 1991, Marilyn Anna VanDyke was appointed  Historian  for
the  Town  of  Queensbury and was a founding member of the Warren County

Historical Society, in which the  reference  library  is  named  in  her
honor;  in  2017, after 26 years of service, she officially retired from
her role as Historian; and

  WHEREAS,  In  this  capacity,  Marilyn  Anna  VanDyke  surveyed 19th
Century historic barns and served on the Civil War Monument  restoration
committee, Heritage Hall Committee, and Preservation Awards Committee of
the  Chapman Museum; she also offered services to those in the community
looking to learn about local  history  or  their  family  genealogy  and
developed numerous historical exhibits; and

  WHEREAS,  Predeceased  by her two brothers, Erwin Johnson and Walton
Johnson, and one sister, Luana Johnson Rohlin, Marilyn Anna  VanDyke  is
survived  by  her  two  daughters,  Katrina  (Mark) Bergeron and Heather
(Christopher)  VanDyke;  her  five  grandchildren,  Alexander,   Cameron
(Gabrielle),  Jennifer  (Kevin),  Reilly  and  Austin  VanDyke;  and one
great-grandson, Liam  Parker;  as  well  as  numerous  other  relatives,
friends and colleagues who will long cherish her memory; and

  WHEREAS,  Well-liked  and  respected  by  all, Marilyn Anna Van Dyke
truly loved her community and strived to make it a better place for  its
citizens  to  live,  work  and  play;  she  devoted  much of her life to
bringing proper attention to a place and time which  merits  recognition
in the grand panorama of the history of our State and Nation; and

  WHEREAS,  Armed  with a humanistic spirit and imbued with a sense of
compassion, Marilyn Anna Van Dyke leaves behind a legacy which will long
endure the passage of time and will remain as a comforting memory to all
she served and befriended; now, therefore, be it

  RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its  deliberations  to
mourn  the  death  of  Marilyn  Anna  Van  Dyke, Ph.D., longtime Town of
Queensbury historian, distinguished citizen and devoted  member  of  her
community; and be it further

  RESOLVED,  That  a  copy  of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to the family of Marilyn Anna Van Dyke, Ph.D.