Obituary of Florence M. Dufresne Dufresne

Cohoes – Florence (Flo) Marie Quigley Dufresne, 95, of Cohoes entered into eternal life on Saturday, January 26, 2013 surrounded by her loving family. Born in Albany on October 6, 1917 she was one of six children of the late Joseph and Mary Ellen Keelty Quigley who were born in Ireland in 1888 and immigrated to America in 1904. Florence grew up on Hunter Avenue in Albany and graduated from Vincentian Institute in 1936. As a child she loved to read books and recite poetry and she had an amazing memory for recalling and reciting the poems of her youth right up to the time of her death. She fondly recalled growing up in a large Irish family, playing the tomboy to keep up with her five brothers, traveling to NYC by train to visit a favorite aunt and babysitting the children of well-to- do families. After high school Florence worked at Williams Press where she met her future husband, Joseph Arthur Dufresne of Cohoes. “Joe and Flo” were married in Blessed Sacrament Church in Albany on May 28, 1941 and raised four children in their family home at 112 Mann Avenue in Cohoes. In the 1940’s and 1950’s she spent many wonderful summers camping with her husband and children in the Adirondacks, especially at Piseco Lake. Florence was a homemaker and later worked as a Typist for the NYS Department of Tax and Finance until retiring in 1983. Predeceased by her husband in 1979, Florence continued to work and maintain her own home until moving to Columbia Crest Apartments in 2004 and Emeritus at Colonie Manor in 2011. Florence loved the outdoors and routinely did her own lawn care, snow blowing and many other difficult chores, until age 87. She was fond of following professional tennis and golf, looking after her five brothers, sharing funny stories, being with her family, playing card games like Skip-Bo, keeping house, finding ways to fix things, watching others build things, and playing pool in her nineties. She always had a kind word for others and enjoyed volunteering at her St. Agnes and Holy Trinity parishes. Despite health problems in later years, Florence maintained a healthy outlook on life and was an encouraging example to all who knew her. She loved and experienced the poem, “Footprints in the Sand” by Mary Stevenson, wherein we learn how God carried us during difficult times. She is survived by her children, Joseph Dufresne of Northport, Washington, Robert (Sheila) Dufresne of North Greenbush, Sharon (Robert) Trzcinski of Rhinebeck and Nancy (John) Kolakowski of Niskayuna; her daughter-in-law Gail (Michael) Catoggio of Anchorage, Alaska; her sister-in-law Veronica Quigley of Watervliet. Grandmother of Beth (Greg) Lottridge of Anchorage, Sara (Chris) Spurlock of Spokane, Washington, Joseph Dufresne, Jr. of Spokane, Brian (Rebecca) Dufresne of Clifton Park, Philip Dufresne of Schenectady, Alison Kolakowski of Downingtown, PA and Jason Kolakowski of Niskayuna; great grandmother of Mary and Christopher Lottridge of Anchorage, Katherine Pratt, Carson Spurlock and Morgan Spurlock of Spokane and Annabelle Dufresne of Clifton Park, also survived by many nieces and nephews. She was also predeceased by her brothers, James Quigley, Joseph Quigley, John Quigley, William Quigley and Edward Quigley. Funeral Tuesday 11:00am, at Holy Trinity Parish, Cohoes where a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated. Internment in St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Waterford. Relatives and friends may call at the DUFRSNE FUNERAL HOME, Inc., 216 Columbia Street, Cohoes on Monday from 4 to 7pm.