NORTH GREENBUSH – John Giles Gilday, 87, died peacefully at his home on Monday, August 12 surrounded by his loving family. The son of the late Cecil and Pauline Gilday, John attended Oxford Academy and Central School. Upon early graduation in 1944, he proudly served his country in World War II with the 65th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army. After serving in France, Germany and Austria, he was honorably discharged in 1946. He graduated from Albany Business College in 1948 and worked for the NYS Dept of Social Services, where he retired after 37 years.
He is survived by his loving wife of 59 years, Anne M. (Filipowski) Gilday, his six children, John Garrett (Deborah) Gilday of Litchfield, NH, Peggy (Charles) Dennis of Clinton, NJ, Bill (Suzanne) Gilday of Brunswick, NY, Jennifer (Bob) Styczynski of Snyders Lake, NY, Carrie-Anne (Jeff) Pace of Litchfield, NH, and Michael (Jennifer) Gilday of Clifton Park, NY; and eleven grandchildren and seven great grandchildren. He is also survived by two sisters, Holly Bradford of Milford, MI, and Rosemary Norwood of Vernon, CT. He is predeceased by his sisters and brothers-in-law, Sally Gilday of Binghamton, NY, Cecile and Fred Kunz of Troy, NY, William Bradford, and Dick Norwood. Additionally, he is survived by many sisters and brothers-in-law on his wife’s side, numerous nieces and nephews, and his childhood “partners in crime,” his cousins, the Dewans.
During his life, John was an active member of the Snyder’s Lake Improvement Association, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and was a life member of the American Legion and the Brunswick Elks Club. John was a communicant of St. Jude’s Church where he served for many years on the Finance Committee.
John loved photography, travel, gardening, pinochle, bocce, fishing, Big Band music, telling stories, and spending time with family. He was able to compile his WWII memoirs into the book Our Freedom Was at Stake, so that we would never forget. He will always be remembered for his sense of humor or what we referred to as that “Oxford corn.” John was a devoted husband, father and grandfather, and will truly be missed.
A calling hour will be held at 10 a.m. on August 17 at St. Jude’s Church in Wynantskill, with a Memorial Mass following at 11 a.m. John has made an anatomical gift to the Medical College. Interment will be held at a later date in the Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery in Saratoga. The family would like to thank the staff of Community Hospice of Rensselaer County for making this transition easier for John and his family. Donations may be made to the Parkinson’s Research Foundation, PO Box 20256, Sarasota, FL 34276. For online guestbook, visit www.legacy.com.