Roseanna M. “Rosie” Thompson, 76, passed peacefully from this world on Tuesday morning (November 3, 2020) after a long illness that she fought with courage and grace.

Born in Hornell, on April 2, 1944, she was the daughter of Grover and Marie (Vedo) Prior.

A resident of Hornell for her entire life, Rosie attended St. Ann’s School and graduated from Hornell High School (class of 1962).  A hard worker throughout her life, her favorite job was working with her family at Stubby’s Tavern in Hornell.  She had also been employed at St. James Hospital, Stern and Stern Textiles, Steiner Accounting, Woolworth’s and Kmart.  Rosie “retired” from Alfred State College in 2009 after 19 years of service.  She enjoyed talking with people and staying busy, so she continued to work part-time at Wal-Mart until her final retirement in 2017.

First and foremost, Rosie was a dedicated and loving mother. She treasured her children and embraced every moment with them. She especially loved her role as a grandmother.  The love she had for her family was immeasurable and she will be missed more than words can say.

Rosie loved to travel and went on many trips with family and friends and she was always ready for an excursion to the casino.  As a lover of all kinds of music and a lifelong Elvis fan, she went to many concerts including Cher, Neil Diamond and Barry Manilow just to name a few.

Throughout the years, Rosie was a member of the Hornell Moose Lodge, the Hornell Association, the Hornell VFW, the Hornell American Legion Auxiliary and the Hornell Alumni Association.

Rosie was predeceased by her father Grover Prior; her infant son; along with several aunts and uncles.

Surviving are her mother, Marie Prior of Hornell; her daughter, Deborah (William) Looney of Rochester; her sons, Robert (Marcy) Thompson of Clinton and Jonathan (Christine) Thompson of Scotia; grandchildren Nathaniel, Hollymae and Jonathan Thompson; brothers, James (Helen) Prior of Hornell, Thomas Prior of Arkport and Michael Prior of Rochester; nieces and nephews.

Rosie’s family will be present to receive friends on Saturday from 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM at the Dagon Funeral Home, 38 Church St, Hornell, NY.  Due to the Corona Virus Pandemic, everyone entering the funeral home will be required to wear a mask and practice social distancing.  Private funeral services will be held at the convenience of the family with Deacon Robert McCormick officiating.

The Funeral Service for Rosie Thompson will be streamed via Facebook Live and can be viewed on the Dagon Funeral Home Facebook  page on Saturday at 7:00 PM by visiting www.facebook.com/dagonfuneralhome.  The video will remain available for viewing on our Facebook page for 30 days. 

The family extends their sincere gratitude to the staff at Westwood Commons Senior Living Community and Lifetime Care Hospice.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Rosie’s memory may be made to Westwood Commons Activities Fund, 50 Union Square Blvd., North Chili, NY 14514.  Memorial forms will be available at the Dagon Funeral Home.

Robert J. “Bob” Hitchcock, Jr. 63 of Chaumont NY died unexpectedly Wednesday evening October 21^st 2020, in the Town of Howard, he was there doing what he loved to do, bow hunting.

Born in Oswego, NY on March 12^th 1957, he was the son of Robert and Barbara (Dumas) Hitchcock, Sr.

Bob grew up in Oswego and attended Oswego High School. Along with his father & brother, he operated Rural Machine Shop in Oswego for 25 years. He was also employed as a millwright for Local Union #1163 out of Syracuse. He retired in May 2018.

An avid sports fan, Bob loved the New York Yankees and the Syracuse Orangemen. He also loved to spend his time fishing & hunting.

He is survived by his wife of 31 years, Robin (Rucynski) Hitchcock. Also surviving are his son, Tyler Hitchcock of Oswego; his daughter, Sarah (Kameron) Williams of Norfolk, VA; his brother, Thomas (Mary) Hitchcock of Oswego, 3 Sisters, Deborah Kenyon of Rochester, Connie (Ken) Gould of Oswego and Donna (Harold) Morley of Oswego; several nieces & nephews. He will be missed by his yellow lab, “Ellie” who he loved dearly.

He was predeceased by his parents, and his brother in-law Paul Kenyon.

Bob loved to joke around and was always teasing someone. He loved to tell old stories and even though we heard them a million times, we still let him tell them anyway. He will be missed by many.

In following Bob’s wishes, there will be no services. A “Celebration of Life” will be held at a later date.

Betty Jean “Bett” Clark – 80 – of 1002 Wilhelm Rd., Harrisburg, PA, died Friday morning (October 16, 2020) at Community General Hospital in Harrisburg, following a long illness.

Born in Erie, PA on May 15, 1940, she was the daughter of Gerald & Elizabeth (Ranwand) Kepner.

Betty Jean grew up in the Canaseraga area and was a graduate of Canaseraga Central School (class of 1958).  She resided in Rochester for several years where she was employed at General Electric Corporation.  She later lived in Hornell for many years and worked for Birdseye Corporation in Avon, NY.

In 1984, Bett moved to Mechanicville, NY where she raised her family and was also self-employed.  She lived in Cohoes, NY from 1991-2014 and has resided in Harrisburg for the past six years.

While living in Hornell, Betty love attending Hornell Little League games, watching her husband coach and her son & nephews play ball.  Throughout the years, she also enjoyed watching the Little League World Series (played in Williamsport, PA) on Television.  Bett had a deep love of animals, and especially loved her many dogs that she raised throughout the years.  She also enjoyed working crossword puzzles, and watching General Hospital & Little House on the Prairie on TV.  Betty’s favorite movie was “Titanic” which she watched whenever it was on television.  Her greatest joy, however, was simply spending time with her family who she loved with all of her heart!!

She was preceded in death by her sister, Nancy Whiteman who died in 2012.

Betty was married on December 19, 1970 to Terry L Clark SR who survives.  Also surviving are her daughter, Michelle Kepner of Harrisburg; her son, Terry (Jamie Thompson) Clark JR of Harrisburg; 1 brother, Alan “Dale” (Arlene) Kepner of Wellsville; 1 granddaughter, Brandi Michele Lee (Brandon Hammond) Clark; 1 grandson, Nicholas Noyes; 1 great-grandson, Mason Lee Hammond; several nieces, nephews, great-nieces & great-nephews along with a large extended family who she also loved!

The family of Betty Jean Clark will receive friends on Thursday from 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM at the Dagon Funeral Home, 38 Church St., Hornell, NY where a funeral service will be held on Friday at 11:00 AM with ___ Mark Brewer officiating.  Burial will be in St. Mary’s Cemetery.

Betty Jean’s family request that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in her name be made to the Hornell Humane Society, 7649 Industrial Park Road, Hornell, NY 14843.  Memorial forms will be available at the Dagon Funeral Home.

Francis R. “Joe” Solo – (92) – formerly of 106 Elizabeth St., Hornell, died Friday afternoon (October 16, 2020) at Jones Memorial Hospital in Wellsville, following a long illness.

A native & life resident of Hornell, he was born March 15, 1928 and was the son of Carmen & Frances(Beaird) Solo.

Joe was a graduate of Hornell High School (class of 1946).  He was a veteran of the US Army, serving his country during the Korean Conflict.

He was employed for about a year in the soils department of the New York State Department of Transportation.  For 34 years he was employed as a mail carrier for the US Postal Service, retiring in 1987.

Joe was a former communicant of St. Ignatius Loyola Church and had been a member of the St. Ignatius Boy’s Choir during the 1930s-1940s.  In recent years, Joe was a member of Our Lady of the Valley Parish and a communicant of St. Ann’s Church. He was a life member of both the Hornell Knights of Columbus and the Hornell American Legion.  Joe was a New York Yankee fan and also enjoyed rooting for both the Buffalo Bills and New York Giants.  Throughout the years, he enjoyed playing golf and had been a member of Twin Hickory Golf Club.

He was married on July 21, 1951 to the former Lucy Miller who died May 20, 2014.  He was also preceded in death by his son-in-law, Steve Lamb who died October 15, 2014; and his sister, Catherine Solo who died October 20, 2010; as well as many “canine companions”.

Surviving are 1 daughter, Judy Lamb of Frederick, MD; 2 sons, Fran Solo of Endicott, NY and Christopher Solo of Endicott; 2 sisters, Elaine Grazioplene of Churchville and Patricia Emerson of Hornell; 4 grandchildren, Amy (Phil) Quattrini, Matthew Lamb, Erik Solo and Emily Solo; 4 great-grandchildren, Makenzi Quattrini, Logan Quattrini, Marco Solo & Nico Solo; several nieces & nephews.

The family of Francis R. “Joe” Solo will receive friends on Monday from 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM at the Dagon Funeral Home, 38 Church St., Hornell, NY.  A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday at 10:00 AM at St. Ann’s Church.  Burial will be in St. Ann’s Cemetery.

PLEASE NOTE THAT MASKS AND SOCIAL DISTANCING WILL BE REQUIRED AT BOTH THE DAGON FUNERAL HOME AND ST. ANN’S CHURCH.

Joe’s family requests that memorial contributions in his name be made to St. Ann’s Church, 27 Erie Ave, Hornell, NY 14843, or to the Hornell Humane Society, 7649 Industrial Park Road, Hornell, NY 14843 or to St. Jude Children’s Hospital, PO Box 1000 — Dep’t 300, Memphis, TN 38148. Memorial forms will be available at the Dagon Funeral Home.

In recognition of Joe’s service to his country during the Korean Conflict, the American Flag at the Dagon Funeral Home will be flown at half-staff.

Gordon F. “Gordy” McGregor – 69 – formerly of Canisteo, died early Saturday morning (October 3, 2020) at Elderwood at Hornell Nursing Facility, where he resided for the past two years.

Born in North Hornell, NY on May 24, 1951, he was the son of Robert & Alice (Shull) McGregor.

Gordy grew up in Hornell and was a graduate of Hornell High School (class of 1970).  Following high school graduation, he joined the US Army National Guard and was active duty during the flood of 1972.

In the 1970’s, Gordy was employed by Elmhurst Dairy as a milkman, delivering milk & dairy products to area homes.  From 1979 – 1992 he worked for Monroe Tree as an Arborist, trimming, cutting & pruning trees.

During the 1980’s, Gordy re-joined the National Guard and served as a cook in Hornell.  From 1993-2010 he served full-time with the National Guard at their Rochester facility and was active duty stateside during “Operation Enduring Freedom” from 2005-2006.  He retired in 2010.

Gordy enjoyed watching sporting events on Television and was an avid Buffalo Sabres fan.   His greatest joy, however, was simply spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren.

He was married on April 28, 1973 to the former Cynthia “Cindy” Hadley who died March 8, 2014.

Surviving are his son, Seth (Jenny Stephens) McGregor of Hornell; his daughter, Kristen (William) Lain of Canisteo; his sister, Irene Hendy of Webster, NY; 5 grandchildren, Shelby Derek, Morgan McGregor, Aaron Lain, Abigail Lain and Mallory Lain; 1 great-granddaughter, Harper Ockenden; several nieces & nephews.

At Gordy’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.

Gordy’s family request that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in his name be made to Bath VA Medical Center (Activities Fund), 76 Veterans Ave., Bath, NY 14810 or to any AMVETS organization.

Mary Ann Leon, 88, of 480 Maple City Drive, Hornell, NY died peacefully Friday, October 2, 2020, following a brief illness.

Born in Hornell on February 27, 1932, she was the daughter of Juan and Annie (Grillo) Orihuel.

Mary Ann grew up in Hornell and was a graduate of Hornell High School, class of 1949.  Following high school, she worked various jobs and completed her last six years of employment in office administration at Stern and Stern Industries — a job she truly loved.

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

On September 25, 1971, she married Earl W. Leon of Alfred, NY.  She and Earl especially enjoyed traveling and hosting family & friends in homes they maintained in Florida and New York.  Mary Ann particularly loved playing cards, cooking, and family gatherings.  She was also an avid football and basketball sports fan.  Her beloved husband Earl died May 18, 2006.

Surviving are her children, Don (Cheryl) House of Millbrook, AL; Ron (Barb) House of Sun City Center, FL; Kathy (House) Wright of Prattville, AL; John (Sheryl) House of Alfred Station, NY; step-children David (Becky) Leon of Canandaigua, NY; and Diane Trimble of Geneseo, NY; 2 sisters, JoAnn McCarthy of Nashua, NH and Lucy Orihuel of Sarasota, FL; 19 grandchildren and several great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews & cousins.

At Mary Ann’s request, there will be no calling hours.  A private graveside service will be held at St. Mary’s Cemetery at the convenience of the family with a “Celebration of Life” to be held at a future date.

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

Mary Ann’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 or by visiting https://www.stjude.org/donate/donate-to-st-jude.html

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

Mary E. Griffith – 76 – of Alden, NY, died August 25, 2020.

Born in Hornell on October 24, 1943, she was the daughter of Steve & Florence Ryan.

She was the dearest mother of Kelly (Jeff) Funk and Bob (Doreen) Geary; dear grandmother of Jason and Cassidy Funk and Magen and Ryan Geary.

Funeral services were held in Depew, NY.  Private interment along with graveside prayer service will be held at St. Ann’s Cemetery at the convenience of the family.

Local arrangements are in care of the Dagon Funeral Home, 28 Church St., Hornell, NY.

Edward G. “Ed” Clancy Jr. – 91 – of 7355 North Main St. Ext., Hornell, died Sunday morning (September 20, 2020) at St. James Hospital, following a short illness.

Born in Hornell on June 23, 1929, he was the son of Edward & Florence (Feeney) Clancy.

Ed grew up on Grand Street in Hornell and was a proud member of the “Bloody Fifth” ward.  He was a graduate of the former St. Ann’s School and later graduated from Hornell High School (class of 1948).

Following high school graduation, Ed began working as a clerk for the former Erie Railroad.  In 1950 he enlisted in The US Marine Corp. and saw active duty in Korea.  He also had top security clearance in the Atomic Program.  He was honorably discharged in 1954.

After serving with the Marines, Ed returned to the Hornell area and resumed his employment with the Erie Railroad and later the Erie-Lackawanna Railroad and Conrail.  While with the railroad, Ed received an award for having the least number of accidents.  From 1965-1976 he resided in Binghamton, NY and from 1976-1989 he lived in Altoona, PA.  He retired in 1989 as superintendent with over 40 years of service to the railroad.

Ed was a longtime member of St. Ignatius Loyola Church and in recent years he was a member of Our Lady of the Valley Parish and a communicant of Ann’s Church.  He was also a member and past commander of the Hornell American Legion, the Hornell VFW and the Ancient Order of Hibernians.

For many years, Ed raised, bred and showed canaries and later tropical fish.  He was a member of the International Canary & Finch Society.  He enjoyed fishing, camping, reading and photography.   He also loved gardening and especially enjoyed the time spent raising beautiful roses.  A lifelong Frank Sinatra fan, Ed loved his family and the wonderful time spent with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Ed was married on May 15, 1954 to the former Mary Frances McKevitt who died December 28, 2006.  He was also preceded in death by 2 brothers, Thomas (and his wife, Barbara) Clancy and John Leo Clancy; his grandson, CPL Donovan E. Clancy USMC; his niece, Pamela J. Clancy; his brothers-in-law, James O’Connor and Michael Murphy.

Surviving are 3 daughters, Kathleen Clancy of Johnson City, NY, Kelly (Arnie) Belz of Saegertown, PA and Kolleen (Robert) Dunn of Hornell; 3 sons, Edward G. Clancy III, James (Laura) Clancy of Altoona, PA and Kevin (Christina) Clancy of Ridgway, PA; 1 brother, Richard (Barbara) Clancy of Hornell; 1 sister, Mary Elizabeth O’Connor of Dansville; his sisters-in-law, Margaret Clancy of Hornell and Janice Murphy of Elmira; 12 grandchildren, James, Sarah, Emily, Nathan, Travis, Tyler, Trevor, Donovan (deceased), Casey, Shannon, Dylan, Jacob & Elijah; 9 great-grandchildren; many nieces & nephews.

The family of Edward G. “Ed” Clancy Jr. will receive friends on Wednesday from 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM at the Dagon Funeral Home, 38 Church St., Hornell, NY where USMC Military Services will be conducted at the conclusion of calling hours at 6:00 PM.  A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Thursday at 10:00 AM at St. Ann’s Church with burial at the Bath National Cemetery, Bath, NY.

Ed’s family request that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in his name be made to the Hornell Alumni Association, PO Box 135, Hornell, NY 14843.  Memorial forms will be available at the Dagon Funeral Home.

In recognition of Ed’s service to his country during the Korean Conflict, the American Flag at the Dagon Funeral Home will be flown at half-staff.

Laura J. Witzmann – 58 – of 90 Seneca St., Hornell, died unexpectedly Monday afternoon (September 14, 2020) shortly after being transported to St. James Hospital.

Born in Yonkers, NY on July 13, 1962, she was the daughter of Herbert & Helene (Bardeen) Witzmann.

Laura’s family moved to Hart St. in Hornell when she was about five years old.  She grew up in Hornell and was a graduate of Hornell High School (class of 1983).

She had been employed at the Steuben County ARC for about 16 years doing embroidering & imaging and also served as an aid at the East Main St. ARC Home.

An active member of New Life Ministries of North Hornell which is now Station Church, Laura enjoyed Sunday Services, Bible Study and other church activities.  She also loved playing cards, especially “Skip-Bo”.  Some of her favorite times were simply being a wonderful “Grandma” and enjoying her grandchildren’s activities, especially Little League Baseball games.  She was her four grandchildren’s biggest fan!!

Laura will be sadly missed by her loving family and also by her her many friends, especially her dearest friends, Beth Jones and Brenda VanOrnsdale.

She was preceded in death by her parents and grandparents.

Surviving are her daughter, Megan (Jonathan) Gibbs of Hornell; 4 sisters, Diane (Pam) Griffin of Hornell, Linda Witzmann of Hornell, Mary Kay (James) Beaver of Hornell and Tracey (Moe) McNamara of Rochester; 1 brother, Daniel Witzmann of Hornell; 4 grandchildren, Harper Davis, Olyvia Davis, Mason Gibbs and Elias Gibbs; several nieces & nephews.

The family of Laura J. Witzmann will receive friends on Thursday from 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM at the Dagon Funeral Home, 38 Church St., Hornell, NY.  A Memorial Service will be held at the conclusion of calling hours at 6:00 PM with Pastor Joel Bolduc officiating.

Laura’s family request that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in her name be made to the Hornell Humane Society, 7649 Industrial Park Road, Hornell, NY 14843 or the Hornell Little League, PO Box 374, Hornell, NY 14843.  Memorial forms will be available at the Dagon Funeral Home.

Debra  L. “Debi” (Towner) Angell of 14 East Washington St., Hornell, NY died unexpectedly Monday afternoon (September 14, 2020) at St. James Hospital.

Born in Bath on September 7^th, MYOB she was daughter of Vernon F. & Mary T (Townsend) Towner.

Debi grew up in Hornell where she attended St. Ann’s School and later graduated from Hornell High School (class of 1972). Throughout the years, she attended many First Aid classes, Computer classes as well as other classes.

She had been employed by GST BOCES in Hornell and later at GST BOCES in Bath High School for a total of 25 years. Debi had also been employed at JC Penney’s in Hornell, where she was in charge of the Fabric Department.  She had been employed as a phlebotomist at St James Mercy Hospital Laboratory and also as a phlebotomist for Quest Diagnostic Laboratories of Buffalo for Wellness Clinics for 26 years.

Having a deep love of sports, Debi will be remembered for all the teams she coached throughout the years. She coached in the Girls Maple City Softball League for 9 years; coached the AMC Team (with winning the championship 3 out of 4 years) and also K of C Team (winning the championship 3 out of 3 years).  She also coached the Rebekah team for 2 years (winning the championship both years).  In addition, she coached many All Star teams throughout the years.  Debi also served as a coach in the Boys Hornell Little League and T-Ball for 2years & also coached the K of C team in the Major Little League for 3 years.  She won the championship & the City Series for 3 years & also won “District 6” Championship in 1988. She always enjoyed it when former players would come up to her and thank her for all the time & hard work she had put in and let her know that she taught them much more than baseball or softball.

For many years, Debi served as President of the Washington-Irving PTA and also served as secretary / treasurer of the Hornell Wrestling Club.  She enjoyed gardening, watching football, baseball, figure skating as well as The Young & Restless on TV.  She also enjoyed playing TRIVIA and loved traveling (especially taking cruises) with her husband, Rick, her family & many friends.

Debi loved her children, grandchildren and had a deep affection for her cats, Isabella, Matilda & Junior. She was very thankful to her children & grandchildren for all the entertaining hours she spent watching their sporting events as well as all their other accomplishments.

She was preceded in death by her mother Mary T (Townsend) Towner, and 3 sisters, Linda Sue Towner, Virginia “Ginny” Cartella-Boyer and Maryann Slobbe.

Surviving is her husband of 47 years, Rick Angell; her daughter & son-in-law, Kristie (Brian) Babcock of Hornell; her son, Shawn Angell of Atlanta, GA; her grandchildren, Hunter & Christian Babcock of Hornell, Isabella & Watson Angell of Georgia; her father Vernon (Red) Towner of Wallace;  her sister Sally Towner (Alan) Olmstead of Wallace. Also surviving are many nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews.

At Debi’s request there will be no calling hours.  Private services will be held at the convenience of the family.  Final interment will be in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Fremont, NY.

The Memorial Service for Debi Angell 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.

Debi’s family request that any memorial donations be made to the Hornell Humane Society, 7649 Industrial Park Road, Hornell, NY 14843.