Josephine Clare Hollo
Josephine Clare Hollo, poet, translator and activist, lived in Geneva for almost 50 years, moving there in 1973 and leaving in 2022 to live with her daughter in the Hudson Valley.
Josefine Klara Wirkus was born in 1933 in Gammertingen, Germany, to Franz and Maria. She attended the Academy of Music & Drama in Stuttgart and the Max Reinhardt Seminar in Vienna, becoming a member of the Austrian Actors’ Guild in 1958.
She married poet and translator Anselm Hollo and moved to London (U.K.) where their children Hannes, Kaarina, and Tamsin were born. There, she translated English poetry into German for publication and for the BBC, occasionally performing in BBC radio plays. This marked the beginning of a fruitful collaboration with Anselm Hollo, translating, over the years, major works by William Carlos Williams, Allen Ginsberg, and Gregory Corso.
In 1969 the family moved to Iowa City, Iowa, where Josephine directed a production of ‘The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-In-The-Moon Marigolds’ and appeared in the role of Winnie in Becket’s ‘Happy Days’, among others. Clare conducted creative writing workshops, and taught writing, drama and acting at the Scattergood School summer program.
While still in Iowa, she published her first poetry chapbook, “Deutschland: A Sequence” (1970). In 1974, after the family’s move to Geneva, she published her first full collection of poems, “Deutschland and Other Places.” Josephine published widely in the 1970s, with work appearing in a range of journals, including in a ”Just Buffalo” volume alongside Robert Creeley, Ed Dorn, Fielding Dawson and Bobbie Louise Hawkins and the first volume of “Ploughshares.”
In 1977, Ocotillo Press published ”Mammatocumulus,” which she completed, with the aid of a National Endowment for the Arts grant, at a residency in Yaddo in Saratoga Springs, New York. There she met her fellow poet, Hilda Morley, who became a steadfast friend. That same year, Clare was the recipient of a New York State Council for the Arts Creative Artists Public Service Award, which involved public outreach including a reading at Geneva City Hall, and four poetry workshops at a juvenile correctional institute.
In June 1990, after the Wall came down and before reunification, Clare travelled with artist Gina Murtagh to Berlin. This resulted in the 1992 joint exhibition The Wall: Berlin-USA.
”Twelve” (Potato Clock Signatures), which she dedicated to her son after his death in 1999, was published in 2002. During the 2000s she collaborated with artists and local arts organisations in writing essays for various newsletters and exhibitions. In 2024, her work was included in the journal Luigi Ten Co and she published a short collection, Some Journal Poems (Wry Press, 2024).
Josephine taught at a range of educational settings over the years, including Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Syracuse University, Goddard College, Finger Lakes Community College, Industry Residential Center, and Ontario County Jail. Apart from her writing, Josephine was involved in social justice issues in the Finger Lakes region, serving for a time as the director of the Geneva Women’s Resource Centre and supporting the work of the NAACP, for which she was recognized by the local chapter.
Josephine was a great performer of her work, and over the years she was invited to read at a number of venues around the Finger Lakes region. She was a lover and acute observer of nature, and remembered by many for her humour and her kindness. Her sensitivity to the suffering of animals led to a range of waifs and strays coming into her care over the years.
She moved to Newburgh, N.Y. in 2022 to live with her daughter, Tamsin. She enjoyed her walks with Tamsin by the Hudson, Newburgh arts events, the company of her cat Ensio, and reading poetry by ‘video phone’ with her daughter Kaarina. Despite memory issues, she was very much herself until the end.
She suffered a stroke in January 2025, and died peacefully in hospice care on February 8th in Peekskill, NY. She is survived by her brother, Gerhard Wirkus of Pfullendorf, Germany; daughters, Tamsin Hollo of Newburgh, N.Y., and Kaarina Hollo of Sheffield, U.K.; and a granddaughter.
A memorial will be held in the Finger Lakes in the Spring. Please reach out to [email protected] for more information.
– Obituary from Legacy.com
Sandra Raymond
Sandra (Sandy) Raymond entered into eternal rest on Friday, March 28, 2025, in Peekskill, New York.
Sandy was born on December 5, 1948, in Peekskill, New York, to the late Louis and Dorothy Scozzafava.
Sandy graduated from Peekskill High School, class of 1966. After graduation, she attended beauty school and became a beautician, dedicating her early career to making others look and feel their best. Throughout her life, she held various administrative office positions, showcasing her versatility and strong work ethic.
Sandy enjoyed growing tomatoes, zucchini, and daffodils, proudly cultivating her garden each season and enjoying the harvest of homegrown vegetables. As a result of her love for gardening, daffodils became her favorite flower, and she developed a passion for using zucchini to make bread.
Sandy was an animal lover (dogs and cats). She had a special bond with her dog Ryder. She also loved chihuahuas which was inspired by her late father’s love for them as well.
Above all, Sandy loved hosting holiday celebrations with her family. Family was the most important thing to her, and she cherished the time spent with her children and grandchildren.
Sandy leaves to cherish her memory three children, William (Louise) Raymond, Penny (Jimmy) Milan, Thomas Dorsey, eight grandchildren, Billy, Jimmy, Louie, Izzabella, Sophia, Mateo, Tommy and Angelo, three siblings Jack Scozzafava (predeceased), Dolores Cronk and Ronald Scozzafava.
She also leaves a host of nieces and nephews.
Memorial Service will be held at Joseph F. Nardone Funeral Home, 414 Washington Street, Peekskill, NY on Thursday, April 3, 2025, from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm
The family of the late Sandra (Sandy) Raymond would like to express an abundance of gratitude for everyone near and far for the many expressions of kindness, support and love shown to us during this time of bereavement as we mourn and celebrate Sandy Raymond.
– Obituary from Legacy.com
