Sisskind Funeral Service

10/27/2026

10/26/2026

Margarete Holztrattner James Nadel, passed away in the early morning of October 24, 2026. Born in Salzburg, Austria, in 1939 to Johann and Maria Holztrattner, Margarete immigrated to the United States in the mid-1950s. In 1956, she married John James and settled in Syracuse, New York, where they raised their family. In 1980, she married Toby Nadel.

Margarete lived a full and active life, finding joy in the beauty of nature and the simple pleasures of each day. She lovingly tended her gardens and delighted in watching and feeding the beautiful birds that visited her landscape, along with an occasional family of turkeys. She loved swimming and remained an avid swimmer well into her early 80s. Her special place on Skaneateles Lake held a treasured place in her heart.

A talented and creative woman, Margarete made beautiful things with her hands, including cross-stitch, knitted pieces, and quilts. She was also an excellent cook who took great care in preparing healthy meals for those she loved. Throughout her life, she remained energetic, curious, and deeply appreciative of all that nature had to offer.

Above all else, Margarete cherished her family. Spending time with her children and grandchildren and doing things for them brought her the greatest happiness. Her love for her family was at the heart of everything she did, and the memories she created with them will be treasured always.

Margarete is survived by her sister, Eva Grabe; her children, Christina (Mark) Rotondo, John (Selina) James, and Elizabeth (John) Formoza; her late husband Toby’s children Jay (Phyllis) Nadel and Shari (d. John) Crouse; 10 grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren. Her love and devotion to her family will remain a lasting part of their lives.

The family extends its heartfelt gratitude to Constant Care and McHarrie Place for the excellent care and compassion Margarete received. Your kindness and support meant more than words can express, and the family is deeply grateful for all you have done.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at Holy Cross Church at 11AM on Monday, November 2. A visitation will precede the Mass at Holy Cross from 10-11 on Monday.
Burial in the Fayetteville Village Cemetery will be private for the immediate family.

In remembrance of Margarete, when you see a butterfly, please think of her. May it serve as a gentle reminder of her beautiful spirit, her love of nature, and the love she shared so generously with her family.
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10/09/2026

Chris Smith, 46, passed peacefully with his family by his side early Friday morning in the comfort of his home. Born in Philadelphia on June 29, 1980 to David Smith and Donna Bacchi-Smith, he had been a resident of Syracuse for almost 20 years.

Chris had fought a valiant battle with colon cancer for just over 5 years.
He was a graduate of Cornell University, and earned his law degree from the University of Texas at Austin. He was a practicing real estate attorney in N. Syracuse. Prior to establishing his law firm in N. Syracuse he was an ADA in Minnesota.

Chris was a dedicated member of the March of Dimes; and was honored to be recognized as a super lawyer rising star in real estate in 2014. He was a member of the Onondaga County and NYS Bar Associations.

He was an avid hunter and outdoorsman; and car enthusiast. He was just shy of being one of just 173 hunters to have ever earned the title of North American Super Slam.

His family includes his wife Leah Pekarsky, his parents David and Donna, his sister Jocelyn (Ryan) Midgett, niece Addison, nephew Cameron, his grandfather Louis Bacchi, uncles Douglas Smith, Louis (Patti Mullins) Bacchi, and James (Coco Chiang) Bacchi; aunt Debbie Smith, his sister-in-law Alicia Pekarsky (Scott Dawson), brother-in-law Ben (Kelley) Pekarsky; Nieces Nyah, and Julia; nephews Matthew, Elijah, Cooper, Michael, and Richard; mother-law Linda Pekarsky; Adrianna Rosser who he raised as his own daughter; and his cousin Kayleigh (Mike) Lewis.
His daughter Zoey Rae passed in 2020 leaving a gaping hole in everyone’s life.

Funeral services will begin promptly at 3PM on Monday, October 12 at Sisskind Funeral Chapel, 3175 E. Genesee Street. The service will be live streamed on the Sisskind Funeral Service page beginning at 3PM on Monday.

Contributions in lieu of flowers may be made to www.thewolfmountainnaturecenter.org

10/03/2026

Mark Jeffrey Kaitz, 70, passed away on October 2, 2026 at Boca Regional Hospital, Boca Raton, Florida. He was born on June 3, 1956 in Syracuse, New York.

Mark was predeceased by his parents Harris Sarkin, Shirley Sarkin Kaitz and 2 brothers, Steve Sarkin and Alan Sarkin.

Mark earned a bachelor of arts degree and later worked for a call center in South Florida. Recently, a resident of Century Village in Boca Raton, Mark enjoyed pool activities and participating in the recreational center shows.

Always fond of his past in Syracuse, Mark attended his Jamesville Dewitt class reunions and followed local news.

His heart lay with Syracuse family members and he was especially fond of his aunt, Lois Goldberg.

A burial service will be held at 3:30 PM on Tuesday, October 6 at Temple Adath Yeshurun cemetery, 924 Jamesville Ave., Syracuse.

09/19/2026

Linda Ann Markley was born on August 9, 1968 and died on September 18, 2026. Linda was a special needs child from birth, and she graduated from Fayetteville-Manlius High School in 1987. She was often cheerful and upbeat and she had a great laugh. She enjoyed animals, especially her cats, trips to the zoo with her sister, puzzles, and meeting new people.
In high school Linda enjoyed swimming and received a blue ribbon in freestyle from the Special Olympics. She enjoyed swimming in the ocean at Nantucket and Hilton Head Island. From a young age she loved skiing at Toggenburg and Vermont. She was quite proud of herself for going up the chairlift alone to the top of Mt. Ellen. Linda also enjoyed taking long, solo bike rides on the Erie Canal.

As a young adult Linda was very independent. She met another challenged person at an an occupational program and they fell in love. Linda and Chris were partners for 33 years and enjoyed the freedoms of living independently during that time.

Linda is survived by her father Robert Markley and his wife Lorraine of Fayetteville, NY, her sister Laura Markley of Boston, MA and her partner Christopher Howard of Syracuse, NY. She is predeceased by her mother, Marie Rychter, and her grandmother.

The family wishes to thank the devoted staff at the Upstate Medical Center floor 10H for their outstanding care of Linda as she battled her illness. The family is also most grateful to the staff at the Loretto Fahey Rehabilitation Center for their kind attention to Linda in her final days.
Calling hours followed by a Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Thursday, September 24 at 11am, Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Salt Springs Road, Fayetteville. A private interment at Woodlawn Cemetery will follow.

In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations to "Leukemia Research - Blood Cancers United" to perpetuate Linda's memory and help others in need.

09/18/2026

Marjorie Schwartz, 84, passed away peacefully on Thursday evening. Born on July 8, 1942 to Harry and Emma Roth, she had been a resident of Syracuse for more than 60 years. She was a pre-school teacher at the Jewish Community Center for more than 20 years~ affectionately known by her students as “Mrs. Shorts”. Marjorie was also a long time member of Temple Concord, and active volunteer with Helping Hounds.

She is survived by her children Robin (Michael) Dorris, David (Sandra Katz) Schwartz, Shari Schwartz (fiancé Joe Gingold), and Beth (Gregg) Engel; and grandchildren Emma (fiancé Chris Somes), Stephen, Lillian, Cara, Samuel, and Evelyn.

Funeral services will be at 11AM on Wednesday at Temple Concord. Friends may visit with the family prior to the service from 10-11 at the Temple, 450 Kimber Road. Burial will be in the Temple Concord section of Woodlawn Cemetery.

Contributions may be made to Temple Concord.

Shiva will be observed at Beth and Gregg’s home on Wednesday evening from 6-8PM

The service will be live streamed on Wednesday at: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88654334121?pwd=oRWi58NiOJeSn3pDEQLkIfPov20oRa.1

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09/16/2026

Phyllis Reicher, 102, beloved wife, mother and grandmother, dedicated educator and child advocate, and top-flight athlete and adventure traveler, died on September 15 surrounded by her family. Born in Syracuse, she was in the second graduating class of The Putney School in Vermont and earned her bachelor’s at the Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences in 1945 where she studied animal husbandry. She received her master’s in early childhood education from Syracuse University in 1972, where she pursued research with Professor Margaret Lay-Dopyera.
Following Cornell, Phyllis worked as the “play lady” in the children’s ward at the Syracuse Memorial Hospital, where she met Dr. Norbert “Norb” Reicher, an obstetrician and gynecologist. They were married in 1947, and she used her animal husbandry skills on their five children. Phyllis taught at the Syracuse University Nursery School and Skytop Daycare and later was a pre-school teacher in the East Syracuse Minoa and Syracuse City School District, including at Frazier Elementary School. She retired in 2000 and continued to work with students in kindergarten and first grade classrooms in the Syracuse City School District, volunteering for more than 15 years.
Committed to advancing the lives of children and their families, Phyllis served on many boards including the Syracuse Association for the Education of Young Children and Huntington Family Center. More recently she volunteered at the Syracuse Health Department, filing birth certificates for newborns, some of them the offspring of her pre-school students, decades earlier. She would often boast of seeing her students out in the community, including her mail carrier for several years and her butcher at a local market. Phyllis also volunteered with the Cazenovia Library, sorting children’s books for the annual book sale, and with the InterFaith Works of Central New York literacy program.
Phyllis led an athletic and adventuresome life. She was an early ski racer at The Putney School and Cornell and later taught skiing at the Cazenovia Ski Club. She rollerbladed and biked extensively in Central New York and Florida and kayaked on her beloved Cazenovia Lake. She enjoyed adventure travel, including kayaking in the Arctic, trekking in Tibet, biking across France and snorkeling in Honduras. You can listen to Phyllis reminisce about her life on StoryCorps.
Phyllis is survived by her children Tom (Mary), Andy (Tessa Huxley), Doug (Camille Tisdel), Dan (Carole Parker) and Eden Anker (Phil); daughter-in-law Rita Reicher; grandchildren Martha, Alexander, Erica, Zina, Bryn, Madeline, Jon, Haley, Will, Graham, Alyssa, Kimberly and Jessie; and great grandchildren Scarlet, Henry, Josie, Lucy, Margot, Luke and Nova; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.
The family extends their heartfelt gratitude to the dedicated caregivers who provided comfort and support to Phyllis in her later years. We are especially grateful to Anntonette (Toni) Clarke, whose exceptional kindness, attentiveness and compassion were a true gift to Phyllis and our entire family. Toni’s presence brought comfort, dignity and warmth to Phyllis and we are forever grateful.
Visitation will be on Saturday evening September 26 from 5-7PM at Sisskind Funeral Service, 3175 E. Genesee Street, Syracuse. A memorial service at the family home on Cazenovia Lake will be held later. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Phyllis Reicher’s name may be made to the Huntington Family Centers or the Syracuse City School District Educational Foundation.

09/15/2026

It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Richard Levine, beloved father and friend who passed away peacefully Sunday morning the 13th surrounded by the love of his family. Richard, 77, a lifelong resident of Syracuse graduated from Nottingham High School. He went on to receive a master’s in education and later his juris doctor both from Syracuse University. From working in the music industry with some of his favorite bands and working in real estate; Richard found his true passion returning to the teaching field helping ENL students where he felt he made a real difference every day. He was a kind, devoted father who always put others first. He enjoyed spending time with his 3 kids, whether it be watching their favorite football and soccer teams play or catching up on his favorite shows. One of his favorite joys in life was attending all three of his kid’s soccer games cheering them on. Richard was an avid writer who wrote ‘The Mogen David of Barth on the Baltic’ a book which detailed his fathers heroic time in WWII, who as a prisoner of war, secretly conducted Jewish services under N**i regime. He had a great taste in music and was a talented pianist who also loved to play the guitar. A chess aficionado and a food connoisseur, Rick loved all good food but enjoyed dinners at Santangelo’s and Dinosaur BBQ the most. He was guaranteed to brighten the room with his sense of humor, seemingly making friends everywhere he went. Richard is survived by his loving children Jacob (Morgan), Daniel (Jessica) and Rozi (Katarina) and his brother Ron. He is predeceased by his parents Henry and Leslie and his brother Jonathan. He will be greatly missed and forever remembered by all who knew and loved him. Services will be private. Richard will be laid to rest at Workmen’s Circle Cemetery in Syracuse.

09/12/2026

David Meltzer passed away on Friday. He was born on January 31, 1956 in Syracuse to Roz and Mort Meltzer. He graduated from Jamesville-Dewitt High School, and then the Culinary Institute of America. David worked in various restaurants in NYC, then for the past several decades was associated with both the skating rink at Rockefeller Center, and the Wolman Rink at Central Park. He was an avid SU sports fan; a voracious reader, and a “Dead Head”.

He is survived by his wife Marianne; his brothers Eric (Brooke), and Howard (Brenda); his sisters-in-law Susan (Charles) Cassalia, and Carolyn (Ronald) Crotty; his nieces and nephews Emily, Carly, Isabel, Morgan, Kelsey, Tracy, Matthew, Ronald III, AJ; his great niece Gabrielle, and his aunt Joan Warshow, and uncle Sheldon Warshow.

Funeral services will be at 2PM on Thursday the 17 at Sisskind Funeral Chapel. Friends may visit with the family immediately prior to the service from 1-2 at the Funeral Chapel, 3175 E. Genesee street. Burial will follow in St. Mary’s Cemetery.

Please note that the service will be live streamed on the Sisskind Funeral Service page beginning at 2PM on Thursday.