Ogden - Passed away on April 30, 2022 at the age of 71.
He is survived by his loving wife, Ellen Clair Gniewek; children, Brett (Tom) D'Amore & Jared (Liz Peters) Gniewek; grandchildren, Cora, Claire, & Rocky; many nieces, nephews, & cousins.
Fingers tapping a rhythm on a table. Small songs repeated incessantly with a soft, kind, controlled singing voice. The devilish grin of a trickster finding a perfect tease to drill down on. A warmth and sincere affection for the voiceless, the small, the weak. A great imbiber of delicious treats. A long time fan of great rock and roll. An unabashed preference for The Monkees over The Stones OR The Beatles. The Archies over Steely Dan.
Beloved by his students at the many universities he taught at. Beloved by his friends made in his attempts at entering the political arena. Beloved by his doting wife and his two stepchildren. His good humor kept the wheels turning through many years of happy family memories.
His convictions were idealistic but never naive. He was a deep thinker and stayed true to himself all the way to his final days. He was always self aware.
His fervent letter writing and pinball mastery will be missed. His delight in Columbo reruns will be missed. His inability to resist the christmas cookies in the freezer will be missed. His thoughtful chats about where this country could live up to its promises for all will be missed. His defense of bubblegum over psychedelia, his distrust of the hip or cool, his honest love for a great hook and a killer vocal…these will be missed.
Services will be held Privately.
Contributions may be made to: Buffalo Underdogs Rescue, P.O. Box 180 Amherst, NY 14226