Charles K Stickney

Ballston Spa/Newcomb, Charles K. Stickney passed away on Tuesday, August 18, 2021, at Saratoga Hospital after a brief illness.

He was born in the old family home in Loon Lake, NY on December 9, 1938, the son of the late Kenneth and Gladys (Ledwith) Stickney. The family moved to Tahawaus, NY on September 10, 1945. He graduated from Newcomb Central School in 1957.

He married Susan Morehouse on November 1, 1970, and celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on November 1, 2020.

In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his sister Mary (Stickney) Leonard, and his brothers Walter Stickney, Kenneth Stickney, and Hayden Stickney.

Charlie served his country in The United States Army as an MP from October 1961 to October 1963 stationed in Killeen Texas. During this time the civil rights movement was in full swing, and he recounted an experience of a group of them going to a restaurant. One friend was African American and was refused service. Charlie and the others supported their fellow soldier and left the establishment together.

Charlie was a member of the Newcomb Volunteer Fire Department, the Lions Club and the American Legion.

Charlie worked at NL Industries for many years with various responsibilities including managing the trains. His competitive spirit allowed him to bear the bitter subzero temperatures of the Adirondacks as well as surviving an incident when the train went off the tracks. In addition, he was also a local bartender whom his customers always appreciated.

Following closure of the mine in 1989, he moved to Ballston Spa and worked for Specialty Silicone Products Inc. founded by his sister Patricia Babbie-Reo and fellow GE partners. Once again, it was all about competition to see how much silicone he could produce. He worked in that position until age 79.

Athletics were an extremely important part of his life. He played basketball until age of 70. He participated in the Senior Olympics twice in Utah. He also loved Town team basketball, baseball, and softball. He always said that “while we are on the court or field we might push and curse at each other, but when the game was over, we enjoyed a few cold beers and left the rest on the court or the field. Charlie was a diehard Brooklyn Dodger fan and even on his dying day, had his Brooklyn Dodger Sweatshirt with him.

He was most proud of his extreme competitive spirit and independence. As his health and strength waned, he just couldn’t accept that he was unable to beat the aging process and fought it as long as he could.

He was a dedicated husband, father, and grandfather. He supported his daughter and grandchildren in all their endeavors. Once again, he always let them know how proud he was of their accomplishments.

He is survived by his wife of 50 years Susan K. (Morehouse) Stickney, his daughter Jean E. (Stickney) (Kirk) Van Auken, his grandchildren Corey Van Auken, Brendon Van Auke, and  Katelyn Van Auken, as well as his sister Patricia Babbie-Reo (Ned Reo) and brother William Stickney and several nieces and nephews.

Services will be held Sunday, August 29, 2021, at the Edward L. Kelly Funeral Home 1019 US rt. 9, Schroon Lake from 1-3 PM with a brief service at 3:00 PM. A reception will be held following the conclusion of the service.

In lieu of flowers and in honor of his love for animals, donations may be made to the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society, 3 Oakwood Ave, Menands, NY 12204, in his memory.