Obituary of Yetta Relyea

Yetta J. Relyea, 68, of Doris Drive, Glenville, died December 24, 2012 of cancer. She was born in Beaver Falls, PA, on January 1, 1944, the daughter of the late Walter and Estella Baker Pennington. Survivors include her husband and best friend, Barry Relyea; daughter Tania Relyea of Cincinnati, OH and Keira Relyea Barnes and her husband Donald, of Clifton Park; her grandchildren: Shannon and Connor Barnes and a sister, Mary Jane Hudak of Beaver Falls. A graduate of Beaver Falls area high school and Gordon College, Yetta taught elementary school for 33 years, the last 30 at Schenectady Christian School (now Mekeel Christian Academy). In additional to classroom teaching, she taught learning disabled children, was a cheerleading coach/advisor, year book and class advisor. Working at Schenectady Christian School was her vocation, mission and labor of love. She retired in 2005. Yetta's foremost passion in life was her family, witnessed most recently by caring for Shannon and Connor every weekend for the last five years. She was immensely proud of her daughters and the relationship she maintained with them as adults. Yetta had many interests. She was an avid reader, an accomplished artist, a lover of music and travel. Her favorite musical group was local band "Hair of the Dog" with whom she traveled to Ireland (5 times), London and Italy. She cherished her Irish roots and many friends and family with whom she shared her love for all things Irish. Memorial services will be held Saturday, January 5, 2013 at 11 AM at Faith Baptist Church, 11 Glenridge Rd. in Rexford. Relatives and friends are cordially invited to share in this celebration of her life. Committal services will be held Monday, January 7, 2013 at 1:00 PM at the Gerald B.H. Solomon National Cemetery, 200 Duell Rd.in Schuylerville, New York. In lieu of flowers donations may be made in Yetta's name to Mekeel Christian Academy Scholarship Fund, 36-38 Sacandaga Rd. Scotia, NY 12302. In her own words... "don't be cheap; there are some great kids who need the help!"