CALCIUM, NY – Jane E. Alteri passed away on Sunday, August 4th, 2024, at home, under the loving care of her daughter. She was 90 years old.
Calling hours will be held on Thursday, August 8th, 2024, from 4-7 pm at Reed & Benoit Funeral Home. There will be a funeral service at 11:00 AM on Friday, August 9th at Asbury United Methodist Church where she was a longtime member. Burial will follow in North Watertown Cemetery.
Jane was born in Lawrenceville, New York, on April 24th, 1934, daughter of the late Sidney Sr. and Edna (Daby) Cheney. She grew up on the family farm, where she was often found outside in the barn or the henhouse playing with the boys. A farm girl at heart, this instilled her love for animals, the outdoors, and taught her the meaning of hard work. She attended St. Lawrence Central High School, where she was involved in many clubs, including the Yearbook Club and the Drama Club. During her schooling, she participated in sports including basketball and bowling, receiving an athletic award that remains on display at the school. Following her 1951 high school graduation, she went on to enroll in the House of the Good Samaritan School of Nursing, completing clinicals at Columbia University as well as the St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center. She graduated as a Registered Nurse in 1954 and immediately began working at House of the Good Samaritan, retiring in 1996 after 42 years of dedicated service. She worked on 3-Main for much of her time as a nurse and in the SMC Ambulatory Surgery Center for the last several years of her career.
She married Warren H. King in 1955 and together they had two daughters, Debra and Valerie. Warren predeceased her. On August 10, 1974, she married Anthony J. “Smoky” Alteri. He passed away in 2001.
To say Jane “did it all” was pretty darn accurate. She lived her life to the fullest with a loving sense of humor and a strong will. She loved crafting, especially making her own Halloween costumes as that was one of her favorite holidays. She enjoyed shopping and playing games with her family and wanted to participate in all family events. In her retirement, she enjoyed wintering in Florida where she became involved in the Red Hat Society with her sister Connie and sister-in-law Betty. An avid sports fan, she enjoyed bowling, softball, and golfing, being the Rustic Senior Golf Champion for many years. In her earlier years, she participated in a bowling league with her daughter Debbie. She was a dedicated Syracuse Orange Men’s Basketball fan and attended the opening of the Syracuse Carrier Dome. In the summertime, she enjoyed traveling with her family and could often be found at the local county fairs watching the harness horse racing. Her family lovingly remembers the stories of her childhood on the farm and her nursing career. To her family and friends, she was an incredible woman who lived a full and meaningful life.
Survivors include her daughter, Valerie C. (Mark) Gehring of Calcium and a stepson, Mark J. (Karyn) Alteri of Arizona; a son-in-law, Thomas G. Ligammari of Rutland; siblings, Constance Francis of Potsdam, Justice (Carla) Cheney of Utica, and Sidney (Joan) Cheney, Jr. of Brasher Falls; grandchildren, Melissa Jane Ligammari of Castorland, Melinda A. (Sam) Rosner of Murfreesboro, TN, Thomas P. Ligammari of Watertown, and Tiffany (Donnie) Alteri Brown of Arizona; two step-grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren, one great-great-grandson, and several furry “grandkids”; as well as many loving nieces, nephews, and cousins.
In addition to her parents, husband Warren King, and husband Anthony J. Alteri, she was predeceased by her beloved daughter, Debra Jane Ligammari who passed recently on May 11, 2024. She was additionally predeceased by her first two grandchildren, twins Shawn and Thomas Ligammari Jr. who passed away in infancy in 1975 as well as a brother-in-law, Otis Francis and a sister-in-law, Betty Cheney.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Jefferson County SPCA, 25056 Water Street, Watertown, NY 13601, in honor of Jane’s love for animals.
Arrangements are with Reed & Benoit Funeral Home, Inc. and condolences may be left online at www.reedbenoit.com.
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