The Crummey Bakery and 3 Generations of Graduates

The Crummey family maintained bakeries in Albany for more than 50 years, the bulk of it during the late 1800s. Michael Crummey founded the bakery, and his son Charles continued the family business with his son Edward Crummey, class of 1910. 

Edward was born on Eagle Street in 1886 across from the current Governor’s Mansion; he delivered the baked goods for the business by horse and carriage while a student at Christian Brothers Academy. He then went to Georgetown University and Albany Law School, graduating from the law school in 1910.  

With a tight job market in the Capital Region in 1910, Edward went to a firm in Brooklyn, then New York's City Hall, working on utility regulation. From there he worked with the Long Island Lighting Company, which at the time was forming by consolidating the local power companies. Edward retired years later as secretary and chief counsel.

The Crummey bakery business ended in the early 1900s when no family member wanted to take it on. Edward’s grandson is Colonie Judge Peter Crummey '81, who has practiced law for the past 25-plus years 200 feet from the family bakery location at Beaver and Lodge Streets, where he  maintains a general practice involving both civil and criminal representation.

“I guess the Crummey's don’t fall far from the oven,” Judge Crummey quipped. His daughter Carol graduated from Albany Law School in 2013 and now works for a longstanding firm in Albany, O'Connor, O'Connor, Bresee & First P.C.

Judge Crummey noted that the bakery location at the intersection of Beaver and Lodge streets is now a parking lot. “Joni Mitchell was correct,” he said, “they paved paradise and put up a parking lot."