Infante, George L.

ALBANY- George L. Infante, 92, died suddenly Monday, January 02, 2012 at Albany Medical Center Hospital.

George Louis Infante was born in Brooklyn New York on March 23, 1919 to Ainello Infante and Rose Superti. He had one brother Ralph and three sisters Josephine, Cotilde and Maria. His parents emigrated from Piscotta, Italy to Brooklyn where his father owned a tailor shop. He graduated from Richmond Hills High School, Hudson Valley Community College and the State University of New York where he earned a BS degree in Public Administration and Criminal Justice Administration. George entered the Army during World War II. While he was stationed in El Paso, Texas he met and married Amaryllis (Amy) Robinson who was a high school physical education teacher at the time. The ceremony was a private one held in Juarez, Mexico.

Upon returning from the Army, George and Amy settled briefly in Brooklyn until he was accepted into the State Police in 1946. After two years, he was appointed to the State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation as an investigator. Over thirty-three years he rose through the ranks of Corporal, Sergeant, Lieutenant, Lieutenant Supervisor in the Bureau of Criminal investigation, Captain, Assistant Superintendent in charge of criminal investigation, Chief Inspector and Deputy Superintendent Field Commander. Of the many honors, awards and commendations he received in his career with the New York State Police, he was perhaps most proud of the honors which he and the members of the detail he commanded received from Governor Hugh L. Carey for their successful conclusion of a seventeen-hour armed siege in a downtown Albany Restaurant.

Upon retiring he ran and was elected Albany County Sheriff. He held this position for 9 years. During his term he brought professionalism to the department and instituted many new programs. He was a life member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the New York State Chiefs of Police Association, the Association of former New York State Troopers, the Northeastern Chiefs of Police Conference, the State Police PBA and the New York Sheriff's Association and the Harvard Associates in Police Science.

In 1994 George was elected a County Legislator, a position he held until December 31, 2011. As a county legislator for the 1st District he served on the Health, Law and Personnel Committees,

George has been very active during his lifetime in many organizations and has been called the quintessential civic leader. He was instrumental in the fund raising for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, was past Albany County Commander of the American Legion, Sheehy Palmer VFW Post 6776 and Fort Orange American Legion Post 30 and a former Chair of the Veterans Care Board at the Stratton VA Medical Center, where he also volunteered.

He was a member of St. James Church, the Advisory Board of Glenmont Job Corps, the County Committee for Alternatives to Incarceration, the Albany County Forensic Task Force, Emergency Management Public Safety Committee and Senior Citizen's Advisory Board, TRIAD-NYS, Italian Community Center, Sons of Italy, Roma Intangibile Lodge 215, Urban League of NENY and Albany Elks Lodge 49.

He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Amaryllis. Five of his six daughters Julianna (Daniel) Ball of Cary, North Carolina , Linda (Thomas) House of Leicester, New York , Jean

(Ken) Cilione of Yorktown Heights, New York , Teresa (Douglas), Danielson of Grandville, Michigan and Alicia (Hugh) Leimgruber of Rockford, Michigan. He was predeceased by his daughter, Rosemary.

He is also survived by his 12 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild Stephanie and Daniel Ball, Amy (Douglas) Covell, Alison House, Megan and Michele Infante, Robert Sanchez, Erik and Hannah Danielson and Nicholas, Sophia, Jared Leimgruber and Zoe Covell. He is also survived by nieces, nephews and many, many dear friends.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Boys and Girls Club of Albany, 21 Delaware Ave. Albany, NY 12210.

A Mass of Christian Buial will be celebrated on Friday, January 6, 2012 at 9:30am in Historic St. Mary’s Church on Capitol Hill, Pine and Lodge Streets, Albany. Relatives and friends are invited and may call at the Daniel Keenan Funeral Home, Inc. 490 Delaware Ave. Thursday, January 5, 2012 from 4-8pm. Interment, Gerald B H Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery, Schuylerville, NY.