November 2001

Coordinated Care’s Prime Time Awards

Coordinated Care is pleased to introduce its 2001 Prime Time Awards honorees.
These awards were created to honor Western New York citizens who exemplify successful aging.

The Prime Time Awards luncheon honoring this year’s awardees will be held on Thursday, November 8, 2001
at the Adam’s Mark Hotel from 11:45a.m.-1:30 p.m. For more information please call 858-2307.

MARY STOBIE works as many hours as any career woman, with one exception - Mary does not get paid for her work - at least not in dollars and cents. Intrinsic rewards like personal satisfaction, a sense of belonging, and the privilege of giving to one's community are the compensation Mary receives for her career as a "professional volunteer."
Mary traded her first job at the Sample Shop for a career as wife and mother. She and her husband Harry raised four children and will celebrate their 49th anniversary on November 22nd. Mary's volunteerism began when her children were young when she became a PTA member, cub scout den mother, and girl scout leader. Today, Mary is involved in her church, Zion United Church of Christ in Tonawanda, where she started volunteering as a nursery helper and has been involved in the women's fellowship for over forty years, serving as past president and treasurer. She also sings in the choir, plays handbells, and serves as a trustee.
Mary also reaches out to the elderly. She has been a volunteer at United Church Home for 35years. She’s also volunteered at the Schofield Residence for the past ten years with activities, clerical work and data entry. Mary also volunteers at the American Lung Association, American Cancer Society and the American Red Cross. Her work at the American Red Cross is probably her most valuable contribution of all. She began donating blood in 1965 and started the apherisis program in 1978. Mary donates platelets once every two weeks, even planning her vacation and family events around her apheresis schedule. Mary downplays her special contribution to those in need by saying she is thankful for her own good health and likes to help others in any way she can. Mary's dedication to her career as a volunteer and the organizations she serves is extraordinary.

DR. PHILIP WELS came to Buffalo from Brooklyn in 1937 to attend the University of Buffalo. His original plan was to attend Cornell University on a fencing scholarship, but Cornell was just too large a school.
The University of Buffalo has played a major role in Dr. Wels' life. He earned a BA in Biology, MA in Parasitology, and M.D. in Medicine from U.B. He was Vice President of the Student Organization, President of the Men's Honorary Society and he participated in basketball, baseball, and started a fencing team at U.B. He qualified for both the national and Olympic fencing tryouts and became a member of the Olympic squad, but the games were cancelled because World War II broke out. On December 7th he was an intern who had no idea where Pearl Harbor was located. On December 8th, he volunteered to serve in the war where he served as battalion surgeon in the Pacific theater for 3-l/2 years.
Dr. Wels then returned to Buffalo to do a residency at Meyer Memorial Hospital. His specialty was general surgery, and he was chairman of the Department of surgery at Millard Fillmore Hospital for 16-1/2 years. He loved being in the operating room with his residents and that is what he misses the most.
Dr. Wels' affiliation with the University of Buffalo remains strong. In fact, the President of U.B. calls him "Mr. U.B." His faculty appointments include Instructor in Surgery, Assistant Clinical Professor of Surgery, Assistant Dean of the Medical School, Associate Clinical Professor of Surgery, Clinical Professor of Surgery, and Assistant to the Dean of the Medical School. Dr. Wels continues to serve on several committees at the University.
Dr. Wels and his wife will celebrate their 53rd wedding anniversary on November 24th and have two children.

When you meet NANCY JEWETT, her enthusiasm and dedication for the causes she holds dear becomes apparent. Art is her passion and she has worked tirelessly and enthusiastically to collect and share art with the Western New York community. Nancy comes from a long line of artists that includes both her mother and great-grandfather. She has donated many of her works to fund-raising events for auction.
She has been involved with the Burchfield-Penney Art Center since its inception 33 years ago and was instrumental in developing the Art Center's program direction. She has chaired the annual gala, co-chaired the year-end appeal, served as the Secretary of the Burchfield-Penney Art Center Council and serves as an Executive Member of the Board of Trustees. Currently she’s working to raise funds for a new art center building on the grounds of the Buffalo Psychiatric Center.
Nancy also has given much of her time, talent and support to Roswell Park Cancer Institute. She has worked on the newly established Art Committee that is seeking ways to enhance the hospital through the visual arts. In addition to collecting art for Roswell, Nancy is a founding board member of the Roswell Park Alliance Foundation.
Nancy’s also been involved with the Albright Knox Members Council, chaired the Buffalo General Hospital Snow Ball, was chairman of their Junior Board, and owned her own business for 32 years. Nancy's extraordinary commitment to her family is legendary. She and her husband Howie celebrated sixty years of marriage in January. They have three sons and six grandchildren.

DR. MATTHEW C. LANIGHAN is a very active and very busy retired person. Dr. Matt, as he is more commonly known, still uses his Ph.D. as a member of the Board of Trustees for the Niagara County Soil and Water District. Dr. Matt believes his volunteerism is a form of social ministry. He is very involved with St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church, and even was one of the original writers of the charter for the Parish Council. He serves as a financial aid counselor at the St. Vincent DePaul Society where he also serves as their Secretary. Dr. Matt can also be found one day a week providing food, clothing, household goods, and financial aid to those in need at Sister Helen's Food Pantry. And as if all that weren't enough to keep him busy, Dr. Matt also serves as local coordinator for the AARP local tax program through the Dale Association. This program prepares income tax free of charge to older adults. Dr. Matt has also been very instrumental as the Chairman of the Board of the Dale Association. Even after all of this Dr. Matt and his wife are very involved with their children and frequently offer their services as babysitters for their grandchildren. The Dale Association had this to say about their beloved Chairman: "If we were to find one way to describe Matthew Lanighan it would be that he is a quiet man with a great commitment and a big heart! If anybody should be held up as an example of active, successful aging it's Dr. Matt. He shows extraordinary commitment to his family, gives time in community services, and is dedicated to assisting the poor through his work at the Food Pantry and St. Vincent DePaul Society".

ANNA COTTON is known best as the mother of the Hispanic community. As founder of the Los Tainos Senior Citizen's Center, Inc. she was a lifesaver. Anna grew up in Puerto Rico in a one-bedroom house with six brothers and sisters. She arrived in America at seventeen years old alone, scared, and pregnant. It was this long hard journey that strengthened her to become an advocate for her poverty stricken neighborhood. She helped prostitutes, addicts, orphans, seniors, and the handicapped and treated them with love, assurance, and dignity. Her life motto was "find them, help them, and lean on them". Tanya Hernandez had this to say about her dear friend: "Neighborhoods such as the West Side so desperately need heroes; she was ours. She was not a political activist or someone who achieved great financial gain and glory but more of a guardian angel. Anna was the person who let you believe even in the worst of times that God and hope were in the near future. Mrs. Cotton may not physically be with us but she is always inside the people. Even in death the community was her concern and she willed all of her possessions and money be left to the center. I wonder how you can show thanks to someone who has touched so many lives and literally saved even more."

Ralph Loew Humanitarian Award

DANN STEVENS'' Western New York roots and his family's tradition of community involvement go back a long time. Both his parents shared a strong love for family and were actively involved in community affairs.
In 1944 Dann enlisted and spent two years in the naval airforce at the University of Rochester because pilots were no longer needed.
In June 1946, Dann joined his brother at Harvard University where he majored in intramural athletics. From intramural sports, Dann transferred to government studies, and graduated in 1948. He graduated from Cornell University School of Law in 1958 and has practiced law for 50 years, focusing on trusts and estates. He was a senior partner of Williams, Stevens, McCarville & Fizzel, P.C., and is currently Of Counsel to Hiscock & Barclay's Trusts and Estates Department.
His involvement with the Food Bank of WNY has been of his most successful and rewarding endeavors. Dann has been a board member since 1982 and is now Chairman Emeritus. The Food Bank's collaboration with Goodwill Industries, where Dann has been a board member for many years, has been the highlight of his volunteer involvement in community.
Dann has also been involved with Project Equality, NCCP (National Conference for community and justice), the United Negro College Fund, and the Bob Lanier Program.
As recipient of this year's Ralph W. Lowe Award, Dann is happy to have known Ralph Lowe personally.

Burt Flickinger Caregiver Award

RUDY TRINCANATI has lived in Niagara Falls his whole life and is a retired City of Niagara Falls Electrical Inspector. When Rudy retired 8 years ago he had plans of travel and golfing with his cronies. It was not long after his retirement that his wife was stricken with a paralyzing stroke. Rudy never missed a beat and put his wants and needs aside in order to become a full time caregiver to not only his wife but his parents as well.
Between laundry, meals, rehab exercises, grocery shopping, and doctor visits Rudy researches his wife's condition and of course watches the Buffalo Bills. Rudy has never complained, he just keeps plugging along and literally whistling a happy tune. Rudy's life motto is "God wouldn't give me more than I could handle".
Rudy's daughter, Donna LaMastra, had this to say about her dad: "There is never a dull moment for him. He is always on someone else's schedule. He just keeps whistling, he is a man with a mission, a big heart, and the patience of a saint. Anyone who knows Rudy will tell you he's sure to get his reward in heaven. To know him gives new meaning to 'touched by an angel', he's the real thing and I'm proud of him".

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