Obituary for Ronald J. Canestrari
Former New York State Majority Leader Ronald J. Canestrari, US Army Vietnam-era veteran, passed away on Monday, November 9, 2026 after a brief battle with cancer. He was 83 years old.
Ron was predeceased by his mother, Edna Caselli Canestrari, and his father, Canido Canestrari. He is survived by his brother Ken Canestrari and his niece Dina Canestrari as well as many cousins. Ron also leaves behind his lifelong friend Linda Graca.
Ron was a lifelong resident of Cohoes, attended the Cohoes Public Schools and graduated high school from Christian Brothers Academy in Albany. He graduated from Fordham College in 1965 and Fordham University School of Law in 1968. He is also a recipient of an Honorary Doctor of Law degree from Manhattan College.
Inspired by public service by President John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy, Ron worked as an attorney with the federal government in Washington, DC, then came home to Albany to practice law and began his political career in 1975 when he was elected Mayor of the City of Cohoes. Ron served as Mayor for 13 years. During that time, he also served as President of the NYS Conference of Mayors. As Mayor he was responsible for implementation of many projects in the community including the restoration of the Cohoes Public Library and the rescue and rehabilitation of the Cohoes Music Hall.
In 1988 he was elected to the NYS Assembly and represented portions of Albany, Rensselaer, and Saratoga Counties.
In 2007, Ron was named Majority Leader of the NYS Assembly, the highest-ranking leadership position held by an upstate member. In this role, he managed the day-to-day legislative sessions, set the Assembly’s daily agenda, and oversaw the debate and voting on the Assembly floor. Known for his steady leadership, calm demeanor, and quick wit, Ron often used kindness and humor to ease tensions during heated debates.
During Ron’s time in the Assembly, he also served as Chairman of the Higher Education Committee. He also chaired the Assembly Working group on television coverage and led the effort to make real-time Assembly session footage available throughout the state on cable television and online. Ron was a champion for local governments and school districts, regional economic development initiatives and local cultural institutions. He secured funding which allowed for the modernization and expansion of the Albany Institute of History and Art, and was pivotal in the creation of CESTM, the first building on what became the Albany Nano Campus. He also chaired the Democratic Assembly Campaign Committee (DACC), the political organization responsible for providing financial and strategic assistance to Democratic Assembly candidates throughout New York State. Ron retired from the NYS Assembly in 2012, capping off 37 years of dedicated public service.
Ron was a member of the NYS Bar Association, former member of the District of Columbia Bar Association and a recipient of numerous awards and designations, most recently the LTC Todd Clark Memorial Service Award from his alma mater CBA. He was a member of many civic, veterans, community, and fraternal organizations, as well as a member of the Albany County Democratic Committee for over 50 years.
Away from his life in public service, Ron was also a man of culture and travel. He was an avid reader and a strong proponent and patron of public libraries. He thought nothing of hopping in the car or grabbing the train to New York City to take in plays and performances both on and off Broadway. He was a regular patron of many of the cultural institutions here in the Capital Region including SPAC, Proctors and the Cohoes Music Hall, to name a few. Ron also loved to travel. It was often joked that Ron could be a tour guide in Italy, the country of his ancestry and one that he loved so much he became fluent in the Italian language. However, Italy was not his only destination, and it was only a few years ago that he finally visited Australia to complete a lifetime goal of visiting all seven continents. Ron’s final trip was just last month as he joined with fellow Catholics on a pilgrimage to Lourdes, France. How appropriate for a man of such solid devotion to the Catholic faith.
Family and friends appreciate the efforts of those health care professionals who cared for Ron including the staff at NYOH and at St Peter’s Hospital, especially those in the Intensive Care Unit.
It is often noted that if you met Ron Canestrari, you had a friend for life. He loved public service and forming new friendships, many of which lasted decades and transcended generations. Most importantly, regardless of one’s political persuasion, Ron always extended his hand to greet people with that smile that spoke volumes about the character of who he was.
Ron was a devoted member of the Catholic Church. His services will be held at his parish, Holy Trinity Church at 122 Vliet Blvd, Cohoes NY on Saturday, November 14th. Friends and families are invited to pay their respects from 9am – noon with a funeral service immediately following at 12 noon. Fr James Ebert will be the lead celebrant. Burial will be private at the request of his friends and family. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Ron’s memory to the Office of Vocations, Diocese of Albany, 40 North Main Ave. Albany, NY 12203
