Charles Konecny

Charles John Konecny, aka Charlie, Charles, Mr. Necky and Charles-of Conklin, passed away peacefully on Friday, February 6 after a brief illness.  He led a full, successful and very active 83 years, the last 20 plus spent on  his beloved 30-acre mountaintop haven in Conklin, New York. A life-long resident of the Binghamton area, he was born to parents Paul  and Josephine and grew up in Binghamton’s 1st Ward. Seven years after  his birth, he was joined by little sister, Barbara. He was a graduate of Binghamton High School. During that time he was a  member of the St. Cyril’s Church CYO basketball team and also an altar  boy at the Church, a source of pride and fond memories to present day. From the reverent chords of sacred hymns to the southern rock scratchings  of ZZ Top, as well as everything in-between, music remained a constant  source of solace, pleasure and curiosity throughout his lifetime. In addition  to singing, he liked to play the harmonica and even took up the guitar a bit  in his later years. 

Work was a main source of activity and personal satisfaction for Charlie for  the majority of his lifetime. While attending classes at Broome Community  College, he joined the County’s Public Works department, learning the  trades of construction and engineering. He remained there for 23 years,  contributing to the significant growth and improvement of the county’s  roads, bridges and public buildings. Upon his retirement with the County, he moved on to private industry,  working as a senior engineer and project manager for national engineering  firms Pike Engineering and Lehrer McGovern Bovis/Bovis Ltd. Some of his  most significant project include renovations to the IBM Building in Endicott,  NY, renovations to Cornell University’s Statler Hall, and an expansion of the  Binghamton County Airport.  Upon retiring from Bovis, he joined local firm Griffiths Engineering, serving  as an engineering consultant to the company as it built the flood walls that  protect Lourdes Hospital and NYSEG. 

His favorite activities outside of work revolved around the great outdoors.  He was a longstanding member and officer of the All Season’s  Outdoorsman’s Association. He was also a member of the Broome County  Sportsman Association and its Competition Pistol Shooting League. During  the early 1980s, he held the title of Second Best Shooter throughout  New York State. One of his biggest life-long dreams was to own a farm. He, and his wife,  Ann Marie, eventually made this dream come true, purchasing a 30 acre  plot of land in Conklin overlooking the rolling hills of Pennsylvania and  beyond. Many tractors, barns, trailers and the planting of hundreds of  Christmas trees later, their land and home remain a beautiful safe haven for  the many birds, deer, rabbits and other wildlife that now forage and make  their homes there, in some cases right on the front porch! 

He is survived by his wife of over 62 years, Ann Marie, three children,  Andrea and husband, JD, John and wife Beth, and Joe (Joseph) and wife,  Cheryl, and five grandchildren, Jordan, Morgan (and husband Guppy),  Jacob, Daniel and Anthony, and sister, Barbara Testa and husband, Eric.  He is predeceased by his beloved black labs, Bear, Jack and Sam. 

Services will be held on Friday, February 13 at 10:00 AM at St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church.  The family will welcome friends from 9:30 AM until the time of the service. Condolences may be expressed online at www.SavageFS.com.  

o Three words that sum up the life  

Love of… life, family and animals

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