Joseph
John Kamuda, 72, longtime former owner of Kamuda’s Country Market
in Pittsford, Vt., passed away surrounded by his loving family on
March 16, 2025, at the Albany Medical Center. Born on July 2, 1952,
to Joseph and Josephine (Orzel) Kamuda, Joe grew up above the family
store in Pittsford, founded by his parents in 1939, and summered at
their family camp on Lake Bomoseen before moving there full time.
Joe
was a standout and tenacious athlete, playing soccer, basketball and
baseball at Otter Valley Union High School. He went on to get his BS
in physical education at Lyndon State College, where he was a member
of the soccer and baseball teams and ski patrolled at nearby Burke
Mountain.
Joe
taught elementary P.E. in the Brandon school system, where he met
another young P.E. graduate, Laurie Lumsden, whom he married in 1981.
Together they decided to take over the family store from Joe’s
parents in 1985 and ran it until their older son, Brian, purchased it
in 2017, becoming the third-generation family owner, along with his
wife, Sierra.
Even
while working long days at the store, Joe found time to engage in
many community and sports-related activities, including serving with
the Pittsford Sunshine Rotary Club, instructing for the Killington
Junior Ski Program, coaching soccer and basketball, and officiating
soccer for 50 years. A lifetime athlete, Joe enjoyed playing tennis,
golfing, biking, water-skiing and, of course, Alpine skiing. He lived
for the thrill of carving through untracked powder with his family
and friends in Utah.
To
many, Joe and the store have stood as dependable staples in the
Pittsford community. Even after retirement, he continued to work and
could usually be found among the aisles, ready to share a story with
a smile, giving directions to the best creemee stand, bragging about
his two sons or predicting an incoming storm. He was a dependable
family man who relished life’s simple pleasures: watching his sons
compete in sports, cruising on Lake Bomoseen, cheering on the
Patriots and Red Sox, and playing with his beloved grandchildren. His
final moments were spent surrounded by family and reminiscing about a
life well spent.
Joe
and Laurie raised two sons. Brian and his wife, Sierra, along with
their children (James, Lily, Milo, Bryce, Mia, and Bodhi), live in
Rutland Town, Vt. Jeff, an architect, lives in Richmond, Vt., with
his wife, Hillary Keating, and their daughters, Harper and Morgan.
Joe is predeceased by his sister, Victoria (Kamuda) Banks, who died
in 2020.
There
will be a “Celebration of Life” event planned for later this
spring. In memory of Joe, you may donate in his name to the charity
of your choice or consider donating to an annual scholarship that the
family is creating for a senior who will be pursuing a sports- or
health-related career upon graduation. More details to follow at
Kamuda’s Country Market or on its Facebook page.