Dorothy A. Herzog

Dorothy Anna (née Komjathy) Herzog died peacefully at home on Sunday, Dec. 4, 2022, surrounded in death as she was in life — by her loving family. She was 89.

She was born on July 29, 1933, the third child of Steven and Esther (née Wright) Komjathy.

“‘Dottie,’ as many people called her, was a lifelong Capital Region resident,” her family wrote in a tribute. “She attended Berne-Knox Central High School, where she was an active participant in many extracurricular activities, including band (she played the saxophone), glee club, and tumbling.

“Dottie was a cheerleader, vice president of her freshman class, prom queen, and acted in school plays and an operetta. In her spare time, she was a charter member of Girl Scout Troop 1 and a member of the 4-H, Foxenkill Grange, Berne-Knox-Westerlo PTA, Berne-Knox-Westerlo Alumni Committee, and St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and their auxiliary.

“Dottie worked throughout her adult life. At General Accident Insurance Company, General Electric Schenectady-Scotia, and Berne-Knox-Westerlo Central School District, she was a secretary. She also worked seasonally at Woolworth’s, waitressed at Benny’s Restaurant, and drove the bus at Berne-Knox-Westerlo.

“Although she worked steadily, Dottie’s first priority always remained her family. She was a ‘soccer mom’ way before that was fashionable. She encouraged all of her kids as they excelled at athletics. She drove them to games and practices and cheered heartily for them from the sidelines or stands. She was their fiercest protector but wasn’t afraid to lay down the law when necessary.

‘Dottie never met a stranger. She loved everyone and frequently struck up conversations with people she’d never met. She was warm, had a fabulous sense of humor, and always delivered an outrageous line with that twinkle in her bright, blue eyes.

“She loved to garden and to create with her hands. She crocheted, made flower arrangements for the church altar, made centerpieces at Christmastime, and made jewelry to give to family and friends, as well as to sell for donations to the American Cancer Society. She loved ceramics and once had her own kiln.

“If it was fun, Dottie wanted to do it. She got the family’s first tattoo at age 70.

“She enjoyed traveling, and most especially a trip she took with her children to her father’s birthplace, Pusztavam, Hungary. She loved driving around in her convertible with the top down.

“She loved to eat — particularly if she didn’t have to cook it. Spending time eating out with loved ones and friends brought her great joy. Later in life, she delighted in spending time with her grandkids (including the four-legged ones) and great grandkids.

“Dottie leaves behind a legacy of love, laughter, and joy, shared by all who had the pleasure to know her.”

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Dorothy Anna (née Komjathy) Herzog is survived by sister, Patricia Von Haugg; by her four children, Michael Herzog and his wife, Renee, Lori Herzog, Lisa Herzog, and Amy Herzog; by her three grandchildren, Joamy Revette and her husband, Joe, Gregry Herzog and his wife, Roanne, and Mackenzie Carman and Erich Aunchman; by her three great-grandchildren, Jameson and Jonah Herzog, and Emmett Revette; and by her many nieces and nephews.

Her parents, Steven and Esther (née Wright) Komjathy, died before her, as did her husband, Harold E. Herzog, and her siblings, David “Butch” Komjathy, Jane Herzog, and Evelyn Paddock.

Calling hours will take place Friday, Jan. 6, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Fredendall Funeral Home at 199 Main St. in Altamont.

Funeral services will be held at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church at 1728 Helderberg Trail in Berne on Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023, at 10 a.m. Burial will be in the Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to one of two causes that her family said were “near and dear to Dottie’s heart”: The MohawkHudson Humane Society, 3 Oakland Avenue, Menands, NY 12204 (www.mohawkhumane.org); or the American Cancer Society, 1 Penny Lane, Latham, NY 12110 https://secure.acsevents.org/site/STR?fr_id=104567&pg=team&team_id=2670192