Roberta A. Farrell

Roberta Ash Farrell, 86, passed away in her home on Sunday, November 24, 2024. She was born and raised in Pennsylvania. Her family has been in the Lehigh Valley area for over 300 years. She enjoyed many Pennsylvania Dutch foods, customs, and amusing phrases. She brought them with her to New York State, which she called home for over 60 years. She graduated from Lansford Elementary, Fountain Hill High School, and West Chester University in Pennsylvania. She received Masters degrees from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester and SUNY Albany. Roberta played violin professionally with a variety of ensembles for decades. She trained many music students, both privately and through schools where she taught. For 27 years she also mentored and taught at the Center for Distance Learning at Empire State College. After retiring, she was deeply involved with political action for environmental preservation and enthusiastically volunteered in Schenectady Recycles!, The Environmental Clearinghouse (ECOS), and the League of Women Voters.
Bobbi is survived by her partner, Steve Carmel; her children, Jay Farrell of Nashville, TN and Gwen (Gerry) Knapp of Baton Rouge, LA; her grandchildren, Gerry (Alexis) Knapp of Knoxville, TN, and Eva (John) Bryan of Birmingham, AL; her brother Philip (Lois) Ash of Doylestown, PA; nieces and nephews Joe (Nancy) Collingwood, Scott (Diane) Collingwood, Jennifer Shore, and Stephanie (Peter) Cole; great-nieces and nephews Robert Collingwood, Brian Collingwood, Ally Shore, Evan Newman, Dani Newman, and Phoebe Cole; Steve’s family, Greg, Kelly, and Oliver Kuzia-Carmel, and Mike and Abby Kuzia-Cowan; and a wonderful group of friends.
Bobbi was preceded in death by her parents, Lillian and Harold Ash, and her sister, Christine Collingwood.
If you wish to honor Bobbi, reduce, reuse, and recycle. Enjoy the outdoors with a friend. Don’t be a nix nootz.
Visitation is on Friday, December 6th, from 4 to 6 pm at DeMarco-Stone Funeral Home, 1605 Helderberg Ave., Rotterdam, NY., with service immediately following at 6 pm. In lieu of flowers, those who wish may make a contribution in Roberta’s name to the Sierra Club. Condolences can be posted at demarcostonefuneralhome.com.