Roberta Mary Kirchner

04/21/2004

Roberta Mary Kirchner, 68, of 23 Second St. died Wednesday at North Adams Regional Hospital, where she was admitted April 20. Death followed a long and courageous fight with cancer. She was a longtime Adams teacher. Born in Adams on Jan. 11, 1936, daughter of Casimere and Annette Kmiec Urbanek, she graduated from St. Stanislaus' School in 1949, the former Adams High School in 1953 and the former North Adams State College, summa cum laude, in 1973. While at NASC, she was a member of Alpha Chi Omega Honor Society and Lambda Iota Tau, the English Literary Honor Society, where she served as an officer and co-president. She was also on the staff of and a contributor to Kaleidoscope, the college literary magazine. She earned her master's degree in education and curriculum from Lesley University in Cambridge. Mrs. Kirchner taught in the Adams-Cheshire Regional School District from 1974 to 1997, 19 of those years at Hoosac Valley Regional High School, where she was team leader of the English department for several years. She spent five years at Adams Memorial Middle School until her retirement. She also worked as a draftsman in GE's power transformer division in Pittsfield from 1954 to 1962. She was a volunteer with the Girl Scouts for many years, beginning as an assistant leader in the Brownies and becoming a leader and co-leader for Cadet Troops. She was also a former Adams Town Meeting member and had worked in the Adams Youth Center Craft Fairs. She was a communicant of the Parishes of Notre Dame-St. Thomas. She enjoyed reading, writing and needlework. She and her husband, Henry J. Kirchner, were married March 3, 1962. Besides her husband, she leaves a son, David J. Kirchner of Adams; two daughters, Paula "Sammi" Lee of Gerritsen Beach, N.Y., and Norah Bresett of Cheshire; two sisters, Barbara Emanuel and Mary Stumpek, both of San Antonio, and four grandchildren. FUNERAL NOTICE -- The funeral for Roberta Mary Urbanek Kirchner, who died April 21, 2004, will be Monday, April 26, with a Liturgy of Christian Burial at 10 in St. Thomas' Church celebrated by the Rev. Daniel J. Boyle, pastor of the Parishes of Notre Dame-St. Thomas and St. Stanislaus'. Burial will be in Bellevue Cemetery at a later date. Calling hours will be tomorrow from 4 to 7 at AUGE-PACIOREK-SIMMONS FUNERAL HOME. Memorial donations may be made to St. Stanislaus Kostka School or to the American Cancer Society through the funeral home. Survivors include Mrs. Kirchner's grandchildren, John Terrance and Matthew Jacob Bresett of Cheshire and Summer Anne and Raymond Gill Lee of Gerritsen Beach, N.Y., and several nieces and cousins.

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