Obituary of Howard Traite

Howard Traite Wynantskill, NY- Howard Traite, 57, of Bonehead Farm located at 137 Hidley Road, Wynantskill, NY, died peacefully after a brief illness on Wed., June 3, 2015, at Samaritan Hospital, surrounded by friends and family. He was born February 24, 1958, in New Brunswick, New Jersey. His family moved to Sunnyvale, California, then back to New Jersey, and then to Flatbush, Brooklyn, NY, where he attended Stuyvesant High School. He received his high school diploma. His first job was as a machinist in Brooklyn, followed by work as a nurse's aide. He then travelled the country doing odd jobs, and returned to Long Island where he worked as a tool and die machinist. There he met and for a short time was married to Donna Blankenship. He moved to Albany with his father, older brother, and aunt, and there started gardening. He worked on a farm in Colonie, was a farming partner with Larry Osonikaw of East Greenbush, and did landscaping with George Brooks. He took nursing courses at Sage Junior College of Albany, and worked as nurse's aide. His aunt, Judy Traite, bought a house and land, so Howard could farm. They lived there in Brunswick, NY. Howard was a member of Greenpeace, Northeast Organic Farmers Association of NY, Center for Health and Environmental Justice, and was an active part of Oakwood Community Center and of Voices (mental health peer support). He helped found Transition Troy, the Troy Hunger group, Troy Compost, and the "Depleted" Uranium Network of the Hudson Mohawk Region. Previous memberships include Union of Concerned Scientists, Regional Farm and Food Project, Honest Weight Food Coop, and Rosa House Peace Community. Howard modeled a sustainable lifestyle. He grew nearly all of the vegetables for his home (Bonehead Farm) heated the house with wood from his land and from the attached greenhouse he had built, made plant medicines and was famous for his homemade kim chee. He would not use air travel, and was frugal with miles traveled by car. Howard was caring, generous, sensitive, and tough, challenging people to be good stewards of Earth. He was passionate about community, local food, people growing their own food, and family planning. He donated plants to Capital Roots, and gave his garden produce to Joseph's House. He had a profound respect and ability to receive communication from plants and animals, believed in angels, and was a Godly man. He was intolerant of anything he perceived as lying or disrespect. He played a mean blues harp, and composed his own guitar music. He first met his future wife, Sheree (Cheryl Cammer) just after September 11, 2001, at a peace vigil. In March of 2002, they fell in love at a peace march in Washington, DC and they began to make a life together on Bonehead Farm, Wynantskill, NY. They married July 8, 2011, in Wynantskill. Howard is predeceased by his parents, Max and Phyllis (Schwartz) Traite. He is survived by his wife, Sheree Cheryl Cammer, brothers, Jeff Traite and Paul Traite, and his sister, Karen Traite, and nephews Ruben Traite, Dino Traite, and neice Rebecca Traite. He was part of the lives of Sheree's sons, Orpheus Craigue and Orion Craigue and his wife, Rose (Kimeu) Craigue and their children, Rebekah and Joshua, and Rose's parents, Winny and Samuel Kimeu. He was also part of the lives of Sheree's former husband, Leslie Craigue, and Les's wife, Marge Addeo. A natural burial is scheduled for Tuesday June 9th at 1 p.m. in Historic Oakwood Cemetery, Troy, NY. Carpooling, walking, biking, etc. would be a fitting homage. Please use the Gurley Avenue gate off of 114th Street to access the cemetery. A Celebration of the Life of Howard Traite is tentatively scheduled for Sun., July 12th at 2 p.m. at the Albany Friends (Quakers) Meeting House, 727 Madison Ave., Albany. Natural burial arrangements and services are by the Riverview Funeral Home, 218 2nd Avenue, Troy, NY 12180 (518) 235-5610. Contributions in lieu of flowers may be made by working as a garden angel at Bonehead Farm (coordinated by Jim Welch: 833-0728 saa@concision.com), or by donating to Oakwood Community Center, Capital Roots education center, Greenpeace, Democracy Now, Pathfinder International, Organic Consumers Association. Natural Interment 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Tuesday, June 9, 2015 Oakwood Cemetery Oakwood Avenue/Route 40 Troy, New York, United States 12180 Please use the Gurley Avenue gate off of 114th Street in Lansingburgh (North Troy) Please be at the gate by 12:45PM and bring your lawn chairs for comfort. Memorial Donations Contributions in lieu of flowers may be made by working as a garden angel at Bonehead Farm, or by donating to: Oakwood Community Center 313 10th St Troy, NY 12180 Capital Roots education center 594 River St Troy, NY 12180 Greenpeace 702 H Street, NW Suite 300 Washington, D.C. 20001 Democracy Now 207 W. 25th St., Floor 11 New York, NY 10001 Pathfinder International 9 Galen Street, Suite 217 Watertown, MA 02472, USA Organic Consumers Association 6771 South Silver Hill Drive, Finland MN 55603 Garden angels to carry on Howard's legacy at Bonehead Farm, primarily those who knew Howard and also know gardening, are being coordinated by Jim Welch: 833-0728 saa@concision.com