Obituary

Alan D. Cederstrom

Thu, 01/15/2015 - 2:00pm

Alan D. Cederstrom, 86, of Queensbury, New York, a 1946 graduate of Boothbay Harbor High School, died Jan. 10, 2015 at Glens Falls Hospital in upstate New York after a long illness.

He was born on July 16, 1928, in Stoneham, Massachusetts. He was the son of the late Hjalmar and Levon (Payson) Cederstrom.

Al graduated from the Maine Maritime Academy in 1949 and served as an engineering officer in the Navy aboard the aircraft carrier Wright and the destroyer Shannon in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. As a Lieutenant J.G., he was the chief engineer on the Shannon (although later in life he questioned the Navy's wisdom in making such a young kid the chief engineer of a ship).

He mustered out of the Navy in 1952 and earned his teaching degree at the University of Maine at Orono. He taught for a short time in Maine, then came to Glens Falls High School in 1957, where he taught biology, math and photography. He retired in 1983.

Al married Harriet Riley in 1950 in South Newburgh, Maine. They celebrated their 64th anniversary this November.

Al was known for his sense of humor and love of life. He became a noted photographer, and at various times in his life enjoyed hiking, family camping trips, fishing, hunting and family vacations to Boothbay Harbor.

He served 10 years as manager of the Skye Farm Methodist children's summer camp on Sherman Pond in upstate New York in the 1960s, and remained an active volunteer at the camp while his health allowed.

Al was very involved with Christ Church United Methodist in Glens Falls, and with the Methodist Troy Conference.

Al was predeceased by his brother-in-law Phil Riley (Harriet's brother).

Al is survived by wife Harriet in Queensbury; daughter Beth; daughter Martha and her husband Dane Larsen of California; son David in Queensbury; granddaughter Sophia Larsen of California; sister Anne Cederstrom Granger and her husband Peter Granger of New Jersey; brother Carl and his wife Verna of Missouri; brother Paul and his wife Sharon in Queensbury; and sister-in-law Marjorie Hawkins Riley (Phil's wife).

Al was buried Wednesday, Jan. 14, at the Saratoga National Cemetery the Town of Saratoga, New York.

A memorial service will be held at Christ Church United Methodist in Glens Falls at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 15, followed by a reception.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Class of 1949 Scholarship Fund at the Maine Maritime Academy, P.O. Box 219, Castine, ME 04421, or to Christ Church United Methodist, 54 Bay St., Glens Falls, NY 12801. Online condolences may be made at the Singleton Sullivan Potter Funeral Home website, www.sbfuneralhome.com.