Frances M. “Fran” Grillo, 99, formerly of 1260 North Maple Court, Hornell, died Tuesday, May 19, 2020, following complications resulting from a heart attack.  For the last five years she was a resident of Elderwood at Hornell Nursing Facility.

Born in Mount Morris, NY, on March 14, 1921, she was the daughter of Casimer & Ida (Andolina) Gervase.  Fran resided in the Hornell area for the past 75 years.

Fran had been employed as food service manager of Alfred State College for about 10 years.  She was a member of the Hornell Country Club where she had served on the board of directors.  She also served as the Country Club Manager for 6 years.

She was a member of Our Lady of the Valley Parish and a communicant of St. Ann’s Church where she was active in the Perpetual Adoration Chapel.  She was a member of the St. James Women’s Auxiliary, a St. James volunteer, a member of R.S.V.P., and a former member of the AZB Sorority.

Fran enjoyed hiking, golf, knitting, quilting, and baking, but above all, she enjoyed the love of her family, especially her grandchildren and great grandchildren.

She was married on June 22, 1946 to James J. Grillo who died on March 3, 1993.  She was also preceded in death by four brothers, James Gervase, Carmen Gervase, Joseph Gervase & Sam Gervase; one sister, Ida Bonadonna; and her in-laws, Anna Galbo, Peter Grillo, Andy Grillo and Bettina Trapani.  Fran was very close to her brother-in-law, Michael Bonadonna, and her sister-in-law, Vera Grillo, who also predeceased her.

Surviving are her two sons, James (Linda) Grillo of Hammondsport, NY, and Robert (Judy) Grillo of Arkport, NY; two grandsons, Tony (Monica) Grillo and Jay (Kristi Shaw) Grillo; one granddaughter, Michelle  Grillo (Jesse Harper); six great grandchildren, Otis, Leo, Benjamin, Liliana, Maryn, and Bobby, along with many nieces and nephews.  Fran leaves behind her special friend, Dottie Coddington.

The family would like to thank all the nurses and staff at St. James Hospital and especially the staff at Elderwood who took such great care of their mother during her time there.

Due to the Corona Pandemic, there will be no calling hours.  A private graveside service will take place at St. Mary’s Cemetery at the convenience of the family with Fr. Stan Kacprzak officiating.

Funeral arrangements are in care of the Dagon Funeral Home, 38 Church St., Hornell, NY.

Fran’s family request that memorial contributions in her name be made to Our Lady of the Angels Monastery,  3222 County Road 548, Hanceville, AL 35077, or the charity of their choice.

Matthew P. “Matt” Gambino – (90) – of 56 Sawyer St., Hornell, died peacefully at his home on Sunday morning (May 17, 2020).

Born in Borgetto, Sicily on November 16, 1929, he was the son of Natale & Francesca (Camachi) Gambino.

Matt’s family moved to the United States when he was seven years old and settled in the Hornell area.  He was a graduate of St. Ann’s School and later graduated from Hornell High School (class of 1949).  He was a veteran of the United States Air Force, serving his country from 1950-1955.  While in the Air Force, Matt was stationed in Florida and later in Puerto Rico.

For over 50 years, Matt was employed as a licensed plumber and a member of Local #13 Plumber’s Union out of Rochester, NY.  He was also a self-employed plumber, working throughout the Hornell and neighboring communities.

Matt was a member of Our Lady of the Valley Parish and a lifelong communicant of St. Ann’s Church where he served as an altar boy in his youth.  He was an avid New York Yankee fan and also enjoyed fishing, especially lake fishing and ice fishing.

An avid gardener, Matt always seemed to have a “Green Thumb.”  His love of gardening developed into him becoming a garlic farmer.  He operated several garlic farms throughout the area and loved attending and participating in garlic festivals.  Some of the garlic festivals included Fox Run Garlic Festival in Penn Yan, NY, the Cuba Garlic Festival and Hudson Valley Garlic Festival in Saugerties, NY which would draw nearly 200,000 people over festival weekend.

Matt was married in 1955 to the former Gloria Gallagher who died May 1, 1988.  He was also preceded in death by his brother, Peter Gambino and his step-son, Edward Robinson.

Surviving are 3 sons, Matt (Patricia) Gambino of Greenville, SC, Peter (Candy Brundu) Gambino of Hornell and Michael (William Booth) Gambino of Lake Worth, FL; 1 step-daughter, Bell Steiner of Clewiston, FL; 1 step-son, Clarence “Bub” Robinson of Arkport; 9 grandchildren; 1 great-grandson; several nieces & nephews.

Due to the Coronavirus Pandemic there will be no calling hours.  A private graveside service with Full Military Honors will be held at St. Mary’s Cemetery at the convenience of the family with Fr. Stan Kacprzak  officiating.

The Graveside Service for Matt will be streamed via Facebook Live and can be viewed on the Dagon Funeral Home Facebook page on Thursday  at 2:00 PM  by visiting www.facebook.com/dagonfuneralhome.  The video will remain available for viewing on our Facebook page for 30 days.   

Funeral arrangements are in care of the Dagon Funeral Home, 38 Church St., Hornell, NY. 

Matt’s family request that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in his name be made to St. Ann’s Academy, 41 Genesee St., Hornell, NY 14843.

Marilyn M. Grillo – 90 – of 49 John St., Hornell, died early Thursday morning (May 14, 2020) at Elderwood of Hornell Nursing Facility, following a brief illness.

Born in Hornell on May 8, 1930, she was the daughter of Frank & Camilla (Angel) McClary.

Marilyn grew up in Hornell and was a graduate of Hornell High School (class of 1949).  While in high school, she began working, in many capacities, at the former Tuttle & Rockwell Store in Hornell, a job that she held from 1946-1950.  She later was employed for several years as assistant manager and buyer at the former Cameo Shop in Hornell.

In the 1970’s, Marilyn acquired her Real Estate License and for several years served as a real estate agent for Winter’s Real Estate in Hornell.  She later received her Broker’s License and began working for Real Inc. in Hornell.  She retired in 2017 at the tender age of 87.

Marilyn was a member of Our Lady of the Valley Parish and a communicant of St. Ann’s Church.  She was also a member of the Ladies of Columbus, St. James Auxiliary, G. Carducci Lodge (Son’s of Italy) and the Hornell Alumni Association.

Having a deep love & affection for her family and many friends, Marilyn loved entertaining at her home and always enjoyed the company of others. One of her favorite times of year was Halloween inviting all the neighborhood children into her decorated home to give them candy, cider and doughnuts. She also enjoyed sketching pictures on the hill at Kanakadea Park.   She will be remembered as a genuine, giving, loving, compassionate woman who always had a smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye.  She will be sadly missed by everyone who had the pleasure of knowing her!!

Marilyn was married on January 13, 1951 to Joseph “Joe” Grillo who died July 22, 2003.  She was also preceded in death by her daughter, Deborah “Debbie” Fahl who died September 5, 2019.

Surviving are her son, Michael “Mike” Grillo of Hornell; her daughter, Mary (Stephen) Westfall of West Palm Beach, FL; her sister, Betty Jean (Gene) Saville of Port Charlotte, FL; her son-in-law, James Fahl of Avoca; 4 grandchildren, Eric (Misty) Grillo, Jessica (Rhett) Snyder, Brian (Jessica) Fahl and Stephen (Brittany) Westfall; 10 great-grandchildren; several nieces & nephews.

Due to the Caronavirus Pandemic there will be no calling hours.  A private graveside service will be held at the convenience of the family at St. Ann’s Cemetery with Fr. Stan Kacprzak officiating.  A celebration of life with family and friends will be held at a later date.

The Graveside Service for Marilyn will be streamed via Facebook Live and can be viewed on the Dagon Funeral Home Facebook page on Monday at 2:00 PM by visiting www.facebook.com/dagonfuneralhome.  The video will remain available for viewing on our Facebook page for 30 days. 

Funeral arrangements are in care of the Dagon Funeral Home, 38 Church St., Hornell, NY.

Marilyn’s family request that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in her name be made to the Hornell Alumni Association, PO Box 135, Hornell, NY   14843

James W. “Jimmy” Hess – 29 – of 7146 Tobes Hill Road, Hornell (Town of Hornellsville) died Sunday evening (May 10, 2020) at his home, following a long & courageous battle with cancer.

Born in Hornell on October 23, 1990, he was the son of James & Angela (Caruso) Hess.

Jimmy grew up in Hornell and was a graduate of Hornell High School (class of 2008).  He later received his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Alfred State College (SUNY Alfred).

He was employed for several years at the Hornell Public Library and later assisted his father in the operation of Hess Tree Service.  More recently, Jimmy was employed as a cashier at Wegman’s Grocery in Hornell where he was well known for his warm & friendly personality and his ever-present smile.

Jimmy was a lifelong member of Hornell United Methodist Church and for many years served as Choir Director.  His faith in God was immeasurable!! He had a deep love of music and was known and admired throughout the area for having a beautiful voice.  Being as talented as he was, Jimmy actually auditioned for the nationally acclaimed TV shows, “America’s Got Talent” and also “The Voice”.  Locally, he enjoyed karaoke and taking part in many plays & recitals.

For several years, Jimmy served as an announcer at Hornell Little League and Hornell Babe Ruth Games.  He was an avid WWE wrestling fan and was a member of the Hornell YMCA and Maple City Physical Therapy.   For several years, Jimmy enjoyed the time he spent taking karate lessons.  Having been “bullied” during his school years, Jimmy devoted his adult life promoting love & peace to everyone and simply “lending a sympathetic ear” to anyone who found themselves enduring the same hardship.

He was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, Walter & Betty Hess; and also his maternal grandparents, Angelo & Ethel Caruso.

Surviving are his father, James “Jim” Hess of Hornell; his mother, Angela Caruso of Wellsville; his sister, Jessica Hess of Monroe, NC; his half-sister, Sierra Caruso of Wellsville; several aunts, uncles & cousins.

At Jimmy’s request there will no calling hours.  Private services will be held at the convenience of the family.  A “Celebration of Life” will be held on a day & time to be announced.

Funeral arrangements are in care of the Dagon Funeral Home, 38 Church St., Hornell, NY.

Jimmy’s family request that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in his name be made to either the American Cancer Society, 13 Beech St., Johnson City, NY  13790 or the Hornell YMCA, 18 Center St., Hornell, NY 14843 or the Hornell Community Arts Center, Broadway Mall, Hornell, NY 14843.

Lynne E. Davis – 72 – of 158 Sackett Road, Avon, NY, died unexpectedly early Sunday morning (May 10, 2020) at Elderwood of Lakeside at Brockport Nursing Facility in Brockport, NY.

Born in Penfield, NY on December 25, 1947, she was the daughter of Joseph & Harriet Kotzin.

Lynne grew up in Penfield and was a graduate of Penfield High School (class of 1965).  She later graduated from Bryant & Stratton College in Rochester, majoring in writing & journalism.

She resided in Beckley, WV for about 20 years and lived in Dansville for several years.  She had resided in Avon for the past year.  While living in the Rochester area, she had been employed at K-Mart and for most of her adult life worked as a telemarketer for several companies.

Lynne absolutely loved writing and was the author of several books, primarily mysteries and romance novels.  She also had a deep love of music and enjoyed listening to just about any type of music including classical, county and rock & roll.  She also spent countless hours crocheting.  Her greatest joy, however, was simply spending time with her family & friends.

Being a very “spiritual” person, Lynne belonged to several churches throughout the years, including Southern Baptist and Presbyterian.

She was married Ronald Eugene Davis who died September 28, 1998.

Surviving are her son, Chad “Tony” Landon of Hornell; 2 sisters, Sherry & Amy; 8 grand-children, Corie Kusse, Mersadizes Graham, Dawson Graham, Tapanga Landon, Trinity Landon, Anthony Landon, Ranezamae Landon and Bailey Stephens; 4 great-grandchildren; several nieces & nephews.

Due to the Coronavirus Pandemic there will be no calling hours.  Private services will be held at the convenience of the family.

Funeral arrangements are in care of the Dagon Funeral Home, 38 Church St., Hornell, NY. 

Lynne’s family request that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in her name be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital, PO Box 1000 – Dept. 300, Memphis, TN  38148.

Helene M. House – 66 – Of Salt Lake City, UT, formerly of Hornell, died Sunday, April 26^th, 2020, in Salt Lake City, UT, surrounded by her family following a courageous struggle with Frontal Lobe Dementia.

Born in Meadville, PA on December 2, 1953, she was the daughter of Henry & Lena (Feleppa) Turek.

Helene grew up in Hornell and attended St. Ann’s School.  She later graduated from Hornell High School (class of 1971).  For 30 years, she was employed as a member of the Federal Civil Service, working with the United States Air Force.  While with the Federal Civil Service, Helene received numerous awards for Outstanding Performance in the secretarial & administration fields.

Raising her children while a member of the Federal Civil Service, Helene lived & traveled throughout the United States and around the world.  Throughout her lifetime, she enjoyed traveling, hiking and had a deep love of animals, especially her many dogs & cats.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Henry & Lena Turek.

Surviving are her children, Jeff (Vera) House of San Antonio, TX and Katie (Sam) Schindler of San Antonio, TX; 3 sisters, Patricia (Bob) Murray, Alberta Janousek and Theresa Turek; 2 brothers, Luke (Susan) Turek and Steve (Janean) Turek; her grandchildren, Mia House, Mateus House, Masen House and Travis Schindler; along with several nieces & nephews.  Helene also held a special place in her heart for her former husband, Donald House, as well as her mother-in-law, MaryAnn Leon; her in-laws, Ron House, John House and Kathy House Wright.

At Helen’s request there will be no calling hours.  A private “Celebration of Life” will be held at the convenience of the family.

Local arrangements are in care of the Dagon Funeral Home, 38 Church St., Hornell, NY. 

Helene’s family request that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in her name be made to the Alzheimer’s  Association, 435 East Henrietta Road, Rochester, NY  14620.

Sally Ann DeConinck – 79 – a resident of Elderwood at Hornell Nursing Facility, formerly of Spencerport, NY died Sunday at St. James Mercy Hospital following a long illness.

Born in North Hornell on October 3, 1940, she was the daughter of Volney & Etta (HerrNeckar) Waight.

Sally grew up in Greenwood and moved to Hornell in1956 and was a graduate of Hornell High School class of 1958.  Years later, while in her 30’s, she decided to continue her education and ultimately received her Associate Degree in business, at Monroe Community College (MCC) of Rochester.

A resident of the Rochester area for most of her adult life, Sally lived in the Town of Greece for about 18 years and in Spencerport, NY for nearly 31 years.  She had been employed for over 20 years at General Motors (Rochester Products), working on the assembly line and later in the office.

Sally had been a member of Unity church of Greater Rochester.  She enjoyed knitting, crocheting, sewing, embroidery, counted cross stitch, needle point, gardening, making jewelry, reading and playing classical guitar. She had an artistic soul and supported the arts. Sally was a spiritualist with a gift as a healer and medium. She was a generous person who gave to family, friends, and those in need, never asking for anything in return. She was very loving, and could find humor in everyday life, she lifted us up so we could fly.

She was preceded in death by her son, Bradley DeConinck Mroczka who died in February, 2020.  She was also pre-deceased by several brothers & sisters.

Surviving are 2 sisters, Vivian Treckman of Florida and Kay Leposa of Canisteo, NY; 1 brother, Curt Waight of Georgia; several nieces & nephews.

At Sally’s request there will be no calling hours.  Private services will be held at the convenience of the family with a “Celebration of Life” to be held at a later date.

Funeral arrangements are in care of the Dagon Funeral Home, 38 Church St., Hornell, NY. 

Sally’s family request that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in her name be made to Lollypop Farm, Humane Society of Greater Rochester, 99 Victor Road, Fairport, NY 14450. https://www.lollypop.org/get-involved/give-today/

Pamela G. Stuart, age 68, of Almond, NY died peacefully at Strong Memorial Hospital on Tuesday, April 28^th, 2020 after a brief battle with lymphoma.

Born in North Hornell on February 14, 1952, she was the daughter of Gene & Doris (Mann) Norton and the step-daughter of LaVerne Adams.

Pam grew up in Almond and was a graduate of Alfred-Almond Central School, class of 1970. She excelled at track and soccer while at Alfred-Almond and loved to share stories of her intramural sports competitions. Pam also enjoyed competing with the Alfred Track Club. She was inducted into the Alfred-Almond Sports Hall of Fame in 1995.

She spent time working at Bethesda Hospital, Sun Valley Campsites, and the Alfred University bookstore until her retirement.  Pam devoted most of her life to staying home and raising her four children. When she became a grandma for the first time in 2005, she started a tradition of Sunday dinners that will never quite be the same without her amazing cooking! She also took great pride in having the world’s most perfect left-handed penmanship.

Pam was predeceased by her mother Doris E. Adams, step father LaVerne Adams, and her brother Gary Norton.

She is survived by her Husband, Richard “Dick” Stuart; her children Megan (Philip) Stewart, Jake (Jen) Stuart, Josh (Brigit) Stuart, Jarett Stuart (Emily Nielsen); her grandchildren who were the true joy in her life: Cael Stewart, Tanner Stewart, Owen Stuart, Ryleigh Stuart, Trevor Stuart, Wyatt Stuart, and Levi Stuart; her sister Ami (David) Hunt; and several nieces and nephews.

Per Pam’s request there will be no funeral or burial services.  Her family deeply appreciates any thoughts and prayers you want to send our way.

Funeral arrangements are in care of the Dagon Funeral Home, 38 Church St., Hornell, NY

Shirley A. Meehan – 88 – formerly of Hornell, died Tuesday evening (April 28, 2020) in Twinsburg, OH where she has resided for the pasts 1 ½ years.

Born in Hornell on July 28, 1931, she was the daughter of Charles & Geraldine (Gibson) Maglier.

Shirley grew up in Hornell and was a graduate of St. Ann’s School and later graduated from Hornell High School (class of 1949).

On September 9, 1950 she married John “Jack” Meehan who died June 11, 1987.  For many years, Shirley & Jack lived in Lakewood, OH where she raised her family.  They later resided in Exton, PA.  Following the death of her husband, Shirley returned to Hornell where she lived before moving to Twinsburg, OH 1 ½ years ago.

While living in Hornell, Shirley was a member of Our Lady of the Valley Parish and a communicant of St. Ann’s Church.  Throughout the years she volunteered her time assisting the Board of Elections by helping with both local and federal elections.  She enjoyed playing cards with her friends and was active in the G. Carducci Lodge, Sons of Italy.  Shirley was an avid sports fan and especially enjoyed rooting for the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Cleveland Browns.  Her favorite times, however, were simply spending time with family & friends and she especially enjoyed attending high school alumni functions.

In addition to her husband, Shirley was preceded in death by her son, Michael Meehan who died in 2016; 2 brothers, Donald Maglier and Raymond Maglier; 1 sister, Jean McCool.

Surviving are 1 daughter, Mary Farrell of Twinsburg, OH; 3 sons, John Meehan of North Royalton, OH, Terry Meehan of Scarborough, ME and Kevin Meehan of Lakewood, OH; 1 sister, Sharon Siegel of Hornell; 5 grandchildren; 4 great-grandchildren; several nieces & nephews.

Due to the Coronavirus Pandemic there will be no calling hours.  A private graveside service will be held atSt. Mary’s Cemetery at the convenience of the family with Fr. Stan Kacprzak officiating.

The Graveside Service for Shirley will be streamed via Facebook Live and can be viewed on the Dagon Funeral Home Facebook page on Saturday  at 1:00 PM by visiting www.facebook.com/dagonfuneralhome.  The video will remain available for viewing on our Facebook page for 30 days.  

Funeral arrangements are in care of the Dagon Funeral Home, 38 Church St., Hornell, NY. 

Shirley’s family request that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in her name be made to St. Ann’s Academy, 41 Genesee St., Hornell, NY 14843.

Loren A. Chilson – 48 – of 8398 Groveland Station Road, Dansville, NY died unexpectedly Thursday afternoon (April 23, 2020).

Born in Elmira, NY on March 15, 1972, he was the son of Alvin & Marilyn Chilson.

Loren grew up in Elmira and later lived in Wayland where he attended high school.  He has resided in the Dansville area for the past 15 years.

He was employed for about 22 years as a construction worker for Power & Construction Group of  Scottsville, NY, working primarily as a carpenter, mason and heavy equipment operator.

Loren had a deep love of the outdoors and thoroughly enjoyed his time spent hunting, fishing, camping, 4-wheeling and working outdoors (construction).  He had a deep love of family, especially his wife & children.  He also adored his “Canine Companion”, “Spirite” (Spirit).

He was married on June 16, 2001 to the former Shannon Prigge who survives.  Also surviving are 2 sons, Anthony Chilson of Dansville and Austin Chilson of Dansville; his step-son, Brandon East of New Jersey; 2 daughters, Savannah Chilson of Springwater and Cristie East of Dansville; his father, Alvin Chilson of South Dansville; his mother, Marilyn Chilson of Hornell; 2 brothers, Kevin Chilson of Elmira and “Guy” Chilson of Elmira; his sister, Melissa Revette of Binghamton; several nieces & nephews and several in-laws; along with his “brothers”, Matt Prigge & Jim Stewart.

At Loren’s request there will be no calling hours.  Private services will be held at the convenience of the family with a “Celebration of Life” to be held at a later date.

Funeral arrangements are in care of the Dagon Funeral Home, 38 Church St., Hornell, NY.

Loren’s family request that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in his name be made to the Hornell Humane Society, 7649 Industrial Park Road, Hornell, NY 14843.