Kenneth Jennings Wooster, 88, of Cortland, died seven miles west of Skaneateles on Nov. 9, 2018. Born in Skaneateles, he was a son of Marion James Wooster and Alice Valentine Jennings Wooster.
A 1948 graduate of Skaneateles High School, he received a bachelor’s degree from SUNY Albany and graduate degrees from SUNY Albany and the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign.
He was a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War, a naval flight officer flying right-hand seat as bombardier/navigator/weaponeer in nuclear heavy attack squadrons and operating at various times from USS Midway, USS Coral Sea, USS Randolph, USS Hornet and USS Ticonderoga.
He was an associate professor in the department of mathematics at SUNY Cortland, where he served on numerous college and department committees and as chair of the department. He was active in the Mathematical Association of America, serving as a referee for the national journal and at various times as program chair, vice chair and chair of the Seaway Section of that organization.
In his retirement he traveled extensively; eventually reaching all seven continents: was webmaster, newsletter editor and former chairman of the Skaneateles Schools Alumni Association; volunteered as a docent at the Skaneateles Historical Society, where he was a member of the board of directors and was awarded life membership; and maintained extensive web sites dedicated to local history, to genealogy, to the naval flight squadrons in which he had served and to 11 different New York regiments that fought in the civil war.
“Twilight and evening bell,
And after that the dark!”
Survivors: six niblings- James Ward of Sahuarita, AZ, David(Debora) Ward of Auburn, Brenda Weedo of Syracuse, John Wooster of Skaneateles, Cindy (William) Edwards of Skaneateles, Nancy(Richard) Remling of Auburn; numerous grandniblings and great-grandniblings; and many cousins.
Services: at Kenneth’s request there will be no calling hours and no services. Cremains will be scattered at sea by the U.S. Navy, and a memorial stone will be erected at Lake View Cemetery, Skaneateles. Arrangements are with White Chapel Funeral Home Inc., Auburn.
Contributions: Skaneateles Historical Society at 28 Hannum St., Skaneateles 13152, the Skaneateles Library Association, Skaneateles 13152, or the Cortland Historical Society at 25 Homer Ave., Cortland 13045.
