Naomi Gahuse Bristol died on June 11, 2024, at her home at Glen Eddy in Niskayuna, N.Y. Naomi was energetic, intellectually engaged, and intensely independent. Naomi had a quick wit and a strong interest in politics, and she was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend.

Naomi Bristol was born in Philadelphia on July 5, 1926. She received her B.A. in Education from the Pennsylvania State University and an M.A. in Education from the University of Pennsylvania. In 1951 Naomi married Bill Bristol and moved to Schenectady, where she taught elementary school. She earned an M.A. in Library Science from SUNY Albany in the 1980s and worked in the Schenectady County Public Library system, where she specialized in children’s literature. Naomi delighted in working at the reference desk where (before the internet existed) she investigated difficult-to-answer questions from library patrons. Naomi was involved in local politics, serving on mayoral commissions, and she was active in the League of Women Voters. Naomi continued to pursue her interest in current events when she moved to Glen Eddy, where for many years she led the Timely Topics discussions and helped organize the Speaker’s Forum. She enjoyed physical activity, riding her bike to the library from her home on Wendell Avenue and taking up Wii bowling at Glen Eddy. Naomi travelled widely, making frequent visits to her parents in Israel and spending months-long stints in Bogotá and Medellín (Colombia) and San José (Costa Rica) with her family. She was game for new experiences; in the 1950s Naomi and Bill travelled in a small boat down the Río Dulce in Guatemala, and one summer drove from Schenectady to Cuernavaca, Mexico, in a non-air-conditioned car. She was an active member of Agudat Achim and the Union College community, where Bill was a professor.

Naomi Bristol brought her family a great deal of joy and she loved them very much. She is survived by daughter Joan Bristol, son-in-law Randolph Scully, grandchildren Naomi, Marta, and Ben Scully-Bristol, sister Roslyn Holtz, several nieces and nephews, and many friends. Naomi was predeceased by her husband William Bristol and her sister Shirley Miller. Naomi’s family and friends loved and admired her, and they miss her a great deal.

If you wish to honor Naomi’s memory through donation, you may make memorial contributions in her name to a charity of your choice.

Funeral services for Naomi will be held graveside on Sunday June 16th at 11:00 am at Agudat Achim Cemetery, 100 Mt. Stuart Rd., Schenectady (in Rotterdam)