John Gorsky (84) passed away at home on April 12. He grew up in Cohoes, NY and graduated from Cohoes High School.
After graduation, John attended RPI in Troy, NY, and Ithaca College, eventually moving to Ithaca with his wife Anne to run his uncle’s business, the Cornell Laundry and Mall Dry Cleaners.
John is survived by his wife Anne, his children Lynda Gorsky, Jackie (John) Mandyck, Jeff (Karen) Gorsky and his nephew, John (Debbie) Tassone. He loved his eight grandchildren: Sam, Colleen, Jack, Cassidy, Maddy, Graceann, McKenzie and Greg, and his great nephew and niece Jackson and Annalise Tassone.
John is preceded by his parents Helen and John Gorsky, his sisters Jacqueline and Judy, and his brother-in-law Darrell.
John owned and operated the Cornell Laundry and Mall Dry Cleaners since 1964. He sold the Cornell Laundry in 2015 and the Mall Dry Cleaners in 2023, having kept more than half of Ithaca clean for nearly six decades.
As a 63-year Ithaca resident, John was active in slow pitch softball, men’s basketball, Newman’s golf league, and almost every tennis tournament in the county and beyond. He was proud of his accomplishments on the tennis court, especially winning a national father/son title with Jeff and national father/daughter titles with Lynda. And he was thankful to survive any match when teamed up with Jackie. He coached Jeff and John (Yash) in baseball and basketball for many years.
He was known for his eye rolls, his detailed analysis of his grandchildren’s basketball games, and one very famous time-out while son Jeff was coaching an AAU Girls Basketball team. If supporting your children and grandchildren at their sporting events and dance recitals was in the Guinness Book of World records, John’s name would be first.
John also leaves fond memories with Nancy Morse, Amanda Bentley, and Vanessa Bentley with whom he spent many years. We thank those who helped John in his last chapter: Lori Joseph, Tasha Jackson, Becky Byrd and Hospicare.
Funeral arrangements will be handled by Bangs Funeral Home in Ithaca, NY. Calling hours will be from 1:00pm-2:30pm on April 19 at the funeral home. Internment will be family only. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to your favorite charity in John’s memory. Online condolences are at www.bangsfuneralhome.com
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