Richard X. “Dick / RX” Curran – 88 – formerly of 19 Albion Street and more recently of Updyke’s Willow Ridge, Hornell, died Monday morning, October 14, 2019 following an extended illness.

A native of Hornell, he was born on March 11, 1931, and was the son of John and Dolores (Kelly) Curran.

Dick was a graduate of Hornell High School (class of 1951).  During his high school years, he began his construction career working on the Almond Dam.  After his graduation in 1951, Richard was an operating engineer on major projects on the St. Lawrence Seaway, Niagara Power Project, Glen Canyon Dam in Arizona, the NYS thruway, and local expressway road work.  He was also a rural mail carrier for the Hornell Post Office for a number of years.

Richard purchased the Southside Grill (also known as Tammany Hall) in 1975 from the Gleason brothers, James and Francis.  For 25 years, he enjoyed many conversations, discussing history, politics, construction jobs, and football with the local patrons.  Dick was known to be very knowledgeable in many of those topics.  He cherished his time with friends and patrons, especially his bartender, Daryl Brown.  Being of strong Irish heritage, he proudly welcomed the University of Notre Dame’s Glee Club to spend an evening at the tavern while they were doing a fall tour in October of 1995.  The Glee Club and patrons sang Irish songs in a “joint concert.”

Dick was a former member of St. Ignatius Loyola Church and, more recently, a member of Our Lady of the Valley Parish and a communicant of St. Ann’s Church.  He was a past member of the Elks organization in both Hornell & Niagara Falls and the Hornell Moose Lodge.

In addition to his parents, Richard was preceded in death by his beloved daughter, Christine (Curran) McDaniel, who died April 6, 2015; his four-year-old brother, Edward Curran; brothers-in-law, Stan Shepard & Glen Bossard.

He was married at St. Ignatius Loyola Church on April 14, 1956 to the former Joanne Dixon who survives.  Also surviving are two daughters, Kimberly “KC” (Tim) Quinlan of Arkport, NY and Erin Curran-Fenton of Penfield, NY; one son, Colin (Becky) Curran of Hornell, NY; son-in-law, Tim McDaniel of Hornell, NY; one brother, Fred (Peggy) Curran of Irondequoit, NY; his grandchildren, Kristen Yatteau, Ryan Quinlan, Marissa Curran, Nicole Curran, Lindsay Curran, Meredith Shafer, James McDaniel, Sean Fenton, and Casey Fenton; great-grandchildren, Isabella, Emaleigh, Harper, Kyle, Kolton, Owen, and Haley; sisters-in-law, Mary Ellen Bossard & Jean Shepard; many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

At Dick’s request, there will be no calling hours.  A Memorial Mass will be celebrated on Monday (October 21, 2019) at 10:00 AM at St. Ann’s Church with Fr. Stan Kacprzak officiating.

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

Richard’s family requests that, in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in his name be made to the Rochester Ataxia Foundation, PO Box 16560, Rochester, NY 14616; Our Lady of the Valley Parish, 27 Erie Avenue, Hornell, NY 14843, St. Ann’s Academy, PO Box 446, Hornell, NY 14843, or Sister Susan / Catholic Charities, 34 West Main St., Canisteo, NY 14823.

To leave an online condolence or print a memorial form, visit www.dagonfuneralhome.com.

Emma L. Loree (91) formerly of Arkport and Dansville, passed away peacefully Friday morning (September 27, 2019) at Elderwood of Hornell Nursing Facility where she had resided since October 2016.

Born in Wayland, NY on May 14, 1928, she was the daughter of the late George and Lida (Drum) Emo.  On May 12, 1951, she married Mark J. Loree.  They celebrated nearly 65 years of marriage before Mark’s passing on March 16, 2016.

Emma was a graduate of Wayland High School (class of 1946).  Prior to her marriage she worked at the Kodak Company in Rochester in the box department.  Emma was a farmwife and stay at home Mom.  Together she and Mark operated the Loree dairy and beef farm (Loree Homestead) in the North Almond Valley from 1951 until 2004.

Along with raising their 6 children, she and Mark enjoyed square dancing and life on the farm.  Emma was known for her “green thumb”.  She could generally nurse any plant back to good health.  She loved gardening and sharing her vegetables and flower gardens.  She was also known for her homemade breads and homemade pickles.  Mostly she loved spending time with Mark, the children, grand and great grandchildren, neighbors and friends who stopped by.

As the children got older, Emma worked for 11 years at the Arkport Central School cafeteria.  She also worked several decades for the Almond Election Bureau on election days.  She was a member of the Arkport (Bishopville) Home Bureau which later became a member of the Cornell Cooperative Extension.  She was a member of Our Lady of the Valley Parish and a communicant of St Ann’s Church.  She was also a 20-plus year member of the St. James Hospital Auxiliary.

Emma  is survived by  4 daughters; Linda Loree-Findeis (Edith) of Clifton Springs, NY, Patricia (Thomas) McDonald of Wayland, NY, Erma (George) Kobosko of Melbourne, FL and Mary Loree of Bellefontaine, OH;  2 sons, Mark (Gina-Marie ) Loree of Wellington, FL, and Donald (Michelle) Loree of Surprise, AZ;  7 grandchildren; 8 great-grandchildren and twin great great-grandsons; brother-in-law Thomas Loree of Dansville; several step-grandchildren, step-great-grandchildren, step-great-great grandchildren; nieces, nephews, cousins and many friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Mark; sister Katheryn (Rodney) Zeh; sister in-law Mary (Bill) Patti; sister in-law Hazel Loree; and brother in-law Paul (Dee) Loree.

The family of Emma L. Loree will receive friends on Friday (October 11, 2019) from 9:00 AM until 10:00 AM at St. Ann’s Church where a Memorial Mass will be celebrated at 10:00 AM.

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

Emmas’ family kindly request that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in her name be made to St Ann’s Church, 27 Erie Ave., Hornell, NY 14843; or to Elderwood of Hornell (attn: Activities Dept), 1 Bethesda Dr., Hornell, NY 14843.

The Loree family wishes to thank the employees and volunteers of Elderwood for the care, compassion and love they provided Mom during her stay.  We would also like to thank the residents for their companionship and friendship with Mom.

Carol Grace Butler – 62 – of 8910 County Route 46, Arkport, NY (Town of Dansville) died unexpectedly Tuesday morning (September 24, 2019) at her home following a long illness.

Born in Webster, MA on May 29, 1957, she was the daughter of Stanley & Myrtis (Foskett) Cimoch.

Carol grew up in Dudley, MA and was a graduate of Bay Path Regional High School in Charlton, MA (class of 1976).

Growing up on her family’s Dairy Farm, Carol developed a deep love & affection for all animals at a very early age.  As a young girl, she began rescuing both wild & farm animals.  For the past 30 years, she owned and operated Oak Tree Sanctuary. As a licensed wildlife rehabilitator, she rehabbed all sorts of wildlife and rescued orphaned or abused farm animals. She also owned Windom Hill Kennel of Arkport where she raised German Shepherds and Great Danes.

Carol was married on September 3, 1988 to Roy A. Butler who survives.  Also surviving are 2 sons, James Proulx and Brian Girardi and her daughter, Melissa Butler; along with2 grandchildren.

At Carol’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. 

Carol’s family request that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in her name be made to any reputable charitable organization that assists veterans and wounded warriors.

Shirley E. Miller – 80 – of 375 Ontario St., Hornell, died Saturday morning (September 21, 2018) at her home, following a long illness.

Born in Brown Station, MO on April 17, 1939, she was the daughter of Warren & Ruby (Morris) Stone.

Shirley’s family lived in Columbia, MO until she was five years old.  She has resided for most of her life in the Hornell-Canisteo area.

She was a graduate of Canisteo Central School (class of 1958).  Following high school graduation, she was employed for about 2 years at the former Marion Rohr Corporation in Hornell and also Ontario Industries of Hornell.  Shirley later served as a crossing guard / police matron for the City of Hornell where she attended to and transported female prisoners and patients.  Prior to her retirement, she served as a Unit Secretary on both medical floors as well as the Emergency Room at St. James Mercy Hospital.

Shirley enjoyed baking and was well known throughout the area for baking and decorating beautiful wedding cakes for family & friends.  She also enjoyed machine embroidery and was one of the first seamstresses in the area to master the art of embroidery and monograms.

In addition to her parents, Shirley was preceded in death by her daughter, Tammy Waters (died January 23, 2010); her brother, Lonnie Kellogg (died July 31, 2009); her sister, Deborah Cartwright Kellogg (died April 16, 2019).

She was married on May 27, 1960 to Brian Miller who survives.  Also surviving are her son, Jeff (Cindy) Miller of Hornell; 2 brothers, Richard “Rick” (Mary Ellen) Kellogg of Hornell and Leslie Kellogg of Orange City, FL; her sister, Fran Makitra of Chesapeake, VA; 4 grandchildren; 4 great-grandchildren; several nieces & nephews.

A special thank-you must be given, at this time, to at least two of Shirley’s Care Givers that tended to her needs for several years.  Those gals are Diane Butler of Hornell and her niece, Amy Butler from the Rural Canisteo area.  The journey of caring for Shirley would have been very difficult without them!

The family of Shirley E. Miller will receive friends on Wednesday from 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM at the Dagon Funeral Home, 38 Church St., Hornell, NY.  A “Trip Down Memory Lane” will follow at 6:00 PM where family & friends will have an opportunity to share thoughts and memories of Shirley.  Final interment will be in Rural Cemetery, Hornell, NY.

In recognition of Shirley’s affection for animals, her 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.

Kenneth DeSilva – (79) – of 7323 County Route 70A (Big Creek Road), Hornell, died early Sunday morning (September 15, 2019) at The Homestead at Soldiers & Sailors Hospital in Penn Yan, NY following a long illness.

Born in Margaretville, NY on September 19, 1939, he was the son of Frank & Eleanor (Cole) DeSilva.

Ken grew up in Margaretville, NY (located in the Catskills) and attended Margaretville Central School.  He later earned his General Education Diploma (GED) by taking classes in Binghamton, NY.

For many years, Ken resided in Walton, NY and on September 13, 1958 married the former Joan LaPorte.  Together they raised their four children, David, Karson, Gordon & Dean.  While living in Walton, Ken was employed at Del-Met Corporation and also owned & operated Montgomery-Ward Store.

Throughout the years, Ken also resided in Binghamton where he was employed at Stowe Manufacturing and also lived in Elmira Heights where he worked at Upstate Tool Company.  He later resided in Corning where he owned & operated a Woodmizer Saw business.  He has resided in the Hornell area since 2015.

He was baptized and attended Buena Vista Wesleyan Church.

Ken was a true outdoorsman and an avid hunter.  He enjoyed fishing and hunting big game, such as elk, moose, deer, bear and caribou.  He has hunted in many locations, including Montana & Quebec Canada.  Throughout the years, Ken took great pride working on & maintaining his properties and had even built his own pond on Brown Hollow Road in Corning.  In his “spare time”, Ken enjoyed watching football.

He was preceded in death by 2 brothers, Donald DeSilva and Robert DeSilva; 1 sister, Marilyn DeSilva.

Ken was married on September 19, 2009 to the former Denise Collins who survives. Also surviving are 3 sons, David (Mary Kaye) DeSilva of Howard, NY, Gordon (Kelly) DeSilva of Vallejo, CA and Dean (Jill) DeSilva of Deer Lodge, MT; 1 daughter, Karson James of Walton, NY; 1 brother, Ronald DeSilva of Margaretville, NY; 2 step-sons, Jared (Shannon) Billings of Wellsville and Tyler Billings of Hornell; 16 grandchildren, Matthew (Tanya) DeSilva, Zach DeSilva, Steven DeSilva, Mannon (Jordi) Loucks, Rachel James, Orrin James, Tyrell (Dacy) Deserve, Levi DeSilva, Joshua DeSilva, Logan DeSilva, Hannah DeSilva, Allison DeSilva, Lindsey (Jerell) Andall, Jamie Morgan, Jackie Morgan and Lonie Morgan; 8 great-grandchildren; several nieces & nephews.

At Ken’s request there will be no calling hours.  Family & friends are invited to attend a Memorial Service at the Buena Vista Wesleyan Church on Thursday, October 3, 2019 at 11:30 AM with a luncheon to follow.  Pastor Dan Pickering will officiate. Final interment will be on the family plot in Margaretville Cemetery in Margaretville, NY.

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

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

Max D. Sanford – 83 – of 7563 Airport Road, Hornell, died early Saturday morning (September 7, 2019) at Hornell Gardens, following a brief illness.

Born in Hornell on October 18, 1935, he was the son of Bert & Fannie (Connor) Sanford.

Max grew up in Adrian, NY and attended Canisteo Central School.  He was a veteran of the US Army, serving his country during the Korean Conflict.

He resided in Florida for about 10 years, returning to the Adrian area nearly 40 years ago.  He lived in Canisteo for about 4 years before moving to Hornell eight months ago.

For most of his life, Max was employed as a carpenter, working for the local Carpenter’s Union.  He was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed deer hunting and trout fishing,  He also enjoyed collecting & working on antique tractors and, throughout the years, owned several tractors.

In addition to his parents, Max was preceded in death by his son, Timothy Sanford along with several brothers & sisters.

Surviving are 2 sons, Mickey Sanford of Florida and David (Nickie Woodard) Sanford of Hornell; his daughter, Gail Peters of Rochester; several grandchildren, brothers & sisters.

At Max’s request there will be no calling hours.  Private services will be held at the convenience of the family with final interment at the Bath National Cemetery, Bath, NY.

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

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

Ruth Marie Kurtz – 92 – of 105 Geneva St., Bath, NY, formerly of Hammondsport, NY died Tuesday evening (August 27, 2019) at Ira Davenport Hospital in Bath following a brief illness.

Born I n Magadore, OH on June 13, 1927, she was the daughter of Leroy & Vera (Hoskins) Walters.

Ruth grew up in Berlin Center, OH where she attended Berlin Center High School through her junior year.  Years later she returned to school and received her high school diploma in 1960.

Residing in the Bath/Hammondsport area for over 30 years, Ruth was a member of the Bethel Assembly of God Church where she and her husband were active in the pre-school program.  She had a deep love of her family and especially adored her grandchildren & great-grandchildren.

Ruth was married to James W. Kurtz who died July 10, 2015.  She was also preceded in death by her son, Ron Kurtz; along with 2 sisters, Doris & Wilma.

Surviving are 2 sons, Danny (Mary) Kurtz of Lake Havasu City, AZ and David (Karen) Kurtz of Medford, OR; 7 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; nieces & nephews.

A Memorial Service will be held at the Bethel Assembly of God Church in Bath, NY at a date & time to be announced.  Burial will be in McDowell Cemetery, Wayne, NY.

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

Ruth’s  family request that memorial contributions in her name be made to a charity of the donor’s choice.

Bath, New York

Suzanne “Sue” Fitzgerald – 70 – of 105 Geneva St., Bath, NY, died Tuesday morning (August 20, 2019) at Ira Davenport Hospital in Bath.

Born in Corning, NY on October 28, 1948, she was the daughter of William & Florence (Flood) Fitzgerald.

Sue grew up in Corning and was a graduate of East Corning High School (class of 1966).  She later graduated from Nursing School in Pennsylvania, obtaining her Registered Nurse’s License.

For many years, Sue had been employed as a registered nurse at Corning Hospital, primarily working in the Respiratory Unit.

She served as a dispatcher for the Campbell Fire Department and also volunteered her time by working on their fundraising projects.  She also enjoyed making jewelry.

In addition to her parents, Sue was preceded in death by her brother, William “Pat” Fitzgerald.

Survivors include her nephew, Timothy Fitzgerald and her niece, Michelle Fitzgerald.

At Sue’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. 

Sue’s family request that memorial contributions in her name be made to the charity of the donor’s choice.

Frederick W. “Fred” Coogan – 63 – of 6608 Beecher Road, Hornell, died unexpectedly Wednesday morning (August 21, 2019) at his home.

Born in Hornell on September 28, 1955, he was the son of Ralph & Pearl (Clark) Coogan.

Fred grew up in Hornell and was a graduate of Hornell High School (class of 1973).

A resident of the Hornell area for most of his life, he owned and operated Fred Coogan Demolition & Construction.  He was an expert in explosives and was licensed to demolish buildings with the use of dynamite.  During his career, Fred was responsible for demolishing the Hornell Universalist Church on Church Street along with demolishing many homes and buildings, clearing the way for the St. James Mercy Hospital Expansion Project in the early 1990’s.  He was also a talented carpenter who built and remodeled many homes in the area.

Fred was raised Catholic and had been a member of St. Ann’s Church.  He loved the outdoors and truly enjoyed spending time with friends boating & skiing on Conesus Lake.

Surviving are his fiancé, Diane Edwards; his brother, Ralph James “Jim” (Judy) Coogan of Conesus Lake; his sister, Teresa Jaycox of Almond; his nieces & nephews, Andrea Carty, Jamie Scalise, Tammy Hurlburt, Toni Boglev & Justin Jaycox; Diane’s children, Elaine Melkioty, Kristina Rischar, Megan Melkioty, Daniel Edwards & David Edwards; along with several cousins.

A special “Thank You” to his cousins Joseph, Brenda, Sherri, and Jacqueline who meant so much to him.

At Fred’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. 

Fred’s family request that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in his name be made to the American Cancer Society, 13 Beech St., Johnson City, NY  13790 in honor of his mother Pearl Coogan.

Gerald T. “Jerry” McCarthy – 60 – of Nashua, NH, formerly of Hornell, died unexpectedly on Tuesday, July 2, 2019 in Las Vegas, NV.

Born in Hornell on March 23, 1959, he was the son of Robert “Bob” & Joann (Oriheul) McCarthy.

Jerry grew up in Hornell and was a graduate of Hornell High School (class of 1978).  He later attended Brockport State College.

In 1980, Jerry moved to Newport Beach, CA and later lived in West Hollywood, CA where he owned & operated The Mother Lode Tavern for over 20 years.  After selling his share of the business, he moved to Las Vegas, NV where he resided for about 10 years.  While in Las Vegas, he worked several jobs, including truck driver.  He returned to New York State and lived in Rochester for several years before moving to New Hampshire about a year ago.

While living in Hornell, Jerry had been a member of St. Ann’s Church.  He was an avid sports fan and especially enjoyed rooting for Oakland Raiders.  He had a deep love of music and was proud to be called a “Dead Head” and throughout the years had attended over 100 Grateful Dead Shows.

Jerry is survived by his mother, Joann McCarthy of Nashua, NH; his sister, Kim (Sean) Fitzpatrick of Nashua, NH; his brother, Mike (Joann Tong) McCarthy of Charlottesville, VA; several aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces & nephews.

The family of Gerald T. McCarthy will receive friends on Friday from 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM at the Dagon Funeral Home, 38 Church St., Hornell, NY where a Memorial Service will be held at the conclusion of calling hours at 2:00 PM with Deacon Bob McCormick officiating.

A “Celebration of Life” will be held on Friday from 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM at The Main Place, 251 Main St., Hornell, NY where family & friends will be encouraged to share stories and“Tip a Glass” in Jerry’s honor.  Final interment will be in St. Mary’s Cemetery.