B. Struwing

Age,96, died May 28, 2013 at St. Joseph’s Hospital.Geneva was a retired language teacher serving 22 years, most of which was in the Elmira School District. She graduated from Midway (PA) High School and Bethany College in West Virginia .Geneva was a pioneer in the field of developmental disabilities.She and her late husband, Roy, were charter members of the Washington County (PA) ARC.Before moving to Elmira, Geneva and Roy helped organize a group of parents of special needs children in order to create the first ARC class in Burgettstown, PA.Upon their arrival in Elmira, Geneva and Roy found no provisions for their daughter, Janet, so they joined with a group of parents of the developmentally disabled to form a class for their children and to organize the Chemung County ARC.Geneva and Roy each served as president of the board for a term.Later their daughter, Janet, became a resident at the Martha Lloyd School (now the Martha Lloyd Community Services) in Troy, PA.There Geneva continued her involvement in the field of developmental disabilities and served, since its inception, on the Residential Living Committee at Martha Lloyd.In 2000, Geneva was presented with the Lloyd Award for her activity there.She also collaborated in publishing a book, Martha Lloyd: Her Biography to bring to light the dreams and ambitions of this founder of the Martha Lloyd School who encountered many hardships in achieving this lifelong dream. Geneva was a member of Westminster Presbyterian Church, Elmira Area Retired Teachers, and served as a Literacy Volunteer for several years teaching English as a Second Language. Geneva was predeceased by her parents Leonard G. and Myra J. (McCullough) Bamford, her sister, Frances Rohm, husband, Roy, and daughter, Janet, and her special mother-in-law, Maude (Poppy) Struwing.There are no immediate family members surviving.Geneva leaves many friends from the organizations with which she was involved and one special friend, Sylvia Roy, of Gillett, PA and one cousin, Virginia Hauff, of Painted Post.Calling hours will be at the Olthof Funeral Home, Inc. 1050 Pennsylvania Ave. Elmira/Southport, NYfrom 3:00 - 5:00PM on Saturday, June 1, the funeral immediately following with the Rev. Jane Winters, pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church, presiding.Interment will be at the North Syracuse Cemetery in North Syracuse, NY.Memorials may be directed to the Martha Lloyd Community Services, 66 Lloyd Lane, Troy, PA 16947 or to Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1009 Maple Ave., Elmira, NY 14904. Geneva's guestbook may be signed in obituaries at www.olthof.com