Yvonne B (Struys) Stallmer

Yvonne B. Stallmer, 85, of Scotia, New York, died suddenly on Monday, December 9th, 2019 at Ellis Hospital in Schenectady.

She was a lifetime area resident. Born July 29, 1934 in Schenectady, she was the daughter of the late Bernard M. and Henrietta B. (Gardner) Struys.

Yvonne graduated from St. Joseph's School and attended the State University of New York at Oneonta. It was in Oneonta, where Yvonne met the love of her life.

On December 27, 1958 she was married to Thomas P. Stallmer at St. Joseph's Church in Schenectady.

For the next 47 years together, they raised their five children and lovingly opened their home in Niskayuna to 66 foster babies through Catholic Charities. Yvonne worked early in her career with the Bell Telephone Company. She also catered and was an election poll worker for numerous years in the Town of Niskayuna. She cherished being a homemaker and her home was always open for food and fun to the families of the neighborhood.

Yvonne's true joys in life came with socializing with her many friends, feeding anyone who entered her home, traveling the world and spending countless hours swimming in her beloved Charley Lake in Wells, New York. In her final years, she bravely endured numerous injuries and illnesses with courage and uncommon determination. Yvonne was guided by her deep faith and aided by the selfless assistance of her longtime caregivers, Sandy Pierce, Regina Eades and Bibi Mohammad, whom the family is deeply indebted to.

She is survived by five children, Paetra M. Schaffer of Inverness, FL; Patrice C. Commins and her husband Stephen of Niskayuna; Todd T. Stallmer and his wife, Amy of Northville; Eric W. Stallmer and his wife Amy of McLean, VA; and Christopher D. Stallmer and his wife, Kerry of Galway. She was extremely proud and doting of her eight grandchildren, Nicholas Anthony Schaffer, Thomas James Stallmer, Charles Jeffrey Stallmer, William Thomas Stallmer, Catherine Rose Stallmer, Patrick Charles Stallmer and Lucy Beatrice Stallmer who all brought great joy to her later years. She is also survived by numerous beloved nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Thomas, brother, Paul B. Struys, son-in-law, William Schaffer and granddaughter, Abigail Grace Stallmer.

Services will be 9:15 a.m. Saturday at the Bekkering-Ellis Funeral Home, 1 Mohawk Ave., Scotia, NY then to Saint Kateri Tekakwitha's Church, 1801 Union Street, Schenectady for a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m.

Calling hours will be Friday at the funeral home from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Burial will be in Most Holy Redeemer Cemetery, Niskayuna, NY.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Yvonne B (Struys) Stallmer, please visit our floral store.