Eunice L. Bikowitz

Eunice Bikowitz, 89, passed away Sunday, December 27, 2020, from natural causes. Eunice was born October 12, 1931 in Albany, NY to Edward Joseph and Mildred “Milly” (nee: Spoon) Despart. She was the middle child with two older sisters and two younger brothers.

She received the Sacrament of Baptism at the Church of St. John the Evangelist in Rensselaer, New York on April 24, 1932 with the name Eunice Lilian Despart and was raised Catholic. This also began the lifelong dilemma of whether she had a middle name or not since her birth certificate did not include Lilian. While not overly fond of her name she liked to share the story of how she received it from her father because Eunice, in Greek, means “good” and “victory”, which she liked and aspired to throughout her life.

She grew up in Albany, New York, later moving to Watertown, Massachusetts for a few brief years and finally moving back to Albany with her parents at age 17. She met Walter Bikowitz while both worked at the S. S. Kresge Company on Pearl St., Albany, New York and they were married in the St. James Catholic Church, Delaware Avenue, Albany, New York on June 2, 1951. They moved to Schenectady, New York near where Walter now worked at the General Electric Company and began to raise a family. They had three boys: Walter Jr., Paul and Robert “Bob.”

Eunice was a devoted mother and homemaker and was fond of arts and crafts, especially ceramics, which she often made to decorate the family’s home and for gifts. She loved “Better Homes and Gardens” magazine and, being a child of the Great Depression, often said that, “you may not always have a big home or a lot of money but you can always have a clean, nice and ‘warm’ home with a little effort.” She also had a passion for beauty in all things and enjoyed fashion. When the children were grown she again worked in the retail industry and enjoyed helping ladies with cosmetics and other helpful beauty tips.

Eunice was preceded in death by her husband, Walter; her parents; as well as her siblings; being survived only by her younger brother, Edward. She is also survived by her children, Walter Jr. (and wife Claire), Paul and Robert; 15 grandchildren; 7 great grandchildren; as well as a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and a few very good friends. Her grandchildren include: Laura, Walter III, John, Renee, Nicole, Danielle, Melissa, Paul, Robert Jr., Stephen, Michael, Sean, Briana, Christopher and Thomas and her great-grandchildren include Aiyana, Kateri, Chaske, Aryanna, Annalee, Alicia and Cole.

A memorial mass will be held on Saturday, January 9, 2020 at Good Shepherd at 12pm. For those who are unable to attend, the memorial mass will available via livestream at the link below.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Big Bend Hospice.