Obituary of Joseph Andrew Cherny, Jr.

Joseph Andrew Cherny Jr., most recently of Sumter, South Carolina, passed away Saturday, December 23, 2023, at the age of 91 at home in Hospice care with his wife at his bedside. He was born to Joseph Andrew Cherny, Sr. and Beatrice Kuriger Cherny in Kingston, New York on February 20, 1932. Joe was a graduate of Kingston High School in 1951 and was a 1977 graduate of Ulster County Community College with an associate degree in Business Administration. He used his education to reopen “Cherny’s Market” which had been previously run by his father for 25 years. Joseph served our country in the United States Air Force from 1951 and served two tours of duty. He was a Communication Specialist serving in Korea, England, and the Pentagon. He was loaned to the Navy during the Hydrogen Bomb testing in the Marshall Islands as Communications Expert on the USS Curtiss. After the Air Force, Joe spent 27 years at IBM working his way up to the financial department. Post retirement from IBM, he held the elected office of City Councilman for Red Hook, New York. He also served as city school tax collector for Red Hook. Always civic minded, he promoted the development of senior housing in Red Hook, which came to fruition and is present there today. During the last years of his life, Joseph actively pursued his faith in God and shared the fact that Jesus was his Lord and Savior with almost everyone he met and then invited them to church. He was a devoted member of Christ Community Church in Sumter. Joseph is survived by his wife of 12 years, Georgia Shea Cherny, Josephine Mancuso the mother of his five children, Jeffrey Cherny (Rene) of Durham, North Carolina, Stephanie Rose Cherny of Laramie, Wyoming, Gregory Cherny (Sharon) of Kingston, New York, Andrea Cherny of Aspen, Colorado, and Christine Werren (Walton) of Fort Collins, Colorado; two sisters, Audrey Cherny of Somers, New York, and Karen Suppies (Russell) of Madison, Connecticut; six stepchildren, Paula Ratliff and James Ratliff of Germantown, New York (mother Cynthia) and Georgia’s four sons, Alvin Blackburn of Greenville, Kentucky, Dwayne Blackburn of Spokane, Washington, Christopher Lee Blackburn of Moorehead, Kentucky and William Paris Blackburn of Mount Sterling, Kentucky; also three granddaughters, Molly and Jayna Cherny of Kingston, New York and Sophia Werren of Fort Collins, Colorado. He is also survived by nieces Audrey Lee and Julie Ann, and two nephews Charles and Joseph Cherny. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a brother, Charles Cherny; his second wife Cynthia Cherny, and a stepdaughter, Jean Ratliff. Memorial Services will be held at 2 P.M. Saturday, January 13, 2024, at Christ Community Church, 320 Loring Mill Road, Sumter, SC with Rev. Mark Yoder officiating and with military honors. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Sumter United Ministries, P. O. Box 1017, Sumter, SC 29151. On-line condolences may be made at www.sumterfunerals.com Elmore Hill McCreight Funeral Home & Crematory, 221 Broad Street, Sumter, is in charge of the arrangements (803) 775-9386.