HAMILTON – David S. Follett, 54, of Hamilton, and formerly of Norwich, passed away unexpectedly on Monday, March 5, 2007 at the Community Memorial Hospital in Hamilton.
Born in Norwich on Dec. 15, 1952, Dave was the son of George H. and Doris (Champlin) Follett. He grew up in Norwich and was a 1971 graduate of Norwich High School, after which he secured employment with Ellinwood Auto Parts and worked there through 1995. From 1996 through the present, Dave was an integral part of J& K Auto Parts in Sherburne, where he was currently store manager.
Beginning in junior high school and continuing throughout his life, Dave was highly proficient in, and deeply involved with, football. He was a member of his junior and senior high school teams and played semi-pro football for the Oneonta Indians, which later became the Chenango Storms, throughout the 1970s. From 1979 through 1993, Dave coached Pop Warner football in Norwich, and coached Hamilton Jr. High football in 1994. In 1996, he became an Assistant Varsity Coach for the Hamilton Central School team which, in 1998, went undefeated and was a finalist in Section 3 Regionals. In 1999 the team was in the state semi-finals. In 2006, Dave was a volunteer coach for the Sherburne-Earlville varsity team. As a player, he was highly regarded by his teammates as a fellow who was always there for the team and supportive of the other players.
Dave was a dedicated family man, a devoted and loving son, husband, father, brother and uncle. Though his game was football, he followed his sons, Stephen and Scott, throughout their years of playing soccer, and was Scott’s biggest fan throughout his continuing ice hockey career. He had coached Hamilton Little League when his sons were playing, and was an active member of the Hamilton Sports Boosters. He was also a member of the Hamilton Lions Club for many years. In his leisure, Dave enjoyed spending time deer hunting with his father and brother, and he especially liked spending time on the family farm and at their summer camp at the lake.
On July 7, 1979, in Oneida, Dave married Jennifer Kidd. He is survived by his wife Jennifer Follett of Hamilton; by his sons, Stephen C. of Hamilton, and Scott C., a junior at Canisius College and a member of their Division 1 Ice Hockey Team; by his mother, Doris Follett of Norwich; by his brother John C. Follett and wife Sharon, and their sons Nicholas and Lucas, of Norwich. He is also survived by his mother-in-law and father-in-law, Arthur & Jeannette Kidd of Harrisonburg, Va.; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law: Jackie and Craig Oceanak of Cheyenne, Wyo., Mike and Diane Kidd of Williamsport, Md., Kathy and Scott Rivers of Lake Butler, Fla., Kristine and Mike Long of Grottoes, Va., Sue and Kevin Kane of York, Pa., and Peggy and Wes Edwards of Virginia Beach; Va.; by 17 nieces and nephews, several cousins, and his “lap-dog,” Bodhi.
PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE IN LOCATION: Funeral services for Dave will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday from St. Paul’s Church of Norwich, with the Rev. Msgr. John Madden, pastor of St. Mary’s Catholic Church of Hamilton, officiating. Interment will be in Mt. Hope Cemetery. Friends are invited to call at the R.J. Fahy Funeral Home on Friday from 2 to 5 and 7 to 9 p.m.
In Dave’s memory, a scholarship program is being established for Hamilton Central School students dedicated to sports. Contributions should be sent to ‘Hamilton Central School District Office, West Kendrick Ave., Hamilton, NY 13346, Attn: Dave Follett Scholarship,’ with checks payable to “David Follett Scholarship.”