Theresa Sise

Sise, Theresa A. (Daley)
November 17, 1925 - December 20, 2017


Theresa A. (Daley) Sise, 92, of Amsterdam died on December 20, 2017, at Kingsway Arms Nursing Center in Schenectady surrounded by her loving family. Theresa was born in Little Falls, NY on November 17, 1925. She grew up in Herkimer, Canandaigua and Malone, New York, the daughter of Edward M. Daley and Gertrude (Conroy) Daley. She graduated from St. Joseph’s High School in Malone and St. Mary’s Hospital School of Nursing in Amsterdam, Class of 1945. During World War II, she served stateside as a cadet nurse with the United States’ Cadet Nurse Corps which was established by Congress in 1943 to ensure the country had enough nurses to care for its citizens at home and abroad during the war. Upon graduating from nursing school, “Tessie” as her classmates called her, began her four year career as an RN at St. Mary’s Hospital. While there, she was a supervising nurse of the student nurses, as well as assigned as a nurse to several different wards.

In December of 1948, while attending a St. Mary’s Parish function, she met the love of her life, Bob Sise. They married on September 17, 1949. Theresa, as Bob called her, retired from her nursing career to apply all of her time and attention to having and raising a family. Boy did she ever! Theresa and Bob Sise were the proud parents of nine sons.

In 1972, with four sons in college, Theresa re-entered the work force after initially obtaining a license to sell real estate and later her broker’s license. For many years, she worked along side the Sises’ dear friend, Dutch Howlan, in his company, Howlan Real Estate. Later, upon Dutch’s insistence, Theresa struck out upon her own forming Theresa A. Sise Realty. She received multiple awards over those years from her peers as the number one salesperson and/or broker in Montgomery County. She retired from the world of real estate in approximately 1985. Six years later, she once again stepped out of retirement to return to the workforce. This time, she became a legal secretary for her sons’ law firm, Sise & Sise, with special assignment to the newest addition to the firm, retired Judge Bob Sise. While at the family law firm, Theresa became an expert real estate closing coordinator as well as a highly qualified legal assistant to Bob as he handled the administration of numerous estate proceedings in surrogates’ court. She retired for the final time in 2010. Theresa lost her husband on March 22, 2016. For over two years she and Bob lived together at Kingsway Arms Nursing Center. On a daily basis she sat at his side and cared for his every need.

In addition to her husband, Theresa was predeceased by her son, Robert J. Sise, Jr. and her grandson, Richard E. Sise, Jr. She is survived by her sons, Michael (Beth), John (Mary), Thomas (Alice), Richard (Connie), William (Angela), Timothy, Joseph (Robin), Bernard (Sara), Rev. Gordon Polenz, Bob & Theresa’s “10th son”; her daughters-in-law, Kathleen, Katherine and Kerry; 25 grand children and 12 great-grand children.

Theresa adored her husband, Bob, with whom she shared over 66 years in marriage. She was quietly so proud of all of her sons, grand children and great-grand children. She loved her dear friends Eileen “Willow” Lewis, Edna “Pet” Petkovich, Eileen Greco, Margaret Cortese and so many more who passed before her. She loved swimming with her boys at Maple Grove, reading a good mystery novel, teaching crocheting to the ladies, Peppermint Patties and lemon drops, making her famous cream puffs, taking an “Eddie”, the scent of lilacs in the yard, a cup of coffee by a Nickerson campfire, long days at Nauset and Cahoon Hollow beaches on the Cape, and so much more as she thoroughly enjoyed life. Most of all, she loved the 10 men in her life and being “Gran-Tess” to her many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

The Sise family expresses its deep gratitude to the McPartlon Family and to their staff at Kingsway Arms Nursing Center for their compassionate care they provided to Theresa over these past three and half years. Relatives and friends are invited to attend a Mass of Christian Burial which will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Saturday at St. Mary's Church, 156 East Main St., Amsterdam. Interment will follow at St. Mary's Cemetery, Fort Johnson. Calling hours will be held on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m., at St. Mary’s Church. In lieu of flowers, the family desires that memorial contributions be made to The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, Latham Provincial House, the Good Sisters who educated Theresa in nursing school and her nine sons at St. Mary's Institute and Bishop Scully High School of Amsterdam. Funeral arrangements are by the Riley Mortuary, Inc., 110 Division St, Amsterdam, NY 12010. To send online condolences to the family, go towww. rileymortuaryinc.com