POUGHKEEPSIE – Noel (“Buzz”) deCordova Jr., 84, of the Village of Golf, Florida – and formerly of Poughkeepsie and Millbrook, NY – passed away early Tuesday, June 4, 2013.
He is survived by his loving and dedicated wife, Deborah (nee Fribley) of 56 years; sons, Noel III and Michael; daughters-in-law, Melissa and Anna; grandchildren Noel IV, Lane, Claire and Owen; brother, Peter; sister-in-law, Elizabeth Hand; and many nieces and nephews.
Buzz was born in Poughkeepsie on March 17, 1929 the son of Noel and Dorothy (Kirchner) de Cordova. He attended the Governor Clinton, Hotchkiss and Poughkeepsie high schools, the latter where he achieved an 100 percent on the NYS English Regents’ Exam. He entered Cornell University in 1947 on a ROTC scholarship where he resided in the Sigma Nu fraternity and graduated in 1951 with a BA in liberal arts and later graduated from Cornell Law School in 1956 with a JD. On August 18, 1956 he married the apple of his eye, Deborah Fribley, in Norwich, NY. He was admitted to the DC (1956) and NY (1959) Bar Associations. In 1951 he was commissioned as an Ensign, USN and served in the Korean War in the Far East from 1951 to 1953. Later he served in the U.S. Navy Reserves, retiring with the rank of Captain.
Buzz commenced his legal career at the Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington, DC and later at VandeWater & VandeWater in Poughkeepsie, NY where he became a partner and later the managing partner. Buzz had many business interests. He was an owner of Health Services Systems, a medical services company in NYC and he served on the boards of the following private and public corporations: Mechanical Construction Corporation; Cavalier Gage; The Poughkeepsie Savings Bank, FSB; Hudson United Bancorp; the Hammond Company; Hammond Securities Company; and most recently, Peckham Industries. He was a very active member of his community. Involved in political affairs, Buzz was a Poughkeepsie Town Councilman (proudly Republican) representing the 5th ward from 1966-1968 where he was pleased of his participation in creating the joint Town-City Water District and his suggestion that the electrical wires on Raymond Avenue be placed underground. He served as a Director/Member/Trustee of the following organizations and institutions: the Jane W. Nuhn Charitable Trust; the New York State Maritime College; Dutchess County Mental Health Society; Vassar Brothers Hospital Association (past President); the Area Fund; the Bardavon 1869 Opera House (past President); Franklin & Eleanor Roosevelt Institute; and the Cornell University Council.
Buzz was a pilot and a very competitive athlete. He rowed in the Poughkeepsie Regatta for many years as coxswain of Cornell University’s Men’s Heavyweight Varsity Crew and he was a member of the following social/athletic clubs: Amrita Club; Poughkeepsie Squash Club; Poughkeepsie Tennis Club; Dutchess Golf and Country Club, the Ocean Club (past President) and the Country Club of Florida. He brought home lots of silver and crystal from various golf club competitions and liked nothing more in life than to play a round of golf followed by a few hands of gin rummy with his friends in the card room. He will be sorely missed.
A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, June 11 at Christ Episcopal Church, 20 Carroll Street, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Bardavon 1869 Opera House, 35 Market Street, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601.