Obituary of Donald Plumley

Donald R. Plumley passed away peacefully on September 20, 2014 in Plattsburgh, New York after a long illness. He was 86 years old and had been resident at the Keene Valley Neighborhood House in the Adirondacks of Upstate New York for four years. Don was born in Olean, New York to Isabel and Ray Plumley on August 3, 1928. There he enjoyed youthful adventures with his best friends Jim, Pete, and Bill. They called themselves "The Union" and they maintained that close friendship their entire lives. Don attended St. Bonaventure University briefly before joining the Marines, where he served until 1948. He then attended Clarkson University and graduated with honors with a mechanical engineering degree in 1952. He was a member of two national engineering fraternities: Pi Tau Sigma and Tau Beta Pi, and Sigma Delta fraternity. Don married Susan Rae Coseo in 1953 in Burrville, NY near Watertown, NY and they relocated to the Schenectady area beginning a family of four boys and a long successful career with General Electric Company. He held several management positions including Strategic Planning for Gas Turbine Division and oversaw much of GE's involvement in the groundbreaking Coolwater Coal Gasification project in southern California. Don holds a US Patent for Integrated Coal Gasification and authored "The Plumley Table" which addresses turbine engineering. He was also Manager of Strategic Planning for GE's Gas Turbine Department playing a key role during a period of very dynamic growth worldwide. Don's career spanned both domestic and international markets for GE's Gas Turbine Division making many overseas trips for the company to Japan, China and Taiwan. Don's wife accompanied him on many of these trips and it sparked their love of travel that they enjoyed for years with forays to Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Portugal. Don was also an active member of Rotary International Club's branch in Schenectady, NY. Don introduced his young family to his love for the outdoors with many summer adventures on Galway Lake, Lake George and the Adirondacks and was very active in tennis, skiing, sailing and island camping. Don fixed everything around the house like his father even building his own 14 foot Snipe sailboat from scratch in the basement and making routine and intricate engine repairs and adjustments to several sports cars. Don and his wife retired to Fort Myers, Florida and enjoyed golf, tennis, new and old friends for 20 years at Fiddlesticks Country Club. Mr. Plumley is preceded in death by his son Gregg and wife Susan and is survived by his three sons Peter of Diamond Bar, California, Daniel of Keene, NY and David of Jay, NY, his sister Irene (Ginger) Walters and her husband Arthur of York, PA, niece Julie Zemba her husband Denny of York, PA, her children Toby and Emmalee McGuigan also of the York, PA area, and many friends & neighbors both from the Schenectady area and Ft. Myers, Florida. A Memorial Service will be held celebrating Don's life at the Glenville Funeral Home, 9 Glenridge Road in Scotia-Glenville, New York on Saturday, October 18th at 3:00 to 4:00 pm followed by a reception. There will also be scheduled a ceremony honoring Don in Keene Valley, New York. Don's ashes will be interred at the Plumley family plot in the Parkview Cemetery in Schenectady. In lieu of Flowers, donations are encouraged to the Rotary Club of Schenectady, or Keene Fire Department 1 East Hill Rd Keene NY 12942; or Keene Valley Hose and Ladder Company, No. 1 15 Market St Keene Valley NY 12943.