Obituary of Vera Irene Sanborn

VERA IRENE MOUCHA SANBORN – OBITUARY NISKAYUNA, NY: Vera Irene Moucha Sanborn, 96, passed away peacefully at Baptist Health Nursing Center on Friday, September 30, 2022. Vera was born in New York City on February 22, 1926 to Emily Kovarik Honus and John Kovarik. She was a Niskayuna resident for 61 years and was a congregant of St. Helen’s Catholic Church where she sang in the choir. With lovely penmanship, lightning-fast typing and short-hand skills, Vera was an accomplished secretary. She worked as an executive secretary for the President of Metropolitan Life Insurance Company in New York until 1952 and as an executive secretary for the General Electric Company until 1960 when she became a mother and a full-time homemaker. In 1976, after the death of her first husband, she went to work for the Niskayuna School District as a secretary and receptionist first at Craig Elementary School and then at Niskayuna High School. After retiring in 1991 she missed the energy of the students and congeniality of her cohorts. Vera was an engaged parent, grandparent and community member. She enjoyed participating in her daughter Nancy’s school and recreational activities from serving as a home-room mother to a Girl Scout chaperone. She imprinted a life-long bond to creativity and service on Nancy and her cousins, Jody and Cynthia. She loved to travel; she hated to fly. Summers were often spent traveling across the United States, Europe or relaxing on Cape Cod. She was fluent in Czechoslovakian and visited her ancestral home country many times. Vera was an avid collector of Czech glass and “stuff.” She should have had a bumper-sticker that read, “I Brake for Garage Sales” as she was incapable of passing a yard sale, garage sale or estate sale without stopping. She often helped her friend Dorothy Belle with her booth at regional antique shows. Vera is survived by her daughter Nancy Aust Strickland (David) and grandson Brennan Louis Aust; step-daughters Kimatha Sanborn Cydylo (Joe) and Vickie Sanborn Byrnes; grandchildren Walter Byrnes III, Rex Byrnes, Peter Byrnes (Denise) and Amanda Cognetti Allen; great-grandchildren Jakob Byrnes, Kennedy Byrnes, Shane Allen Jr.; grand-dog golden retriever ELLE; nieces Jody Kovarik Dunbar (Joe), Cynthia Kovarik Goodden (Ron), Lori Mottes and Trudi Mottes Padilla (Richard). She was predeceased by her parents, husband Louis A. Moucha (d. 1975) and husband Clifford E. Sanborn Jr. (d. March 2022), brother John “Jerry” Kovarik and his wife Elza, and niece Melanie Kovarik Damon, A visitation will be held on Friday, October 7th at Most Holy Redeemer Cemetery, (Holy Redeemer Mausoleum on the right past the pond), 2501 Troy Schenectady Road, Niskayuna, NY 12309 from 10:00 - 10:30am followed by a prayer service. Memorial contributions may be made in Vera’s name to Homeward Bound Dog Rescue, P.O. BOX 5782, Albany, New York 12205. (homewardbounddogrescue.com)