2016

Gordon E. Schiller – 80 – of 1479 Chestnut St., Hornell, died early Friday morning (March 19, 2021) at St. James Hospital following a brief illness.

Born in Batavia, NY on October 7, 1940, he was the son of Gordon & Elsie (Behrens) Schiller and was raised by his maternal grandparents, Frederick & Catherine Behrens.

Gordon grew up in Geneva, NY and was a graduate of Geneva High School (class of 1959).  He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from SUNY Geneseo.

From 1963-1964, Gordon taught 6^th Grade at Dansville Elementary School and from 1964-1968 taught 7^th Grade Math at Middlesex Central School in Middlesex, NY.  In 1968, Gordon moved to the Hornell area and for the next 27 years served as 7^th Grade Math teacher for the Hornell City School District.  He retired in 1995.

While attending SUNY Geneseo, Gordon became a member of the Phi Sig Fraternity and throughout the years maintained close friendships with many of his fraternity brothers.  He enjoyed reading and collecting “Juvenile Series Books” such as Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Chip Hilton & Ken Holt and occasionally wrote articles for the “SUSABELLA PASSENGERS”, a publication on juvenile series books.  He also owned an extremely large collection of vintage yearbooks, primarily from places close to his heart such as Hornell, Geneva, Geneseo, and Arkport.

Gordon was a Pepsi aficionado as he not only savored his ice-cold Pepsi, but collected all things Pepsi.  He enjoyed the outdoors and in his younger years loved to go “woodchuck hunting”.  He was a devoted father and “family man” who never missed his daughters’ soccer & basketball games, track meets, and other school activities.  Without a doubt, he was their #1 Fan!!!

In addition to his parents and grandparents, Gordon was preceded in death by his half-brother, Frank Schiller.

He was married on December 17, 1983 to the former Joanne Canestra who survives.  Also surviving are 2 daughters, Bethany Schiller of Trumansburg, NY and Jill (Mike Lepelstat) Schiller of Hornell; sister, Patricia Schiller of Geneva; half-sisters, Audrey (Barry) Panepento of El Mirage, AZ and Bette (Keith) Wright of Valrico, FL; a large extended family, and many friends.

The family of Gordon E. Schiller will receive friends on Friday, March 26, 2021 from 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM at the Dagon Funeral Home, 38 Church St., Hornell, NY.  Private services will be held at the convenience of the family with Deacon Robert McCormick officiating.  Final interment will be in St. Mary’s Cemetery.

The Memorial Service for Gordon Schiller will be streamed via YouTube and can be viewed on the Dagon Funeral Home Facebook page on Saturday, March 27, 2021 at 11:00 AM by visiting www.facebook.com/dagonfuneralhome.  The video will remain available for viewing on our Facebook page for 30 days.

The family of Gordon Schiller would like to thank the doctors, nurses and the entire staff at St. James Hospital for the wonderful care and comfort that they provided.  It was greatly appreciated!

Gordon’s family request that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in his name be made to the Hornell Public Library (64 Genesee St., Hornell, NY 14843), or to the restoration of the Phi Sig Fraternity House (Phix Associates, C/O Mike Schmidt, 2 Greenfield Lane, Rochester, NY 14610).  Memorial forms will be available at the Dagon Funeral Home.

Allen T. Butler of Hornell, NY was found deceased in his home on Wednesday March 17^th, from natural causes. He was 78 years of age.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Charles and Lillian (Culbert) Butler; his siblings, James, Barbara, Violet (Mahoney), Paul, Larry (Pete), Robert (Bob), Louise, Billy, Joseph, Richard (Dick), Lois, Janet, and Eugene Butler.

Surviving are his siblings, Walter (Walt) Butler, Linda Brunette, and Schuyler (Butch) Hawley; his children Thomas, Lisa (Zimmer), and John Butler; the mother of his children, Janice Fardette; his grandchildren Kristen, Sarah, Nicolas, David, Christopher, Arthur, Jesica, Matthew, Joseph, and Jared; many nieces, nephews, and several great-grandchildren.

Allen’s father was from East Freedom, PA (Butler-Hollow Road) while his mother came from nearby East Conemaugh.   He was born in Cleveland, OH yet, apart from about 15 years spent in Rochester, he was raised and spent most of his life in Steuben County.

His first job was as an usher at RKO Palace in 1958.  He progressed to machinist work and home supply businesses.  Allen became very skilled in the all phases of the home construction trade; doors, windows, carpentry, drywall, roofing, siding, painting, electrical, and plumbing.  He formed a business partnership and opened Whet-But Home Improvement.  Eventually a back injury suffered on the job forced him to occasional work as a sub-contractor, whenever his health allowed.  He never truly retired and was always working on a new project in his home during his spare time.

Allen was very organized and paid great attention to detail. He loved children and animals. They could do no wrong in his eyes. Allen enjoyed many cats and dogs over the years. His last dog (Lily) died in 2016.  He even cared for the birds and cats in his neighborhood until the very end of his life.

At Allen’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

Joanne S. Villante – 85 – of 10642A Poags Hole Road, Arkport, NY (Town of Burns) died Monday morning (March 8, 2021) at her home, following a long illness.

Born in Hornell on December 2, 1935, she was the daughter of Wilfred “Will” & Carmel “Connie” (Everritt) Sheon.

Joanne grew up in Hornell and was a graduate of Hornell High School (class of 1953). She married and resided in Painted Post NY, and was employed by Lodge on the Green where she met several celebrities including Vivian Vance, John Wayne and Van Johnson. She later resided in Corning NY with her children and married the “Love Of Her Life, Robert Decker. They moved to Hopewell NJ and then to Stewartsville NJ.  Joanne was employed at Warren acres as a Juvenile Correction Officer for 10 years, while residing in Stewartsville.  After Bob’s death she moved back to New York State.

Returning to the Arkport-Canaseraga area in 1988, Joanne served as a Nurse’s Aide at Sue’s Rest Home in Hornell for several years.

Without a doubt, Joanne led an interesting and exciting life. In her younger years she enjoyed fencing, skydiving and race car driving. She had a deep appreciation for the outdoors and loved fishing, doing yard work and growing beautiful flowers. Joanne also wrote poetry and had many poems published.

Joanne loved all animals and enjoyed the company of her many pets, including lamas, peacocks, goats, horses and capuchin monkeys, along with many canine companions.

By most standards, Joanne would be considered “feisty” but, everyone that knew Joanne knew she had a heart of gold!  Joanne always gave and never expected anything in return. She will be sadly missed by her family & many friends.

Married three times, Joanne was preceded in death by her 2nd husband and the “Love Of Her Life”, Robert “Bob” Decker who died in 1986; 2 sons, Tommy Hills (died 1971) and John Hills (died 1990); and her brother, Gary Sheon.

Surviving are 3 sons, Dave Hills of Bovill, ID, Joseph Hills of Hackettstown, NJ and Dan (Renee) Hills of Arkport; 1 sister, Donna (Robert) Kelsey of Geneseo, NY; 11 grandchildren; 5 great-grandchildren; several nieces & nephews.

At Joanne’s request there will be no calling hours. Private services will be held at the convenience of the family with final interment in Stewartsville, NJ. A “Celebration of Life” will be held at a future date.

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

Joanne’s family request that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in her name be made to the FSR Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research.

Gerald L. “Jerry” Nichols JR – 57 – of 6690 West St. Ext., Hornell, died early Thursday morning (March 11, 2021) at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, following a long and courageous battle with cancer.  Jerry never gave up fighting for the love of his family.

Born in Las Vegas, NV on August 9, 1963, he was the son of the Linda & Greg Kerr.

Jerry grew up in Hornell and attended Hornell High School.  He was a veteran of the US Army, serving his country from 1980 – 1982.  While in the army, Jerry was stationed in Germany and received the expert badge of marksmanship at the age of 17.

Following his honorable discharge from the military, Jerry returned to the Hornell area and for about 10 years was employed at Morrison Knudson (MK) Corporation while also owning and operating the Nichols Go-Cart Raceway.  He later served as a cement truck operator for DeWitt Construction.  For 21 years, Jerry and his wife Paula owned & operated the Old Mill Inn in Alfred Station.  He retired in 2020 due to ill health.

Jerry enjoyed the last 20 years spending his every summer at Lamoka Lake, enjoying time on the water with friends and family.   He also enjoyed his yearly vacation to the Dominican Republic and was an avid Buffalo Bills Football fan.  He also loved watching NASCAR and rooting for his favorite driver, Kyle Busch.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Linda Kerr.

On October 4, 1986, Jerry was married to the former Paula Duryea who survives.  Also surviving are 2 sons, Nathan (Britney Ormsby) Nichols of Canisteo and Ryan (Savanah Hess) Nichols of Hornell; his father, Greg Kerr of Hornell; his brother, Oakie (Sabra) Nichols of Alfred; 2 step brothers, Greg (Roxana Ordway) Kerr JR of Hornell and Mike (Ellen) Kerr of Hornell; 2 grandchildren, Xander Nichols and Miah Nichols; several nieces, nephews & cousins and also his devoted 4 legged companion “Lexi” who helped him through his long illness.

Jerry will also be remembered for his quick wit and his sense of humor. Jerry’s two greatest accomplishments were his two sons who he was very proud of and always said “I only want you to have a better life than I had.

At Jerry’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 later date.

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

Memorial contributions in Jerry’s name may be made to the Wilmont Cancer Institute in Dansville where he received excellent care and compassion and also the Hornell Humane Society

Marlene L. Herbert – (67) – of 38 Davenport St., Hornell, passed away peacefully late Monday evening (March 8, 2021) at her home, surrounded by her loved ones, following a lifelong illness.

Born in Hornell on October 19, 1953, she was the daughter of Raymond & Vera (Gardner) Stephens.

Marlene grew up in Hornell and attended Hornell High School.  Family was everything to Marlene.  Her door was always open and her home was filled with laughter and the best home cooked meals.

Marlene was preceded in death by her infant son, Leon Law; and her brother, Rodney Stephens.

She was married on September 2, 2001 to Ralph Herbert who survives.  Also surviving are 3 daughters, Audrea Sirianni of Olean, NY, Leona (Rachel Hadsell) Law of Hornell and Krystal Herbert of Hornell; 1 son, Joey (Kaytie Hartman) Herbert of Hornell; her brother, Ron Stephens of West Sparta, NY; 2 sisters, Linda (David) Dibble of Arkport and Diane Stephens of Hornell; 7 grandchildren, Keirstan Saltsman, Chase Sirianni, Joseph Sirianni, Renaye Sirianni, Chloe Hartman, Zoey Hartman and Brayden Vaughn; several nieces & nephews.

At Marlene’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.

Marlene’s family request that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in her name be made to the Hornell AMVETS Riders Cancer Benefit for the Herberts, C/O Broadway Mall, Hornell, NY 14843.

René L. “Jay” Bouchard – 80 – of 6340 County Route 68 (Crosby Creek Road), Hornell died early Monday morning (March 8, 2021) at his home, following a long illness.

Born in Hartford, CT on August 30, 1940, he was the son of Raymond & Lucille (Berthiaume) Bouchard.

Jay grew up in North Troy, VT where he attended North Troy High School.  While in the 10^th grade, he transferred to Brothers of the Sacred Heart High School in Pomfret, CT, a religious teaching order. He later graduated from St. Michael’s College in Winooski, VT where he majored in English.  Jay earned his Master’s Degree in Education from St. Lawrence University in Canton, NY.

Throughout the years, Jay was employed in various educational positions, including: a teacher in Philadelphia, PA; Vice Principal in Potsdam, NY; Superintendent of Schools in Alfred-Almond; and Superintendent of the Steuben & Allegany County BOCES.  He retired in 2004.

A resident of the Hornell area since 1980, Jay had been a communicant of St. Brendan / St. Jude Parish and later a communicant of St. Ignatius Loyola Church.  In recent years he was a member of Our Lady of the Valley Parish and a communicant of St. Ann’s Church.

Family was very important to Jay and he relished the frequent visits made to him by his children and grandchildren.  He was always the first one up in the wee hours of the morning, but loved his weekend naps. Jay also enjoyed woodworking and spending countless hours “playing” on his tractor.

He was married on June 8, 1966 to the former Joan Converse who died October 15, 2004.  He was also preceded in death by his son, André “Andy” Bouchard who died July 11, 2017; his brother , Raymond Bouchard; his son-in-law, Mark Mellencamp.

Surviving are his daughter, Michelle Mellencamp of Carmel, IN; 2 sons, John (Sandi) Bouchard of Ontario, NY and Jacques “Jay” (Janeth) Bouchard of Cocoa, FL; 3 brothers, Peter (Arlene) Bouchard of AZ, Paul Bouchard of Henderson Harbor, NY and Michael (Marty) Bouchard of Post Mills, VT; 2 sisters, Monique Landi of Colebrook, CT and Myrtle Dionne of Hartford, CT; 5 grandchildren, Connor Mellencamp, Kagan Mellencamp, Alexis Bouchard, Sydney Bouchard and Abby Bouchard; several nieces & nephews.

At Jay’s request there will be no prior calling hours.  A Memorial Mass will be celebrated on Monday at 2:00 PM at St. Ann’s Church with final interment in St. Mary’s Cemetery.

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

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

Frank T. “Slats” Andolina – 95 – of 26 Meadowbrook Rd., Arkport, formerly of Wellsville, NY, died early Monday morning (March 8, 2021) at St. James Hospital, following a long illness.

Born in Mt. Morris, NY on March 7, 1926, he was the son of Nunzio & Grace (Piraino) Andolina.

Slats grew up in Mt. Morris and was a graduate of Mt. Morris High School (class of 1944).  Immediately following high school graduation, he was drafted into the US Army and served his country in the European Theater during WWII as a demolition expert.

Following his honorable discharge in 1946, Frank returned to the Mt. Morris area.  He later enrolled at Niagara University where he received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology.

For over 65 years, Frank resided in Wellsville.  He was employed for about 15 years as the Laboratory Supervisor and Certified Medical Lab Technologist at Jones Memorial Hospital in Wellsville.  Later joining the staff at SUNY Alfred, Frank served as a Professor of hematology and medical lab technology.   He loved his students and received numerous accolades and awards from them.  He retired in 1985.  He has resided in Arkport for the past 7 years.

While living in Wellsville, Frank was a communicant of Immaculate Conception Church (ICS) and was a life-member of the Wellsville American Legion.  While in high school, Slats was an outstanding baseball player and continued to be a lifelong baseball fan and active fan of all other sports.

Frank had a deep love for his family (especially his grandchildren) and numerous friends, joining many of them over the years for early morning coffee at McDonalds.  He will be remembered for his love of country and community and for his great smile and terrific sense of humor.  He will be missed by everyone that had the pleasure of knowing him!

He was married on August 20, 1949 to the former Elsie Zanni who died in 2009.  Frank was also preceded in death by his granddaughter, Jill Andolina who died in 2013; 3 brothers, Dr. CT (Mike) Andolina, Joseph Andolina and John Andolina; 2 sisters, Frances Andolina and Rose Cipriano.

Surviving are his son, Dr. Richard (Molly) Andolina of Arkport; 2 daughters, Pamela (Tony) Favro of Henrietta and Patricia Andolina Persia of Spencerport; his brother, Anthony Andolina of Henrietta; 7 grandchildren, Dr. Richard Andolina Jr., Dr. Nicholas (Jess) Andolina, Mitchell Andolina, Marc Favro, Gianna Favro, Joseph Persia and Daniel Persia; 3 great grandchildren, Nicholas Jr., Jillian, and Remi; numerous nieces & nephews.

Frank had two desires about his time of passage.  He wanted to live to the age of 95 to match his brother Mike and he wanted his mental faculties intact.  He died early the morning after his 95^th birthday with no cognitive impairments.  God granted him his two wishes.

Due to the Covid pandemic, there will be no calling hours.  Private services will be held at the convenience of the family with Deacon Robert McCormick officiating.  Burial will be in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Geneseo, NY.  A “Celebration of Life” will be held at a later date with his family and many friends.

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

Frank’s family request that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in his name be made to either the Hornell Area Humane Society, Jillian Andolina Memorial Dog Park, 7649 Industrial Park Road, Hornell, NY 14843 or the David A. Howe Public Library, 155 North Main St., Wellsville, NY 14895.

Doris N. Stewart – 92 – formerly of Hornell, died Thursday afternoon (March 4, 2021) at the Penfield Place Nursing Facility in Penfield, NY, where she had resided for the past year.

Born in North Hornell on August 28, 1928, she was the daughter of Everett & Eileen (O’Laughlin) Odell.

Doris grew up in the Hornell / Arkport area and was a graduate of Arkport Central School (class of 1946).  Following high school graduation, she was employed as a bookkeeper & office worker for New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG).

She was married on October 14, 1946 to Harold J. Stewart who died October 16, 2006.  For several years, Doris was proud to be a “Stay at Home Mom” and was active in her children’s activities such as Camp Fire Girls, school & sporting events and PTA.

Throughout the years, Doris became involved in her husband’s businesses, serving as bookkeeper for the former Esso Gas Station and later as bookkeeper for Stewart’s Service Station.

She enjoyed knitting & quilting and was known for making beautiful Christmas stockings.  She was an avid reader (especially novels) and was a die-hard NY Yankee Fan.

In later years, Doris & Harold spent the winter months in Lakeland, FL and the summer months at their home on Waneta Lake near Hammondsport, NY.  She resided in Rochester for the past three years.

In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her son, Thomas Stewart who died in 1951; 2 sisters, Connie Leyman and Norma Michaels; 1 brother, Francis Odell.

Surviving are her children:  Cyndi (Don) Besig of Macedon, NY, Richard (Faith) Stewart of Ravena, NY, Martin (Patty) Stewart of Cincinnati, OH, Scott (Debi) Stewart of Hornell and Julie Stewart Rubin of Huntington Bay, NY. Grandchildren: Sharon (Tim) Frederick, Lori Besig, Kevin (Sarah) Besig, Sarah Stewart, Sally Stewart, Bradley (Victoria) Stewart, Jason Stewart, Brian (Laurie) Stewart, Melissa (Tom) Fay, Todd (Sarah) Rubin, Caitlin Rubin, Chelsea Rubin.   Great-grandchildren:  Alexis Frederick, Aidan Frederick, Addison James, Zoe James, Taylor Besig, Jade Keel, Gryphon Keel, Aiden Stewart, Quinn Stewart, Gideon Stewart, Poppy Stewart, Asher Rubin, Levi Rubin, Tyler Fay, Austin Fay and Isabella Fay; sister-in-law Beverly White and many nieces & nephews.

The family of Doris N. Stewart will receive friends on Saturday from 12:00 PM (noon) until 1:00PM at the Dagon Funeral Home, 38 Church St., Hornell, NY.  Private funeral & committal services will be held at the convenience of the family with Rev Laura Fry and Rev. Harry Heintz officiating.  Burial will be in Heritage Hill Cemetery, Arkport.

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

Doris’ family request that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in her name be made to the Penfield Place Activities Fund, 1700 Penfield Place, Penfield, NY 14526.  Memorial forms will be available at the Dagon Funeral Home.

Preston Smith – 59 – of 115 Elm St., Hornell, died unexpectedly on Saturday (February 27, 2021) at his home.

Born in New York City on June 2, 1961, he was the son of Calvin & Thomasina (Swain) Smith SR.

Preston grew up in New York City and was a graduate of Gompers High School (class of 1979).  He was a 7 year Veteran of the US Army, serving his country in many locations, including Germany & Korea.

Following his honorable discharge from the US Army, Preston returned to New York City and was employed as a Tele-Communications Installing Technician.  He had resided in the Hornell area for the past five years and was employed in the housekeeping and maintenance department at Elderwood Nursing Facility.

Being from New York City, Preston enjoyed rooting for the New York Yankees, New York Mets and the New York Knicks.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Winifred Lane Smith; his father, Calvin Smith Sr; and his sister, Annette Marie Smith-Wilson.

Surviving are his mother, Thomasina Smith-Carter of NYC; 2 brothers, Calvin Smith of NYC and Eric Pierce of Brooklyn, NY; several cousins, nieces & nephews.

There will be no prior 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.

Memorial contributions in his name may be made to the Bath VA Hospital Activities Fund, 76 Veterans Ave., Bath, NY 14810.

Egbert Ward “E.W.” Phillips – (89) – of 2836 State Route 244, Belmont, NY died unexpectedly Saturday evening (February 20, 2021) at his home.

Born in the Town of Ward on August 17, 1931, he was the son of Egbert & Lillian (Austin) Phillips.

E.W. grew up in the Phillips Creek & Alfred area and was a graduate of Alfred-Almond Central School (class of 1948).  He later attended Alfred State College.

In 1950, E.W. enlisted in the United States Army, and served his country during the Korean Conflict.  He served 19 months in Korea and was stationed in Japan for about a year.  He was honorably discharged in 1953.

Following his honorable discharge, E.W. worked as a “Jack of All Trades”, including truck driver, cabinet maker, plumber and general farming.  For over 30 years, he was employed at the Erie Railroad, Erie-Lackawanna Railroad, Delaware & Hudson (D & H) Railroad, NYS&W Railroad and Canadian Pacific Railroad, retiring in 1993 as an engineer.

E.W. enjoyed coin collecting & stamp collecting and had been a member of the Dansville Moose Lodge and the Canisteo American Legion.

He was married in 1954 to the former Viola Simons who died in 2007.  He was also preceded in death by his parents; and two sisters, Gene Adelle Phillips and Eloise Mae Draggett.

Surviving are his children, Wanda (Tom) Perry of Phoenix, AZ, Cindy (Paul) Coleman of Almond, Dale (Robin Davis) Phillips of the Town of Ward, Troy (Andrea) Phillips of the Town of Ward and Donna (Bill Huber) Phillips of Dansville; 12 grandchildren; 8 great-grandchildren; several nieces & nephews.

At E.W.’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. 

E.W.’s family request that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in his name be made to either the Almond Rescue Squad or to the Belmont Rescue Squad.