Del Meyerhoefer, age 82, of Canadice, NY, passed away peacefully on Thursday, December 8, surrounded by his family.
Del was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend, who with his kind heart, exceptional character and endlessly creative mind enriched the lives of all who knew him.
Del was born in Eden, NY to the late John and Catherine Meyerhoefer. As a young man, he worked alongside his father building homes south of Buffalo and also on the Agle farm in Eden, helping his parents to support their large family.
Having offered to drive a friend to a college interview at SUNY Oswego, he was discovered in the waiting room by the director of admissions who, after a brief conversation, offered him acceptance to the school on the spot in their Department of Technology. It was at Oswego, that Del met his best friend and the love of his life, Brenda (Councill) Meyerhoefer.
Del and Brenda started their lives together working in the Brighton Central School District, where Del taught Industrial Arts and Technology. In his role as an educator for over 35 years, he opened up new worlds to his students through woodworking, ceramics, metalworking, photography, electronics, architectural design, small engine repair and hydroponics. At the end of the school day, he would often head directly to the University of Rochester, where he worked with patients as a Manual Arts Therapist, before heading home to Brenda.
When on a drive through the Finger Lakes region in 1970, the couple found a beautiful piece of wooded land with a large barn on it, they somehow knew they’d found their forever home. Del drew the plans for a lovely two-story house that would sit on the foundation of the old barn and, preserving the stone wall and beams, he and a friend, together with Brenda, built it from the ground up. That lovely home in the woods would become a special place in which Del and Brenda welcomed three beautiful children, two grandchildren, and countless friends, family members and neighbors whose laughter and love fills its walls to this day.
Del is survived by his life-long friend and love, Brenda Meyerhoefer; his three children, Gretchen Meyerhoefer, Chad (Mireille) Meyerhoefer, and Brett (Marissa) Meyerhoefer; his adoring grandsons, Hugo and Lucas; and his siblings, Joyce Smith, Rebecca Pound, Catherine Lampman, and Dennis, James and Daniel Meyerhoefer. He is predeceased by his parents, his sister, Judith Stiver, and brother, Gerald Meyerhoefer.
A memorial service will take place at 11AM on Wednesday, December 14, 2022 at the Canadice United Methodist Church, 5945 Canadice Hill Road in Springwater, NY.
Interment will take place privately at Canadice Corners Hill Cemetery on Canadice Hill Road in Springwater, NY.
In lieu flowers, memorial contributions can be made in Del’s memory to Habitat for Humanity of Ontario County, for which he volunteered during the early years of his retirement, at https://ontariohabitat.org/donate/
To share a memory or a condolence, please visit: www.doughertyfuneralhomes.com
Livonia: At age 32, Shane passed away on Sunday, December 11, 2022 in Rochester, NY. He was born in Quincy, MA. Shane is predeceased by his biological father, Ronald E. Ketchum and his grandfather, Rev. Ronald M. Adams. Survived by his son, Parker Samuel Meyers; his parents, Charles and Ronda Howard; his siblings, Sarah Howard, Samuel Howard, Susanna Howard, Alohna Ketchum; his grandmother, Miriam E. Adams and his girlfriend, Alicia Beardsley, along with several aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.
Conesus: At age 60, Diane passed away on Tuesday, December 6, 2022 at her home in Conesus, NY. She was born in Highland Park, IL. Diane is predeceased by her father Jerry Rudolph and her brother-in-law, John D’Onofrio. Survived by her mother, Marianne Rudolph and her siblings, Marie D’Onofrio, John (Margaret) Rudolph, Debora (Ray) Donohue, Paula (Mark) Greenman, and Mark (Kris) Rudolph; along with many nieces, nephews, friends and her faithful dog, Flint.
