Nancy A. Fitzgerald – 81 – of Maple Downs Apartments, Fayettville, NY, formerly of Hornell, died Friday afternoon (April 12, 2019) at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Syracuse, following a brief illness.

Born in Hornell on October 3, 1937, she was the daughter of Maurice & Helen (Flannery) FitzGerald.

Nancy spent her early years in Hornell, moving to the Syracuse, NY area during her teenage years.  She was a graduate of Solvay High School.

While living in Hornell, she was a communicant of St. Ann’s Church.  While living in the Syracuse area, she was a communicant of Holy Family Church of Camillus, NY.

In addition to her parents, Maurice & Helen, she was preceded in death by several aunts & uncles.

Surviving are her brother, Robert (Beth) Fitzgerald of Camillus, NY; several nieces & nephews, including Patrick (Danielle Kirkpatrick) Fitzgerald of Solvay, NY, James (Diana) Fitzgerald of Kirkville, NY and Mark (Vicki) Fitzgerald of Dryden, NY; along with several grand-nieces & grand-nephews.

At Nancy’s request there will be no calling hours.  Family & friends are invited to attend a Mass of Christian Burial on Wednesday at 9:00 AM at St. Ann’s Church.  Burial will be in St. Ann’s Cemetery.

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

Nancy’s family request that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in her name be made to the Central New York SPCA, 878 East Molloy Road, Syracuse, NY 13211.

Monica Rose “Monnie” (Conlan) Fagnan – 97 – of Hornell passed away peacefully at her home early Thursday morning (April 11, 2019) surrounded by her children and loving caregivers.

Born in Salamanca, NY on November 28, 1921, she was the daughter of Michael & Grace (Morrissey) Conlan.

On January 27, 1941, Monica married Charles Joseph Fagnan in St. Patrick’s Church in Salamanca. She soon relocated to Hornell to raise her family (eventually consisting of seven children) and also to take care of both her parents until their deaths.

Monnie loved her family especially her grandchildren, who she adored. She loved hearing about their activities and made sure she always had a photo album of updated pictures in her purse to share with friends. She loved sharing stories about her family and growing up and frequently made comments of “take things day for day”. Monica was a devoted Catholic faithfully reciting her prayers and supporting several needy charities.

At the age of 90, her family gathered for a surprise birthday party attended by over 100 friends and family. She was totally in awe and loved sharing this special day with so many. She often kidded how she would live to be 100 and almost did.

In addition to her parents Michael and Grace Conlan, Monica was preceded in death by her husband Charles J. Fagnan; sons Michael Fagnan and Charles (Chuck) Fagnan; grandson Christopher Dowdle; sister Celestine Birmingham; brothers Daniel Conlan, Thomas Conlan, James Conlan, Edward Conlan and Robert Conlan; as well as many nieces and nephews.

Monica is survived by her children, Yvonne (William) Fisher of Winter Springs, FL, Anita (Douglas) Dowdle of Brentwood, TN, ; Thomas (Nancy) Fagnan of Hornell; Michele (George) Scanlon  of Rochester and John (Florence) Fagnan of Rochester; 17 grandchildren; 33 great-grandchildren; along with many nieces and nephews.

The family of Monica Rose “Monnie” Fagnan will receive friends on Monday (April 22, 2019) from    3:00 PM – 6:00 PM at the Dagon Funeral Home 38 Church Street, Hornell NY. A mass of Christian burial will be celebrated on Tuesday (April 23, 2019) at 10:00AM at St. Ann’s Church with burial at     St. Mary’s Cemetery.

Monica’s family request that in lieu of flowers memorial contributions be made in her name to St. Ann’s Academy, PO Box 446, Hornell NY 14843 or Care First Hospice, 3805 Meads Creek Road Painted Post, NY 14870.  Memorial forms will be available at the Dagon Funeral Home.

Rosemary Ann King – (91) – of 6652 Poinsettia Ave., St. Petersburg, FL, formerly of Hornell, died Wednesday morning (April 10, 2019) at her home, surrounded by her loving family.

Born in Hornell on May 24, 1927, she was the daughter of Leo & Thelma (Young) King.  While living in Hornell, she was a communicant of St. Ignatius Loyola Church.

Rosemary grew up in Hornell and was a graduate of Hornell High School (class of 1947).  She later graduated from Arnot Ogden Hospital School of Nursing (class of 1949), were she obtained her Registered Nurses License.

Following her graduation from Nursing School, Rosemary returned to Hornell and was employed as a registered nurse at St. James Mercy Hospital, working her way up to the position of supervisor. While living in Hornell she also worked at Bath Veteran’s Hospital and served as a private duty nurse.

After moving to Canandaigua in 1960, she was employed as a registered nurse at Gowanda State Hospital in Gowanda, NY.  She later moved to Hamburg, NY where she resided for three years. While living in Hamburg, Rosemary continued to work at Gowanda State Hospital. In 1967, Rosemary moved to Collingswood, NJ where she was employed as an office nurse for Dr. Ira Weiner, a local Psychiatrist.

In the summer of 1969, Rosemary and her family relocated to Florida, where she continued her nursing career at Bay Pines Veteran’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, FL. Before retiring in 1992, Rosemary was very proud that 30 years of her nursing career had been dedicated to caring for our nation’s veterans.

For the past 25 years Rosemary had lived in St. Petersburg, FL, and was an avid bingo player. She loved spending time in the sunshine, either gardening or swimming in her pool. Throughout the years she loved traveling and making countless trips back and forth from Florida to Hornell visiting with her family.

Affectionately known to her family as “The Laundry Lady,” it was commonplace for her to find clothes that were not properly put away and head to the laundry room with them.  Never wasting time to check the pockets, Rosemary washed countless wallets, money, credit cards, driver’s licenses, photos and other important items, sometimes several times a day. No unguarded article of clothing was safe! 

In an effort to keep her mind sharp, Rosemary was an avid reader, reading over 2000 books, and working daily crossword puzzles. In spite of her age she embraced computer technology, enjoying computer games, reading on her Kindle, and keeping in touch with her children and grandchildren through email & Facebook.

Without hesitation, Rosemary lovingly cared for her grandparents, parents, brother and sister in their final days. She considered it an honor and a privilege to serve her family in this manner — it was never a burden.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her son, Robert, Jr.; her brother, Tommy King and her sister, Doris Kelleher.

Surviving are 2 daughters, Luann (Lenny) Liss of St. Petersburg, FL and Patricia “Patty” (Jim) Dagon of Hornell; 4 sons, James (Lisa) Class of Seminole, FL, Martin “Marty” (Edith) Class of Seminole, FL, Thomas (Kelley) Class of Keller, TX and Dr. Steven (Dr. Michelle) Class of Terra Ceia, FL; 18 grandchildren; 21 great-grandchildren; several nieces & nephews.

The family of Rosemary Ann King will receive friends on Friday (April 26, 2019) from 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM at the Dagon Funeral Home, 38 Church St., Hornell, NY .  A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday (April 27, 2019) at 11:00 AM at St. Ann’s Church with burial in St. Mary’s Cemetery. 

Rosemary’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.

Mary Elizabeth Patti – (92) – formerly of Church St., Hornell, died Monday afternoon (April 8, 2019) at Elderwood of Hornell Nursing Facility where she had resided for the past 2 ½ years.

A native & life resident of Hornell, she was born May 12, 1926, and was the daughter of Mark & Anna (Joyce) Loree.

Mary attended North Almond Valley School through the 6^th grade, at which time she transferred to Arkport Central School, graduating in 1944.  In 1945 she enrolled in St. James School of nursing where she graduated in 1948, having earned her New York State Registered Nurse’s License.

From 1949 – 1951, she was employed as evening supervisor and night supervisor at St. James Mercy Hospital.  On June 7, 1951, she was married to Dr. C.E. Patti.

Since 1952, Mary has been a member of the St. James Women’s Board where she served as president for 2 ½ years.  For 9 years she was a member of the St. James Mercy Hospital Board of Directors and has served as hospital historian since 1972.  She was a member and past president of the Steuben County Medical Society Auxiliary.

In her younger years, Mary volunteered her time as Boy Scouts Leader and also Camp Fire Leader.  She was active in the Hornell American Red Cross, serving as co-chairman of its board of directors.  In the 1970s, she began teaching Red Cross Home Nursing in Hornell and also the Southern Tier Rochester Red Cross, teaching fellow registered nurses home nursing care, child care and disaster procedures.  She continued teaching these courses until 1990 when her ailing husband required more time & care.

Mary began playing piano in grade school and while attending nursing school, played the organ in the St. James Hospital Chapel at the daily 6:00 AM (Latin) Mass.  It was also during her nursing school days that she began crocheting & making quilts, a passion that she enjoyed her entire life.  She took great pride in making beautiful quilts for her children & grand-children.  These quilts have become family heirlooms, treasured by her family.

Mary will also be remembered for making her delicious home-made soups, again, sharing with family & friends.  Throughout the years, family celebrations for any & all occasions were held at her home at 16 Church Street, sometimes with more than 30 people (family & friends) for dinner.

When Mary turned 80 years young, her children & grandchildren surprised her with a birthday party and gave her a most cherished gift — a trip to Rome, Italy and an audience with Pope Benedict.  It was a thrill of a lifetime!!

Mary was preceded in death by her husband, Dr. C.E. Patti; her daughter, Camille D’Angelo; her brothers, Paul Loree and Mark Loree; her daughter-in-law, Lynne Patti; her son-in-law, Judge Thomas Higgins; two sisters-in-law, Hazel Loree and Dee Loree.

Surviving are her children, JoAnn (Richard) Argentieri of Hornell, Dr. James Patti of Okatie, SC, Judge Philip (Pauline) Patti of Raleigh, NC, William (Lorraine) Patti of Bath and Anne Marie Higgins of Syracuse; her brother, Thomas Loree of Dansville; sister-in-law, Emma Loree of Hornell; her son-in-law, Charles D’Angelo; 14  grandchildren, 29 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great-grandchildren; along with many nieces & nephews.

The family of Mary Elizabeth Patti will receive friends on Monday from  3:00 PM  –  5:00 PM at the Dagon Funeral Home, 38 Church St., Hornell, NY.  A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday at10:00 AM at St. Ann’s Church with burial in St. Ann’s Cemetery.

Mary’s family request that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in her name be made to St. Ann’s Academy, PO Box 446, Hornell, NY 14843.  Memorial forms will be available at the Dagon Funeral Home.

Savona, NY

Martha L. Herron – 89 – a resident of Brookdale Senior Living Facility in Ithaca, died Monday morning (April 1, 2019) at Elderwood of Hornell.

Born in Hester, OK, she was the daughter of Earnest & Virgie (Kelly) Click.

Along with her husband, Robert, she served as a teacher for DODDS (Department of Defense of Dependence Schools).  Throughout the years they resided in many locations, including England, Turkey, Spain, Japan & California.  They retired in 1990.

Martha was preceded in death by her husband, Robert C. Herron who died February 22, 2018.

Surviving are two sons, Calvin (Elaine) Herron of Reno, NV and David (Muriel) Herron of Savona.

At Martha’s request 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.

William H. “Bill” Bacon – 73 – of 170 East Ave., Hornell, died unexpectedly Thursday afternoon (March 28, 2019) at his home.

Born in Hornell on May 21, 1945, he was the son of Frederick & Mildred (Hann) Bacon.

Bill grew up in Hornell and attended Hornell High School.  He was a veteran of the US Navy, serving his country during the Vietnam era.

He had been employed for several years for the City Hornell Department of Public Works, working primarily as a member of the road crew.  For over 25 years, he was employed at Kraft Foods in Avon, working on the production line.  He retired about 10 years ago.

Bill was an avid hunter & fisherman.  He loved fishing in both lakes & streams and also loved being outdoors hunting deer.  He was very family oriented and was always there to lend a helping hand to both family & friends.  He will be sadly missed by everyone that had the pleasure of knowing him!

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his longtime partner & companion, Carol Feenaughty who died November 19, 2017; 3 brothers, Jeff Bacon, Charles Bacon and James Bacon.

Surviving are 8 “Children”, Kathy Weldy of Buffalo, Sharlene Kemp of Hornell, Larry (Kris) Feenaughty of Hornell, Patricia (Tim) Callahan of Canisteo, Mike (Lynda) Feenaughty of Nashville, TN, Karen (Don Ward) Booth of Hornell, Joe Jackson of Canisteo and Ronald (Priscilla) Feenaughty of Almond; 5 brothers, Roy (Debbie) Bacon, Ron (Wanda) Bacon, Larry (Diane) Bacon, Richard (Donna) Bacon and Philip (Joan) Bacon; 1 sister, Elaine Bacon; his sister-in-law, Debbie Bacon; 37 grandchildren; 69 great-grandchildren; many nieces & nephews.

At Bill’s request there will be no calling hours.  Private services with military honors will be held at the Dagon Funeral Home, 38 Church St., Hornell, NY at the convenience of the family.  Interment will be in the Bath National Cemetery, Bath, NY.

In honor of Bill’s service to his country as a member of the US Navy, the American Flag at the Dagon Funeral Home will be flown at half-staff.

Jeffrey L. “Jeff” Pearl – (55)– of 213 East Ave., Hornell, died Thursday morning (March 28, 2019) at his home,  following a long illness.

Born in Hornell on November 30, 1963, he was the son of Leon & Anna (Rogers) Pearl.

Jeff grew up in Jasper, NY and was a graduate of Canisteo Central School (class of 1981).  Following his high school graduation, he enlisted in the US Army serving his country from 1981-1984.  While in the Army, Jeff was primarily stationed at Fort Hood, TX.

Following his honorable discharge from the US Army, Jeff moved to the Canisteo area and has resided in Hornell since 1987.

Employed as a bartender for most of his adult life, Jeff tended bar for several years at the Hornell VFW and later at the Hornell Eagles Club.  For 13 years, he served as a bartender at Muhleisen’s Restaurant in Almond and most recently at AMVETS in Hornell.  He retired in 2017.

Jeff had been a member of the Hornell American Legion and also the Hornell AMVETS. He was an avid comic book collector, having more than 20,000 comic books in his collection.  He also enjoyed collecting rare coins.

He enjoyed watching football on TV and was a die-hard Minnesota Vikings fan.  He also loved watching the TV show, Jeopardy.  Along with his wife, Ginger, Jeff loved spending time at Sugar Creek Glen Campground in Poages Hole Dansville.  They also loved going to the annual hill climb at Poages Hole in celebration of their anniversary.

Jeff was married on August 17, 1991to the former Ginger Preston who survives.  Also surviving are 2 daughters, Natasha (Michael) Fires of Dansville and Kari (Matt Mills) Pearl of Dansville; 3 brothers, Alan Pearl of Lake Whales, FL, William Pearl of Hornell and Tim Pearl of Hornell; 2 sisters, Denise (John) Pilling of Mansfield, PA and Grace Heckman of Jasper; his granddaughter, Teagen Fires; several nieces & nephews.

At Jeff’s requests there will be no calling hours.  A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, (April 6, 2019) from 1:00 PM  – 5:00 PM at the AMVETS on the Broadway Mall in Hornell where family & friends will have the chance to share stories about Jeff.  Also, if possible, everyone is encouraged to wear the color purple as it was Jeff’s favorite color.

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

Jeff’s family request that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in his name be made to the Bath VA Hospital Activities Fund, 76 Veterans Ave., Bath, NY 14810.

Leo F. Crosby – 77 – of 7477 Seneca Road, Hornell, died Monday afternoon (March 25, 2019) at Elderwood at Hornell Nursing Facility, following a long illness.

Born in North Hornell on July 30, 1941, he was the son of Leo & Rose (Generalli) Crosby.

Leo grew up in Hornell and attended Hornell High School.  He had been employed for a time at the former Erie Lackawanna Railroad as an electrician apprentice.

Residing in Rochester, NY for nearly 40 years, Leo had been employed as a truck driver for Fay’s Drug Store and later as a bus driver for the Fairport School System.  For many years, he owned his own Taxi Cab business in the Rochester area.  Originally he owned & operated 3 cabs and primarily worked in conjunction with the Rochester airport.  He eventually owned & operated Fairport Taxi and operated throughout the entire Rochester area.  He moved back to Hornell about 9 years ago.

Leo enjoyed watching sporting events on TV — especially baseball (LA Dodger Fan), football & basketball.

In addition to his parents, Leo was preceded in death by his brother, Thomas P. Crosby.

Surviving are 3 brothers, William Crosby of Hornell, Kevin (Lisa) Crosby of Hornell and Michael Crosby of Louisville, KY; 1 sister, Mary Ellen O’Brien of Hornell; several nieces, nephews, great-nieces & great-nephews.

At Leo’s request 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. 

Leo’s family request that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in his name be made to Make A Wish Foundation, 4742 North 24^th St. (suit 400), Phoenix, AZ   85016  or to St. Jude Children’s Hospital, PO Box 1000 – Dep’t 300, Memphis, TN 38148.

Rhonda S. Sawczyszyn – 54 – of 28 Green St., Canisteo, died early Monday morning (March 25, 2019) at Highland Hospital in Rochester, following a long illness.

Born in Hornell on April 13, 1964, she was the daughter of Raymond & Marjorie (Wing) Aultman.

Rhonda grew up in the Hornell – Arkport area and attended Arkport Central School.  Throughout the years, she resided in several locations, including Hornell, Arkport, Florida and had lived in Canisteo for the past 8 years.

She had been employed for a time at Sugar Creek in Canaseraga and had also worked in the Housekeeping Department of St. James Mercy Hospital.

Rhonda enjoyed “Therapy Gambling” and loved playing the slots in various casinos.  Over the years, she and her husband, Dana, visited many casinos in various cities, including Atlantic City, Turning Stone Casino, Salamanca, Hamburg, Batavia, Niagara Falls, Nichols and Monticello.

She was preceded in death by her father, Raymond Aultman.

Rhonda was married on February 14, 1996 to Dana Sawczyszyn who survives.  Also surviving are her step-daughter, Sarah (Jason) Platt of Suffern, NY; her mother, Marjorie McDaniel of Canisteo; her siblings, Tammy (Stephen) Rauber of Canisteo, Richard (Polly) McDaniel of Canisteo, Ray Aultman of Canisteo, Melissa Hammond of Canisteo, Angela Aultman; her step-brothers & step-sisters, Peggy (Cheech) Miles of Canisteo, Chip McDaniel of Rochester and Laurie McDaniel of Canisteo; several nieces & nephews.  Although Rhonda did not have any biological children, she considered her nieces, nephews & her many day-care children her own children whom she loved and adored!

At Rhonda’s request there will be no calling hours.  A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday at 4:00 PM at the United Methodist Church of Canisteo.

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

Rhonda’s family request that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in her name be made to
Wilmont Cancer Institute, C/O Strong Memorial Hospital, 601 Elmwood Ave., Rochester, NY  14642.

Stephen E. “Scottie” Scott – 65 – of 4652 Fox Rd., Avoca, NY (Louck’s Pond), died unexpectedly on Wednesday (March 20, 2019) at his home.

Born in Buffalo, NY on May 25, 1953, he was the son of Marvin & Roberta (Davis) Scott.

Scottie’s early years were spent in Highland Springs, VA and his teen years in Avoca, NY where he graduated from Avoca High School (class of 1972).  He resided in Fairfield, IL for several years, returning to Avoca about 40 years ago.

He had been employed for over 26 years by the Village of Avoca, retiring about 15 years ago as Supervisor of Avoca Public Works.

Scottie had been a member of the Bath Moose Lodge and also the Bath Elks Lodge.  In his younger years, he enjoyed hunting & fishing.  Throughout the years, Scottie was an avid gun collector.

Surviving are 2 daughters, Ashley (Chad) Miles of Hornell and Brandi (Martin) Miller of Avoca; 1 sister, Kathy (Roy) Tibbs of Millerstown, PA; 4 grandchildren; 2 nephews & 1 niece.

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

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