Gail V. Santimaw, 84, Canton

CANTON - Gail V. Santimaw, 84, of Canton died Wednesday, November 11, 2026 at Canton-Potsdam Hospital while surrounded by her family.

Calling hours will be held on Sunday, November 15 from 5:00pm to 7:00pm at Lawrence Funeral Home in Canton.

Funeral Services will be held on Monday, November 16, at 11:00am at the Lawrence Funeral Home with the Rev. Dr. Caroline Carson officiating.

Burial will be held following the funeral service at Bayside Cemetery in Potsdam.

Gail was born on January 7, 1942 in Albany, NY. She was the daughter of the late George C. and Dorothy (Banck) VanAllen.

After graduating from Ichabod Crane Central School in Valatie, NY, she went on to attend St. Lawrence University in Canton, NY. She was an active member of Kappa Delta sorority and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English in 1963. While at St. Lawrence University she met and fell in love with a young local pharmacist named Bob.

She married Robert “Bob” M. Santimaw on August 10, 1963 at Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church, in Kinderhook, NY. Following their marriage, they lived in various locations including Charleston, SC, Rochester, NY, and Glens Falls, NY before settling in Canton, NY where they raised their three children.

Gail is survived by her three children James (Angelique) Santimaw of Canton, NY; Jennifer (John) Peters of Victor, NY; and Darcy Santimaw of Hallowell, ME; five grandchildren Dustin (Christina) VanHouse, Sawyer Santimaw, Preston Santimaw, Matthew Peters and Madison Peters. She is also survived by three great-grandchildren Dax, Isla and Ophelia VanHouse as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

In addition to her parents and husband Bob, she was predeceased by a brother Kent VanAllen.

Gail was truly an angel on this Earth. She will always be remembered for her kind heart, her genuine smile, her willingness to always help others with grace and compassion. She had a special gift of finding joy in every situation, listening with sincerity and was always happy to offer unwavering support to anyone who needed a friend or a shoulder to lean on.

Gail’s children wish to express their appreciation to everyone who called, visited and supported her over the years. Special thanks to Carol Sayer, Sharon Woodside and family, Jeff Reifensnyder and the staff at MILC, Lori and Roger Miller, Mike and Karen Henry, and the Caswell/Guccione family for being such devoted friends and caregivers to our Mom. Your love and support were invaluable and much appreciated.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Hospice and Palliative Care of St. Lawrence Valley, MILC in Massena, NY or Canton Neighborhood Center.

Condolences may be shared with the family by visiting www.lawrencefuneralhome.org.