George “Sid” Ketchum died peacefully on November 11, 2024, in Westchester, New York, at the age of 81. Sid is survived by his wife, Pamela Ketchum; children Taft (Colleen) Ketchum, Preston Ketchum, Elizabeth (Stefan) Deppisch, and Rebecca (Christopher Roberti) Ketchum; siblings Ross (Dale) Ketchum, and Mary (Jim – deceased) County; and grandchildren Quinn Ketchum, Nate Ketchum, Max Deppisch, Bella Deppisch, Emma Deppisch, Beckett Ketchum, Hawk Roberti, Bruno Roberti, and Andiamo Ketchum.
Sid was born on March 28, 1943, in Marshfield, Massachusetts, to Richard and Rhoda Ketchum. He proudly served in the U.S. National Guard. In 1969, he married Pam, the love of his life. After living in Texas and Virginia, they built a home in Sugar Loaf, New York, where they raised their four children. It was here, in Orange County, where he and Pam owned and ran two successful businesses for decades: Chester Lumber and PDJ Components.
Sid will be held closely in our hearts. He was a world-class dad, a comedian, and a globetrotter who loved eating well. Any time he could, he visited national parks and historical sites in his Winnebago, listening to Willie Nelson with his co-pilot Pam and all four kids and their friends. He adored his grandchildren, loved making them laugh, reading with them on his lap, and taking them fishing at any opportunity. He never missed any of his eight grandchildren’s birthday parties, games, or tournaments and always left the fellow attendees laughing and filled with warmth.
Sid’s fatherly kindness and generosity shone through his dedication to his community. He coached Little League, sat on the school board, attended and supported the First Presbyterian Church of Goshen, and was a stage crew member for the annual Kennett’s Nutcracker. He was also passionate about building community and supporting those in need. He spent many years as president of the Middletown chapter of Habitat for Humanity, volunteered at Meals on Wheels and various soup kitchens, and drove those who couldn’t drive themselves to doctor visits through Jewish Family Services even while he was going through chemotherapy himself. Sid was selected Northeast Lumberman of the Year, a co-founding member of the Wood Truss Council of America, longtime seated board member for the National Retail Lumbermen’s Association, and during his ski bum years, was a first-rate bartender at The Whip in Stowe, Vt.
He was a generous, kind, and dedicated man who loved fishing, sailing, reading, traveling, old movies, vintage clocks, crosswords, puzzles, and music. He was a gardener and devoted himself to the care and upbringing of all things: homes, children, pets, businesses, flowers and veggies, and his community. As a beloved boss, the people he worked with for decades at Chester Lumber and PDJ were like family to him. He loved the Boston Red Sox, Celtics, Cape Cod, and was a certified New England prankster. He was voted class clown in high school and always has a joke at the ready. Sid will be missed sorely.
Celebration of life: December 15, 2024, at 11 a.m. (food and celebration to follow) at The Harness Museum & Hall of Fame located at 240 Main St, Goshen, NY 10924. Chris Roberti will officiate the ceremony. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Sid’s life.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the following: The Bull Stone House — mail-in donations can be directed to The William Bull and Sarah Wells Stone House Association, Inc., 183 County Route 51, Campbell Hall, NY 10916; Habitat for Humanity of Greater Newburgh; Memorial Sloan Kettering; Elizabeth Hurd Memorial Scholarship for Excellence in Communications, payable to the Warwick Valley CSD, PO Box 595, Warwick NY 10990.
The family has entrusted George’s care to the Flynn Family and Flynn Funeral & Cremation Memorial Center’s staff. Please extend a condolence or share a memory for the family.