Amos Sorel Iii

Albany - Amos "Abe" W. Sorel passed away peacefully and surrounded by his loving family on Wednesday, October 8, 2014 after a courageous four year battle with cancer.

Abe was born on December 30, 1950 to Amos W. Sorel and Edith (Bogart) Sorel in Albany NY where he was a life-long resident. He was married to his first true love, Rosemary (Hodgkinson) Sorel, for 43 years, and was the loving father of Melanie Sorel of Clifton Park.

After graduating from St. Joseph's Academy class of 1970, Abe worked briefly for NL Industries and the Albany City School District. He later proudly served for 30 years as a firefighter and fire investigator for the City of Albany. Abe was an avid woodworker, a passion handed down from his dad. Over the last several years, he "graduated" to wood carving, a pastime he enjoyed spending with his lifelong friend, Steve Stark. He looked forward to his weekly wood carving club gathering in Amsterdam. Abe was also an enthusiastic hunter and active member of the Westerlo Rod and Gun Club. He was especially fond of his yearly deer hunting weekend at Brant Lake in the Adirondacks.

Abe was very artistic. He often entertained family and friends with his unique cartoon drawings. He also had a passion for rock music. A self-taught bass player, he spent hours playing along with his favorites. Above all, Abe truly loved being with his family. The eldest of eight children, he rarely would miss any occasion to celebrate the holidays and the many weddings, graduations, and birthdays of his siblings and their families. He was in his glory when he helped organize and host the Sorel family reunion, an international event held in the summer of 2013. He was especially proud of and spent a lot of time with his beloved only grandchild, Bryan Jones,currently a junior at Shenendahowa High School.

In addition to his parents, wife, daughter and grandson, Abe is survived by seven siblings – William of Voorheesville, David (Donna) of Rensselaer, Ronald (Virginia) of Rensselaer, Julianne (Jay) LeBarron of Pittstown, Cecile of Altamont, Michele (Paul) Warrick of Norman OK, and Christina (Kurt) Hoegemann of Delmar. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews.

Memorial calling hours will be held for Abe at New Comer Funeral Home on Wednesday, October 15, 2014 from 4 – 7 pm. A brief service will follow the calling hours at 7 pm.

Those wishing to remember Abe in a special way may make memorial contributions in Abe's name to the American Cancer Society – Fight Against Prostate Cancer.