Hudson Valley Assemblyman Dies Of Pancreatic Cancer

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY — Frank Skartados, a state lawmaker in New York whose district included parts of Dutchess, Orange and Ulster counties, has died.

Skartados died on Sunday morning at a hospital in Newburgh. He was surrounded by friends and family.

The assemblyman had been hospitalized on March 24 for respiratory issues and pain associated with cancer. His condition had been discovered in January when he was diagnosed with metastasized stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

Funeral arrangements are being made at DiDonato funeral home in Marlboro.

Skartados, who was born on a small island off the coast of Greece, represented Assembly District 104. He moved to America with his mother at age 14 and taught at West Point. He later became a businessman and immersed himself with revitalizing Poughkeepsie.

Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said in a statement that Skartados was a devoted public servant to the Hudson Valley for nearly a decade.

"He devoted his life to improving communities in the Hudson Valley, including a transformative revitalization project for downtown Poughkeepsie," Heastie said. "As an immigrant, businessman, a farmer, and a father, he truly embodied all the qualities that make New York a great place to call home."

Skartados was a businessman and a former educator who fought tirelessly to create jobs, support businesses and working families, and improve educational opportunities for children in the state. He devoted his life to improving communities in the Hudson Valley, including a revitalization project for downtown Poughkeepsie.

Sad news: Assemblyman Frank Skartados, D-Milton, has died of pancreatic cancer. pic.twitter.com/xsbe2RUhSg
— Jon Campbell (@JonCampbellGAN) April 15, 2018

According to his biography, Skartados's top priorities included creating jobs, lowering taxes for businesses and working families and improving educational opportunities for kids.

Skartados was the seventh of eight children and helped his father maintain their family’s small subsistence farm in Greece. Within months of arriving in New York City, his mother returned to Greece and he had to build a life on his own in America.

"Frank taught himself English and worked his way through school, eventually graduating from George Washington High School in upper Manhattan," his biography says.

Skartados worker four years in the restaurant business and put himself through State University of New York (SUNY) at New Paltz. He graduated with honors and a degree in Political Science while also working in the Commandants Office of the New York Military Academy.

Skartados later got a Masters Degree in International Studies from the State University of California at Sacramento. He returned to the New York Military Academy for the next eight years to serve as chairman of the Health Department and a teacher of Environmental Studies and American History.

It was after that that he dedicated himself to Poughkeepsie. He founded the Academy Street Business Association and helped revitalize the business environment in the area. He also served on the mayor’s promotions and events panel to help draw new people to the city.

Skartados also owns a small farm in Milton, New York, where he cared for his "many animals."

Photo credit: New York State Assembly