Anita Marie McChesney, 56, from Portlandville, passed away on Wednesday, September 19, 2018, at Albany Medical Center following her brave struggle with breast cancer. She passed peacefully with her family by her side. She was a gentle, kind, and loving person who will be missed dearly by many people.
Anita was born May 14, 1962 in Oneonta, NY. Shortly thereafter, her parents moved to New Jersey where she spent the first 15 years of her life. The family then moved to Mount Vision where they established the Mount Vision Garden Center. Anita spent her entire life dedicated to operating the family business that grew to what it is today, twenty-six greenhouses and a farm stand. She had an innate talent for cultivating flowers and creating beautiful arrangements. She loved visiting with the many friends and loyal customers who came year after year. Throughout this time, she also worked at Oneonta Savings and Loans; Catskill Dental Associates, as a dental assistant; and Pizzaland.
On October 7, 2000 Anita married Jim McChesney. They lived a life full of adventure that took them around the world many times over. Anita became an advanced scuba diver, logging over 600 dives in a multitude of locations spanning the globe. Her favorite place to dive was Indonesia. She became an excellent underwater photographer, always able to find the most unusual creatures. She continued to master the art of photography, her true passion, chasing wildlife, especially birds, in her own backyard to all corners of the world. Together, she and Jim, along with their camera equipment, made a dozen trips to Africa and several others throughout Europe and the Americas. She took much pride in her craft and loved to share the story behind the image. A number of her photos were published on various sites and publications from Africa. Anita was fearless with her camera, trusting her intuition and doing whatever it took to capture the moment the way she wanted. Her curiosity and appreciation for the beauty of nature lives on through her photography and the powerful images she produced.
Anita is survived by her husband Jim of Portlandville; her parents, Roger and Joanne Wilms of Mount Vision; her sister Charlene (Tom) Stewart of Mount Vision; her brothers, Roger (Connie Martindale) Wilms, Eddie, Tony, and Joe Wilms, all of the Oneonta area; her step daughters, Mia McChesney (Eric Grayson) of New York City and Dana (Peter) Bauleke of Southern Pines, North Carolina; as well as her granddaughter, Lucy Bauleke, and many aunts, uncles, cousins, and nephews.
A gathering to honor and celebrate her life will take place from 3 to 6 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 23, at the Carriage House Event Center, 790 Southside Drive, Oneonta.
Condolences to the family may be made online at www.grummonsfuneralhome.com.
Arrangements are by the Lester R. Grummons Funeral Home of Oneonta.
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