Wanda P Powell

"Flowers expand their light and soul-like wings, teaching us, by most persuasive reasons, how akin they are to human things," wrote Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. For Wanda P. Powell, 94, of Schenectady, who passed on June 3, flowers were one of life's greatest pleasures - their soft, luminous colors designed to draw notice, to offer and receive both love and nurturing. The tender pull that brought her into the garden each day is a legacy Ms. Powell passed along to her children and grandchildren, sharing her skill, passion, knowledge, ingenuity and marvel at the beauty of the natural world. Born Wanda Pryba in 1920, the daughter of Polish immigrants, she graduated from Draper High School and, soon after, married Roger Powell, also of Schenectady. There, she raised a loving family, worked for a time at American Locomotive Company while her husband served his country overseas, and pursued the best possible life for her three children: Linda, Gary and Terry. The Powells built a home in Rotterdam, NY, but the family's summers were spent at their camp on Sacandaga Lake, enjoying cool waters, fresh air, and entertaining family and friends. After her husband passed in 1974, Ms. Powell directed her ingenuity towards new interests. Many evenings she could be found at home scanning the ticker tape of the New York Stock Exchange, taking notes, keeping a ledger by her table-side and calling in trades with the same alacrity and sharp eye she applied in her garden. Wanda Powell is survived by her daughter Linda Noyes of Plattsburgh, NY; son Gary Powell and his wife Karen Powell, of Guilderland, NY; son Terry Powell of Colchester, VT; six grandchildren, Matthew Powell, Roger Noyes, Lesley Emr, Roxanne Powell, Elizabeth Powell, Madeline Powell; and five great-grandchildren. A graveside ceremony will be held on Saturday, June 6, 2015 at 11am at Memory's Garden, 983 Watervliet Shaker Rd. in Colonie. Relatives and friends are invited to attend. The family asks that friends and loved ones obtain a bouquet of flowers or a favorite perennial to enjoy in Wanda Powell's memory.