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- The Daily Star
March 24, 2005
SCHENECTADY — Thelma Perkins Lally of Ruffner Road passed away peacefully March 22, 2005, at her home. She was born Nov. 16, 1912, in West Burlington, Otsego county, the daughter of Grover and Agatha Telfer Perkins.
Thelma was a graduate of Hartwick High School (1930) and Cobleskill Agriculture and Technical School. She received her teaching degree from the Oneonta Normal School. Thelma taught at the Patent School in the town of Burlington and the Waterville Central School.
She married Kenneth T. Lally on July 11, 1939. Thelma and Ken moved to Schenectady where Thelma taught at a "one-room" schoolhouse in Glenville, and in the Niskayuna School District. She was a dedicated teacher for more than 35 years and was greatly admired and respected by her colleagues and her students.
Thelma and Ken were very active throughout her life, supporting and providing leadership, service and financial support to many area educational and health-care institutions and community service organizations. A partial list of organizations that have benefited from Thelma and Ken's interest and involvement include the Albany Catholic Diocese, Albany Medical Center, Catholic Central High School, College of St. Rose, Ellis Hospital, Girls Inc., Junior Museum of Troy, LaSalle School, Mohawk Pathways Girl Scouts, Northeast Parent and Child, Proctor's Theatre, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Samaritan Hospital, Siena College, Schenectady County Community College, St. Clare's Hospital, St. Helen's Parish, Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital, Union College and the YMCA.
As a tribute to their longtime devotion to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, RPI named its graduate business school the Kenneth T. and Thelma P. Lally School of Management and Technology. Thelma and her husband received the Philanthropists of the Year award for their support of charities in the Capital Region from the National Society of Fund-Raising Executives in 1994, and in 1999 they were honored with the Citizen Laureate Award from the University at Albany Foundation. Thelma was recognized for her passion for education and teaching excellence by the College of St. Rose, which conferred upon her the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters in 1999. In recognition of Thelma's support of the college and funding provided by she and Ken, St. Rose named its new signature building the Thelma P. Lally School of Education in 2003. Thelma also served as an officer, director and trustee of numerous other educational and community organizations.
Mrs. Lally is survived by her devoted husband of more than 65 years, Kenneth T. Lally; her sister, Diana Marlette; a sister-in-law, Mary Lally; her brothers-in-law and their wives, John and Dorothy Lally and Robert and Colleen Lally; and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.
She was predeceased by her sister, Hilda Tamas; sister-in-law, Helen Fischer; and three brothers-in-law, Joseph Tamas, Howard Marlette and Howard Lally.
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1912 - 2005 (92 years)
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