Wilhelmina M. “Billie” (Erdin) Dunkley – 73 – of 276 Knollwood Road, Arkport, died Monday  (December, 26, 2016) at her St. James Mercy Hospital following an  illness.

She was born in Paterson, NJ on October 31, 1943 to the late Anna Marie Mayer.

Wilhelmina grew up in Paterson and attended St. Joseph High School (class of 1959).  After graduation, Billie moved to Rochester, NY, where she was employed for about 20 years at the Eastman Kodak Company as a payroll clerk.  She then became the City Clerk for the City of Rochester until her retirement in 2005.  Billie lived in Rochester for most of her adult life until moving to the Arkport area about four years ago to be closer to family.

Lovingly referred to as the “Garage Sale Queen” by her family, Billie loved visiting and collecting items from garage sales.  She would even find treasures along the roadside to add to her collection and sell on eBay.  Billie especially loved collecting Fenton glass and jewelry.  She also enjoyed playing BINGO, and, when unable to attend BINGO games, she would play slots and BINGO on the computer.

Billie was married to John Dunkley, who survives.

In addition to her husband, John, Billie is survived by her son, Andrew (Juliann) Erdin of Arkport; four grandchildren, Crystal (Jason) Reeves or Arkport; Samantha (Zach) Billings of Hornell; Laurie Herold of Hornell; and AJ Erdin of Arkport; 7 great-grandchildren, Sania Diaz, Alex Diaz, Ruben Diaz, Dominic Hess, Timothy Conley, Anna Hess, and Brian Hess.

At Billie’s request, there will be no calling hours.  Private services will be held at the convenience of the family.  Funeral services are in care of the Dagon Funeral Home, 38 Church St., Hornell, NY.

Billie’s family requests that memorial contributions in her name be made to ­­­­­­­­­­­­­the Hornell Area Humane Society, 7649 Industrial Park Road, Hornell, NY 14843.  Click here to print a Memorial Form.

Frederick C. “Fred” Campbell – 89 – of 335 Cleveland Ave., North Hornell died early Saturday morning (December 17, 2016) at his home, following a long illness.

Born in the Town of Hornellsville on September 5, 1927, he was the son of Mason & Beatrice (Hulbert) Campbell.

Fred grew up in South Hornell and was a graduate of Canisteo Central School (class of 1945). He was a veteran of the US Army, serving his country from 1946 – 1947, shortly following the end of World War II. As a member of the 2nd Battalion of the 19th Infantry, Fred served with Signal Corp as a switchboard operator, making sure that all calls came in and went out without problems. As part of his duties, Fred would search for members of the Japanese Military (many of whom were hiding in caves) and inform them that the war had ended and that they could return to their homes & families. He was awarded the WWII Victory Medal along with the Army Occupational Medal, Japan.

Following his honorable discharge from the US Army, Fred returned to the Hornell area and never left — not even for vacations or to travel with his family. He simply never left the Hornell area for any reason.

Fred studied to be an electrician and served his apprenticeship with Wilbur Glover Electric. After becoming a licensed electrician, Fred established Campbell Electric which he owned & operated for about 40 years. He retired in 1989 and his son, Fred JR took over the business.

Throughout the years, Fred enjoyed gardening and raising vegetables in his back yard. He took great pride in supplying the Village of North Hornell residents with fresh vegetables. He was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed hunting & fishing with his sons. He enjoyed being “one with nature” and watching his array of colorful birds.

He was married on August 29, 1951(for 65 years) in St. Ann’s Church to the former Joanne Sydelko who died September 27, 2016. Fred was also preceded in death by his parents, Mason & Beatrice; his brothers, Richard Campbell, Mason Campbell, JR, Norman Campbell and Donald Campbell; his sisters, Irene Pryor and Norma Smith.

Surviving are 1 daughter, Sue Moster of Sunrise, FL; 3 sons, Fred (Laurie) Campbell of Canisteo, Mike (Carolin) Campbell of Hornell and Jim (Kim) Campbell of Alfred Station; his sister, Mary Blake of Palmyra; 7 grandchildren; 1 great-grandson; several nieces & nephews.

At Fred’s request there will be no prior calling hours. Family and friends are invited to attend a Mass of Christian Burial on Friday at 10:00 AM at St. Ann’s Church. Burial will be in St. Mary’s Cemetery.

Fred’s family request that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in his name be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital, PO Box 1000, Dep’t 300, Memphis, TN 38148.

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

Francis G. “Fran” Oakden – 66 – of 7914 State Route 36, Arkport, formerly of Hornell, died early Wednesday morning (November 30, 2016) at Strong Memorial Hospital, following a long illness.

Born in Tuscarora, NY on October 29, 1950, he was the son of Hollis & Flora Oakden.

Fran grew up in the Corning & Addison areas and attended school at Elmira Southside. He was a veteran of the US Army (1967-1974), having served two tours of duty in Vietnam. He had been employed as a mechanic at Morrison-Knudsen Corporation (M-K) for many years.

He was preceded in death by his brother, Wayne Oakden.

He was married to the former Burglind “Brook” Clancy who survives. Also surviving are 1 daughter, Julie Oakden of Arkport; 2 sons, Jason Oakden of Nevada and Casey Oakden of Hornell; 1 brother, Larry Oakden; 3 sisters, Sue McCain, Shirley Plaisted and Joan Bates;
2 grandchildren, Kaitlyn Gallese and Collin Gallese; several nieces & nephews.

At Fran’s there will be no calling hours or services.

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

Josephine Stickles – (98) – of 95 Elizabeth St., Hornell, died Tuesday afternoon (November 30, 2016) at Hornell Gardens, following a brief illness.

Born in Hornell on March 30, 1918, she was the daughter of Frank & Mary (Matrichiano) Roselli.

Josephine grew up in Hornell and was a graduate of Hornell High School. She had been member of Our Lady of the Valley Parish and a communicant of both St. Ann’s Church and
St. Ignatius Loyola Church.

Throughout her life, Josephine had been employed as a waitress at several restaurants in the area, including the Ponce DeLeon, Sherwood Hotel, Johnnie’s Ristorante and the Arkport Inn.

She was married in 1937 to Robert Stickles who died August 23, 1986. She was also preceded in death by her brothers, Anthony “Cappy” Roselli, John Roselli, Charles Roselli; and her sister, Anne Eveland.

Surviving are several nieces & nephews.

At Josephine’s request there will be no calling hours. Family & friends are invited to attend a Celebration of Life on Saturday at 2:00 PM at The Main Place (formerly Knights of Columbus), 251 Main St., Hornell, NY with Deacon Robert McCormick officiating. Final interment will be in St. Ann’s Cemetery.

Josephine’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 or to the Hornell Humane Society, 7649 Industrial Park Rd., Hornell, NY 14843.

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

Gerald M. “Jerry” FitzGerald – 88 – of 90 ½ Elm St., Hornell, died early Sunday morning (November 27, 2016) at the Bath VA Hospital following a long illness.

A native & life resident of Hornell, he was born February 6, 1928 and was the son of Michael & Johanna (Schreck) FitzGerald.

Jerry attended St. Ann’s School and was a graduate of Hornell High School (class of 1946). He was a veteran of the US Army, serving his country from 1946 – 1948. While in the Army, he was stationed in Korea (prior to the Korean Conflict).

He was employed for about 20 years as a welder at Foster-Wheeler Corporation in Dansville, retiring in 1986. Following his “retirement” Jerry worked as a welder at Morrison-Knudsen (M-K) in Hornell for about 2 years. For many years, he served as a “jack of all trades” at the Hornell Knights of Columbus and was in charge of many functions of the club, including basic maintenance, setting up for parties and ordering supplies such as food and bar products. He kept the K of C running like a well oiled machine!

Jerry was a member of Our Lady of the Valley Parish and a communicant of St. Ann’s Church where he served as an usher for many years. He was a member of the Hornell Knights of Columbus and the Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH).

He was preceded in death by 6 sisters, Josephine FitzGerald, Mary Grieve, Alice Scott, Catherine “Cate” FitzGerald, Virginia FitzGerald and Eleanor FitzGerald; 2 brothers, Maurice FitzGerald and Francis FitzGerald.

Jerry was married on April 26, 1958 to the former Josephine Piano who survives. Also surviving are 1 son, Michael (Donna) FitzGerald of Walthan, MA; 1 daughter, Susan (Jose) Cruzado of Hornell; 3 grandchildren, Anderson Cruzado, Leidy Cruzado and Francy Cruzado; several nieces, nephews & cousins.

At Jerry’s request there will be no calling hours. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday at 10:00 AM at St. Ann’s Church. Burial will be in St. Mary’s Cemetery.

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

Jerry’s family request that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in his name be made to St. Ann’s Academy, PO Box 446, Hornell, NY 14843.  Click here to print a memorial form.

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

James E. “Jim” Kruzinski – 78 – of Edgeview Estates, Hornell died Sunday evening (November 20, 2016) at St. James Mercy Hospital while holding the hands of his daughter, Wendy Sue and son-in-law, Keith Drury.

Born in Toledo, OH on March 9, 1938, he was the son of Ervin & Louise (Abriel) Kruzinski. He has resided in the Hornell area for 30 years.

He served in the US National Guard in a tank battalion; the US Army as a MP; and in the US Air Force as a Drill Instructor. He was proud to have served in the Special Air Command (SAC) during the Cold War. Jim was honored to have met and to shake the hand of President John F. Kennedy (JFK) and often talked about it to his many friends.

Jim lived a long and interesting life. For 12 years, Jim served as Park Manager of Edgeview Estates. Before becoming Park Manager of Edgeview Estates, Jim was an awarded Professional Truck Driver for Air Products & Chemicals of Rochester, NY with over 2 ½ million miles accident free. He would rightly boast “I’ve got more miles backing up than you’ve got going forward.”

Jim was a “regular” at the Texas Café in Hornell and considered the staff family. He would often give directions, totally by memory, to anywhere in the United States that a person wanted to go. He was very proud of all of his accomplishments.

He was preceded in death by his former wife, Patricia A. Kruzinski.

Jim was married on August 24, 1996 to the former Grace Phinney Shiloh who survives. Also surviving are the youngest of his three children, his daughter (his little girl) Wendy Sue (Keith) Drury of Hornell; 2 sons, Mark James Kruzinski and Scott Michael Kruzinski; his beautiful granddaughter, Zoie Jewel Arcarisi; his great-granddaughter, Sadie Rae; his brother, Donald Kruzinski; and “last but not least” his sweetheart, Erin Rauber; as well as several other grandchildren.

At Jim’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

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

In recognition of Jim’s military service, the American Flag at the Dagon Funeral Home will b flown at half-staff.

Virginia L. “Ginny” Argentieri – (91) – formerly of 1130 Airport Road, Hornell, and a former resident of Updykes’s Willow Ridge Nursing Facility died Sunday evening (November 20, 2016) at Elderwood at Hornell Nursing Facility where she had resided for the past 2 ½ months.

Born in Birdsall, NY on April 27, 1925, she was the daughter of Harry & Pearl (Strong) Leith and the step-daughter of Lee Ellis.

Ginny spent her early years in North Almond Valley, moving to the Arkport area at the age of twelve. She was a graduate of Arkport Central School (class of 1942) and later graduated from the former Hornell Business School.

She was employed for about 5 years as a key punch operator for the Hornell Erie Accounting Bureau where she met her future husband, Robert “Bob” Argentieri. Ginny was also employed for many years as a sales clerk at the former McBride’s Clothing and later as a receptionist & secretary at the St. Ann’s Parish office. For several years she worked as a receptionist in the Physical Therapy Department of St. James Mercy Hospital.

Ginny was a member of Our Lady of the Valley Parish and a communicant of St. Ann’s Church.

She was married on September 1, 1947 to Robert J. “Bob” Argentieri who died May 10, 2012. She was also preceded in death by her brothers, Francis Leith and Arthur Leith.

Also surviving are 2 sons, Robert (Anne) Argentieri of Holmes, NY and Jeff (Liz) Argentieri of Groveland, NY; 6 grandchildren, Sam (Kim Haller), Peter, Nellie, Danielle, Nicholas & Morgan; 1 great-grandson, Julian; many nieces, nephews and cousins.

The family of Virginia L. “Ginny” Argentieri will receive friends on Friday from 4:00 PM until 7:00 PM at the Dagon Funeral Home, 38 Church St., Hornell, NY. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at Saturday at 12:00 (Noon) at St. Ann’s Church with burial in St. Mary’s Cemetery.

Ginny’s family request the memorial contributions in her name be made to St. Ann’s Academy, PO Box 446, Hornell, NY 14843 or to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, 6932 Arlington Road (2nd Floor), Bethesda, MD 20814. Memorial forms will be available at the Dagon Funeral Home.

Ginny’s family would also like to thank the wonderful staff both Updyke’s Willow Ridge Nursing Facility (where she resided for 2 ½ years) and the staff at Elderwood at Hornell Nursing Facility (where she resided for 2 ½ months) for the excellent and loving care that she received during her final years on earth.

Alfred, New York

Lowell J. Stern – 82 – of 34 Glen Street, Alfred, died Monday evening (November 14, 2016) at his home, surrounded by his loving family.

Born in the Bronx, NY on April 2, 1934, he was the son of the late Celia and William Stern.

Lowell lived in the Bronx until the early 1960s, when he and his family moved to Queens, NY.  In 1974, Lowell and his family moved to Thiells, NY, where he resided until moving to Alfred, NY three years ago to be close to family.

A draftsman by trade, Lowell worked on many products and designs from children’s toys to x-ray equipment throughout his career.  He was also an entrepreneur and had his own business designing and developing products for the deaf community and for veterinarians.  Lowell had a private pilot license and flew small planes.  He enjoyed “playing” the stock market and loved spending time with his family.

Lowell married the love of his life, Roselaine Zweig, on June 16, 1957.  They spent 55 years together until her death in 2012.  Together, they raised two daughters.

In addition to his parents and wife, Lowell was preceded in death by his only sibling, his sister, Barbara Strouse from Milton, MA, who died just 15 days prior to him on October 30, 2016.

Surviving are his daughter and son-in-law Gayle & Glenn Gebhard of Belmont, NY; daughter Lisa Stern of Charlotte, NC; two grandchildren, Adam Gebhard of the United States Air Force stationed in Germany and Sarah Gebhard of Belmont, NY; two nieces, Susan Strouse of Boston, MA and Cynthia (Robert Gunnells) Strouse Kelly of Lunenburg, MA; brother-in-law, David (Linda) Zweig of Tennessee and his four children.

A private graveside service was held on November 16, 2016 at the Beth Israel Cemetery in Woodbridge, NJ with Rabbi Bill Klaus officiating.  Funeral arrangements are in care of the Dagon Funeral Home, 38 Church Street, Hornell, NY.

Lowell’s family requests that memorial contributions in his name be made to the Hornell Area Humane Society, 7694 Industrial Park Road, Hornell, NY 14843.  Click here to print a memorial form.

Brian A. Tracey, 56, of Hornell, New York, beloved son, brother, uncle, cousin and friend passed away on Wednesday, November 9, 2016.

Brian was born on May, 22, 1960 in Rockville, CT.  He is preceded in death by his mother June D. Tracey.

Surviving are his father Patrick M. Tracey of Tolland, CT; his brothers Michael P. Tracey (and his wife Gayl) of Middletown, CT, Dennis G. Tracey (and his wife Tracey) of Granby, CT and Patrick S. Tracey (and his wife Sarah) of Westborough, MA.

He was a loving uncle to Ryan, Alex, Sarah, Brendan, Samantha, Patrick, Brigid and Sean. Brian also is survived by aunts, uncles and many cousins.

Brian was a superior athlete and a better friend. The content of his character was only out matched by his wit and gentle strength. Brian excelled at Tolland High School in athletics and attended Southern Connecticut University on a football scholarship. He later served in the U.S. Army 82nd Airborne Division as a Paratrooper where he participated in Operation Urgent Fury for the liberation of Grenada.

Brian’s smile, kindness and spirit will be missed tremendously by all who knew him.

Burial services will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Disabled Veterans of America organization.

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

Sharon M. Watkins – 71 – formerly of Addison, NY died Friday evening (November 11, 2016) at Elderwood of Hornell Nursing Facility in North Hornell where she had resided for the past
1 ½ years.

Born in Louisville, KY on October 25, 1945, she was the daughter of Darwin & Anna (Gregory) Vergason.

Sharon grew up in Coudersport, PA where she attended high school. She lived in Addison for about 30 years and had been employed for many years at Metamora Products Corp in Elkland, PA.

She enjoyed watching TV (especially the Sci-Fi stations). She had a deep love of animals, and throughout the years owned several cats.

Sharon was married on June 4, 1997 to Merlin Watkins who died in 2012. She was also preceded in death by her son, Francis “Buddy” Cavallaro who died in 1991.

Surviving are her daughter, Patsy (Steven) Givens of Wellsville; her mother, Anna Robertson of Kentucky; 3 grandchildren, Andrew (Amanda) Dixon, Ashley Dixon and Zachary Dixon; 1 great-grandson, Elliott Dixon; several brothers & sisters from Kentucky; several nieces & nephews.

At Sharon’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.

Sharon’s family request that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in her name be made to Elderwood at Hornell (Activities Department), 1 Bethesda Dr., Hornell, NY 14843.