Louise Mae Bickel, age 92 and 60-year resident of Geneseo, N.Y., passed away Saturday January 3, 2026 at St. John's Nursing Home in Rochester, N.Y. from complications of osteomyelitis contracted subsequent to a stroke experienced on March 25, 2025. Louise was born on September 22, 1933 in Croswell, Michigan to the late Frank and Myrtle Kellar. In addition to her parents and six brothers and sisters, Louise was predeceased by her beloved husband, Bob, in 2001. Louise is survived by her five sons: Sam (Rose) of Livingston, N.J., Alex of Rochester, N.Y., Oliver of Geneseo, N.Y., Evan of Henrietta, N.Y., and Owen (Tracy) of Wayne, N.Y.; and four daughters: Eve LoCurto of Spencerport, N.Y., Jane Wright of Winston-Salem, N.C., Rosalind Bickel of Montclair, N.J., and Annabel (Cornell) Walker of Venice, FL.; eight grandchildren, one step-grandchild, and four great-grandchildren.

After a very sweet and old-fashioned meeting and courtship, Michigan natives Bob and Louise, both of whom had completed college English degrees before they met one another, married in 1958. After early stops in Virginia and Connecticut, the young couple would have the very good fortune of relocating to the Genesee Valley in 1966 when Bob was hired as the Geneseo-based regional news reporter for the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, a position he would hold for the next 27 years. Louise very much enjoyed supporting Bob in his career and greatly respected the interesting role he was privileged to play within the Livingston County community.

For some still largely unknown crazy reasons, Bob and Louise decided to take on the seriously stressful challenge of trying to raise a family of nine children. As testament to their three decades of tireless child-rearing and devoted commitment to one another, they would be blessed to watch as each of their children were able to successfully figure out how to complete a 4-year college degree program.

When Bob suffered a physical and cognitively debilitating stroke in 1993 soon after retiring from the newspaper, Louise, then in her 60's, undertook the unglamorous and strenuous eight-year burden of lovingly caring for Bob, keeping him safely home, and providing him with every opportunity to maintain his dignity until his passing in 2001.

In her later years, in addition to relishing and worrying about her family's exploits, Louise, very much like Thoreau, cherished simplicity and the natural world. Louise increasingly enjoyed the Turner Classic Movie channel as it warmly reminded her of her youth, and she would show occasional, unmistakable indications that she always continued to firmly hold Bob and their relationship very sacred within her heart. And, if you lived anywhere around the southeast section of the Village of Geneseo at any time over the last few decades, you probably knew of how much Louise loved to walk!

Heartfelt acknowledgement goes to Louise's loving son Evan, who extended profound cumulative efforts over the last 20 years to help Louise maintain her highly-valued independence in the face of slowly progressive dementia. And Louise's loving daughter Eve, who quickly re-oriented her peaceful life in order to tirelessly provide comfort to her mom during the very frightening, confusing and frustrating reality Louise found herself in subsequent to an unfortunate stroke in March, 2025.

Words cannot express the family's gratitude for all of the wonderful friends, neighbors, acquaintances and colleagues who, over the years, made Louise and Bob's life in Geneseo, Livingston County, and the beautiful Genesee Valley so very rich and meaningful! God bless you all!!

Friends and family are warmly invited to call from 2-4 p.m. on Saturday, January 17, 2026 at Rector-Hicks Funeral Home, Inc. 111 Main Street, Geneseo, N.Y. The family will hold a memorial service for our beloved and respected matriarch immediately after calling hours at 4 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Friends of the Genesee Valley Greenway, P.O. Box 42, Mt. Morris, N.Y. 14510 in honor of Louise's deep love for this beautiful public resource.