Final Salute

Hugh Jay Maurer (1929-2020)

Hugh Jay Maurer, 91, died on Sept. 29 at his home in Wappinger with his daughter, Lynnette, and his dog, True North, at his side.

Born on Sept. 7, 1929, in New Bremen, New York, he was the son of Lawrence and Lucy (Wren) Maurer. He served in the U.S. Navy Seabees Reserves from 1952 to 1987. On Dec. 26, 1953, he married Virginia Lynne Bowles, who died in 1988.

Hugh Jay began his career as the owner of the Gulf Station on the southeast corner of Routes 9 and 52 in Fishkill, attached to Dick Uhl’s Chevrolet, where he employed his brothers in addition to many young men of Fishkill, Cold Spring, Beacon and Wappingers.

He also worked as a general contractor with Sonny VanVoorhis Lumber and Hudson Valley Building Materials / Roy C. Knapp & Sons, and owned and operated his own clean sweeper. On Saturday mornings, he picked up the mail from the ferry in Beacon and delivered it to Beacon, Glenham, Fishkill, Hopewell Junction, Stormville, LaGrangeville and Millbrook. His final years were spent as a general contractor in his home office, Hugh J. Maurer Contractors.

Hugh Jay served as president of the Fishkill Rural Cemetery Board, and a mausoleum there was recently named in his honor. He was inducted into the Dutchess County Baseball Hall of Fame and served as district commissioner for the U.S. Pony Club of America. He was a member of the U.S. Pair Horse Driving Association and qualified for the world championships in 1987.

In addition to his daughter, he is survived by a brother, George Maurer of Syracuse.

A graveside service will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday (Oct. 3) at Fishkill Rural Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to the Verplanck Farm Tenant House Restoration Project at Stony Kill Farm, 79 Farmstead Lane, Wappingers Falls, NY 12590.