Alfred Otto Umscheid, 76, of Hopewell Junction, NY, passed away unexpectedly on November 23, 2019.  He is survived by his three children (Wendy Weathers, Craig Umscheid and Jane Flynn), seven grandchildren (Madison, Sophia, Anna, Charles, Colin, Michaela and Aidan), his brother Wilhard Debald and his nephew Mark Debald, brother- and sister-in-law Gary Schenkel and Susan Umscheid, his father-in-law Edward Schenkel, and cousins, nieces and nephews, and friends and family in Dutchess County, NY.  He was pre-deceased by his wife of 39 years Annette Umscheid, his daughter Dawn, and his brother Richard.

Alfred was born in the Bronx in New York City, the son of Otto and Anna Umscheid.  His parents emigrated from Germany to the US in the 1930s.  His father was a butcher and his mother a housekeeper.  Alfred attended elementary and middle school in the Bronx, and then moved with his family to Hopewell Junction, where he attended Arlington High School, graduating in 1961.  He worked for IBM for 33 years, starting straight out of high school, and took a two year leave from 1965-1967 when drafted in the Vietnam War.  Given his proficiency with the German language, he was stationed in Germany.  After returning from the draft, he married the love of his life Annette Marie Schenkel in 1968, and raised his family.  After early retirement from IBM, he had a second career in the auction industry, first working for Absolute Auction in Pleasant Valley, and then for Manheim Auto Auction in Newburgh, until retiring earlier this year.

Alfred was social and fun-loving, but also headstrong and did not suffer fools gladly.  His stoicism cloaked tragedy that he encountered in life, whether losing his father at the age of 7 to heart disease, losing his first daughter to SIDS at the age of 3 months, losing his mother as an adult to depression, and dutifully caring for his wife Annette for almost ten years as she suffered from dementia, a death he never recovered from ten years later.  As a father, Alfred offered unconditional support, participating in scouting, sporting and band events, including the Pinewood Derby, crew, and marching band (which he continued to follow long after his children graduated from high school).  He also enjoyed taking his family on adventures, such as canoeing on Sylvan Lake, beach days at Taghkanic State Park, day trips to NYC, numerous car rides to enjoy the Fall colors and Christmas lights, and IBM sponsored family events, such as Family Day at the Dutchess County Fairground and Sunday Brunch at the IBM Country Club.  He shared his love for antique cars by bringing his family to many antique auto shows, including those at Mohonk Mountain House, Vanderbilt Mansion, Rhinebeck, and Lime Rock, CT.  He took his family on camping and road trips too, including rides as far as Maine, Cape Cod, Sturbridge Village and Niagara Falls to the north, and Disney World to the south.  These as well as trips to museums and cultural festivals such as Oktoberfest and the Greek Festival exposed his children to different traditions and cultures. He also assisted his son each morning on a paper route, which he continued for many months following his son's departure to college, until he transitioned the route to the next neighborhood kid in line.  Despite modest means, Alfred never hesitated to financially support his children's college, medical school and law school educations.

Alfred enjoyed antiques, from classic cars to historic furniture.  To say he was a collector would be putting it mildly.  He drove Chevelles for much of his adulthood, and Mazda Miatas in his later years, but he owned and restored many cars, including a 1967 Corvette Stingray and a 1951 Ford Pickup.  For years, he was an active member of the Hudson Valley Ford V-8 Club, where he helped organize and judge antique auto shows around the region.  He was also a longtime member of the Italian Center in Poughkeepsie, and enjoyed socializing at Germania of Poughkeepsie.  Later in life, he spent many weekends browsing in antique shops and reading in libraries, including Adriance in Poughkeepsie, East Fishkill Library in Hopewell Junction, and the Lincoln Park branch of the Chicago Public Library, the city where he stayed for the remaining months of his life near his son.

Funeral Service Saturday, November 30, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. at Saint Denis Church, 602 Beekman Road, Hopewell Junction, New York 12533.

In lieu of flowers, Alfred's children would be grateful for small donations to charities that support causes of interest to Alfred, including the Hudson Valley Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association ( www.alz.org/hudsonvalley ), and the Dr. Bacile Scholarship at the Italian Center ( www.theitaliancenter.com/scholarship.html ).

For further information please call 312-421-0936.