James Albanese

James R. Albanese, of Cobleskill, New York, passed away February 22, 2022, at age 70. He was raised in Massapequa, New York, where he had his first job working summers at Jones Beach. As an undergraduate at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Oneonta he discovered an interest in geology and went on to earn an M.S. and Ph.D. in the field from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. After teaching at Albany High School, he joined the New York State Geological Survey as an environmental geologist. He then returned to SUNY Oneonta as an earth science professor until his retirement in 2010. He loved teaching about the natural world whether it was in a lecture hall, at the rim of the Grand Canyon, or on the dunes of a beach.

He was predeceased by his parents, Samuel and Doris, and leaves behind his partner, Lisa Anderson, brother Jay Albanese (Leslie), sister Jan Carpenter (Keith), daughter Jill Connell (Matthew), son Jeffrey Albanese (Ivory), and his beloved grandchildren Sophia, Vincent, Julius, and Elijah. Plans for remembrance will be announced at a later date.