Daniel J. “Dan” Racalto – (63) – of 80 Greenwood St., Canisteo, died early Tuesday morning (February 17, 2015) at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, NY, following a Long illness.

Born in Hornell on April 1, 1951, he was the son of Angelo & Catherine (Oakes) Racalto.

Dan was a lifelong resident of Hornell, moving to Canisteo in 2013.  He was a graduate of St. Ann’s School and later graduated from Hornell High School (class of 1969).

He was employed for nearly 20 years as an Insurance Agent for Metropolitan Insurance Company (Met Life) in Hornell.  In 1989, he established Daniel J. Racalto Insurance of Hornell and has owned & operated the agency since that time.

Dan was a member of Our Lady of the Valley Parish and had been a communicant of the former St. Ignatius Loyola Church and later St. Ann’s Church.  For many years he sang in the choir of both churches and also served as a Cantor, Eucharistic Minister and Lector.  He was a former member of the Hornell Knights of Columbus.

Having a great love of sports, Dan was a well known and respected baseball umpire in New York State and Pennsylvania.  For many years he umpired at the high school & college level and also in the Hornell Babe Ruth League.  For several years he umpired at the National Fast Pitch Softball Tournament in Elkland, PA.

For many years, Dan served as a referee for area high school football games and later for the Hornell Midget Football League where he was instrumental in the formation of the Midget League Referee Association.  Throughout the years, Dan was an avid bowler and was a member of several bowling leagues.  In his younger years, he served as a “Pin-Boy” at the former DeLuxe Lanes in Hornell.

In addition to his parents, Dan was preceded in death by his daughter, Lisa Marie Racalto who died in 1972.

He was married on November 6, 1970 to the former Nancy Morse who survives.  Also surviving are his son, Daniel (Katie) Racalto of Novi, MI; his daughter Catherine “Katie” (Miguel) Herrera of Canisteo; 2 brothers, James (Dolores) Racalto of Bremerton, WA and Peter (Addie Lou) Racalto of Bath, NY; 7 sisters, Mary Hanrahan of Hornell, Joyce (Bob) Albright of Myrtle Beach, SC, Rose Marie Racalto of Oklahoma City, OK, Carol (Herman) Archunde of Newark, NY, Marianne (Mike)Matacale of Hornell, Elizabeth “Beth” (Joseph) Zaffran of Buffalo, NY and Catherine (Rick) Bergquist of Hornell; 4 grandchildren, Milly Herrera, Sophia Herrera, Angelo Herrera and Giovanni Herrera; 2 brothers-in-law;Tom (Karen)Morse, of Canisteo,NY Tim (Mary)Morse of Canisteo, NY, 4 sisters-in-law, Cheryl (Gerry) Chaffee of Canisteo, NY, Mary (Steve) Schaumberg of Canisteo, Anne Fronk of Hornell,NY , Bridget (Dave)Morse of Horseheads, NY; his mother in-law Carol Morse of Canisteo, NY  and several aunts, uncles, nieces & nephews and cousins and his  dear friend Father Paul Schnacky.

The family of Daniel J. “Dan” Racalto will receive friends on Friday from 2:00 PM – 7:00 PM at the Dagon Funeral Home, 38 Church St., Hornell, NY.  A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday at 10:00 AM at St. Ann’s Church with burial in Woodlawn Cemetery, Canisteo.

Dan’s family request that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in his name be made to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, 1311 Mamaroneck Avenue, (Suite 310) White Plains, NY 10605. or Hope Lodge American Cancer Society,  197 Summer St, Buffalo, NY 14222 or have Masses offered for the repose of his soul.   Memorial forms will be available at the Dagon Funeral Home or click here to print a form.