Obituary of Richard P. Bigness Sr.

Richard P. Bigness Sr., a 22-year resident of Swinging Bridge Lake, died Monday at home. The oldest son of Reginald P. and Marion E. Bigness, he was born in 1936 on his mother's birthday, August 9, in Staten Island, NY. The family moved upstate in 1949 and he graduated from Sackets Harbor High School in 1954. Richard served in the US Army Reserves from 1956 to 1959. He spent his entire working career in retail, starting with the management training program at Sears shortly after graduating from Columbia University in 1958 and managing stores in the New York metropolitan area. Active in the local community, he served on both the Boards of the E.B. Crawford Library and Swinging Bridge Property Owners Association. Richard was a man of many talents. He was a licensed pilot, an artist, a fount of information on history and politics, and an avid fan of baseball's Brooklyn Dodgers. He enjoyed boating, harness racing, and collecting Lionel and Marx New York Central model trains. He was a kind, brave, and generous man who will be deeply missed. He is survived by his wife and best friend of 32 years, Virginia Schomp, at home; his two daughters: Kathryn Romano and her husband, Gary of Montgomery, TX, and Kerry Bigness and her husband, Paul Martin of Smallwood, NY; his two sons: Randal Bigness of East Stroudsburg, PA, and Richard Bigness Jr. (Chip) at home; his sister Marion Nye and her husband, Harry of Harrisburg, PA; his two brothers: James Bigness and his wife, Cheryl of Schenectady, NY, and John Bigness and his wife, Maureen of East Greenbush, NY; his eight grandchildren: Joseph Romano, Vincent Romano, Gary Romano, Jessica Conti, Kristin Bigness, Jennifer Greico, Loretta Huldey, and Jonathan Martin; several great grandchildren and several nephews and nieces. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by a brother, Donald, in 2011. In lieu of flowers, donations may by made in Richard's name to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City (mskcc.org/giving). Family and friends are invited for a time of remembrance from 2pm to 5pm on Saturday, June 28 at the VanInwegen-Kenny, Inc. Funeral Home, 401 Broadway in Monticello. Interment will take place at a later date in Sackets Harbor, NY. Arrangements are under the direction of the VanInwegen-Kenny, Inc. Funeral Home of Monticello. For additional information or to send an online condolence, please visit www.kennyfuneralhome.com