04/09/2026
Courtland B. Birchard, of Birchardville, PA, went home to be with his Savior on Saturday, April 4, 2026. Born June 12, 1930, he was the second son of Carlton and Lillian (Ackerman) Birchard.
Courtland attended one room schoolhouses through eighth grade, then Montrose High School, graduating in 1948. While in school, Court developed an interest in magic and ventriloquism. He and his sidekick Joey Joker entertained throughout his life.
Court served in the Army Signal Corps in Korea from 1954 to 1956. Afterward, he used the G. I. Bill to attend Broome Technical Community College, graduating with an Associate’s Degree in Electronics in 1958.
He worked in the lab of Transformers, Inc. of Vestal, NY. There he met the love of his life, Mary Moore, a department supervisor, a widow with three teenagers. They were married in 1965 and built a home on Stone Street.
In the 70’s, after Transformers closed, they decided to find a way to live off their land. They sold organically grown vegetables and beef, stone from his quarry, and hosted hunters from Canada and the northeast. After back surgery, he was drawing to pass the time and Mary suggested he draw on stone. That was the beginning of his art career, engraving beautiful pictures on stone, and expanding their stone craft items. They would sell at art shows and had a building at the Harford Fair for many years.
After Mary passed in 2008, he and Joey spent many winters with Marilyn in Arizona and made many new friends. He told her that he wanted to repay Broome Tech for his education. She learned that if he doubled the amount, he could give a $1,000 scholarship annually, forever. The Courtland Birchard Scholarship awards began in 2018.
Court was a man of faith, having accepted Christ as His Savior in the 1960’s. It is very fitting that he passed the day before Easter and was in Heaven with Mary to celebrate. A humble and kind man, Court made friends wherever he went. He will be greatly missed by family and friends alike.
He is survived by his younger brother Gene Birchard of Endicott, daughters Marilyn “Lyn” (William) Munn of Arizona and Shirley (Dan) Ewain of Endicott, three grandchildren, one great-grandson, cousins, nieces and nephews and the Stone Reunion Family. He is predeceased by his parents, wife Mary, older brother Selden and wife Arlene, sister-in-law, and son Daniel Weyant.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Courtland Birchard Scholarship Fund, c/o Community Foundation, 270 Lake Avenue, Montrose, PA 18801. Friends and family from the area are invited to visit with the family at the Community Foundation building from 4:30 pm to 7:30 pm Thursday, April 23rd.
The funeral service will be Saturday, April 25th at the Savage Funeral Service, 338 Conklin Avenue, Binghamton, NY. Visitation at 10 am will include much of what will be displayed in Montrose. The service will begin at 11 AM. Burial at Vestal Hills at the convenience of the family.
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