Sara Christine Dagon – 31 – of 32 Church St., Hornell, died unexpectedly Saturday (May 4, 2019) at her home.

Born in Hornell on September 12, 1987, she was the youngest daughter of Jim & Patty (Class) Dagon.

Sara grew up in Hornell and attended St. Ann School.  She later graduated from Hornell High School (class of 2005).  While in high school, she was a member of the Hornell Swim Team and the HHS Girls Modified Soccer Team.  Following high school graduation, Sara attended Alfred State College, Monroe Community College, Fingerlakes College at Canandaigua and Buffalo State College.  While attending Monroe Community College in Rochester, she was employed as a waitress at Flour City Diner.

For about 10 years, Sara resided in Florida where she worked as a waitress for several restaurants, including Flashback Diner in Ft. Lauderdale and IHOP Diner in Port St. Lucie.  Returning to Hornell in 2015, she had served as a waitress at the Country Kitchen in Hornell and The Collegiate in Alfred.  Most recently, Sara worked as a Day Care Provider for the Hornell Children’s Home, primarily at the After School Program at North Hornell School.

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

Without a doubt, Sara will be remembered as a warm, compassionate girl who was loved by everyone.  She really had no enemies except, maybe herself.  For over 12 years, she struggled with opioid addiction.  Throughout the years, Sara tried so hard to stay clean but it seemed almost impossible to do.  She would be clean for months at a time and for some reason would relapse.  In and out of rehab facilities became the norm.

In January, 2018, Sara received the good news that she was expecting a baby.  She took the news very, very seriously and was determined to stay clean.  On September 6, 2018, Sara gave birth to a beautiful, healthy baby boy — Leo James Dagon.  Because of her addiction problems, Sara never thought that she would ever be blessed with a baby.  Despite her decade long battle with opiates, Sara fulfilled her lifelong dream of becoming a wonderful, caring & loving mother.  But, on Saturday, her demons resurfaced…….

If Sara could speak to the youth of today, she would plead to everyone listening to BE SCARED OF DRUGS — BE VERY SCARED OF DRUGS — STAY AS FAR AWAY FROM DRUGS AS POSSIBLE!!!

Sara was preceded in death by her paternal grandparents, Jim & Rickey Dagon; her maternal grandmother, Rosemary King; her maternal grandfather, Robert Class; her cousin, Jill Andolina; her uncle, Larry Clark.

Survivors include her 8 month old son, Leo James Dagon; her parents, Jim & Patty Dagon of Hornell;

3 sisters, Laura (Dr. Pasquale) Picco of Hornell, Jenny (Jeff) Reynolds of Arkport and Erin (Erik) Werner of North Hornell; her nieces & nephews, Nicholas Picco, Gennaro Picco, Pasquale “PJ” Picco, Marco Picco, Hannah Reynolds, Ethan Reynolds, Bryant Reynolds, Logan Werner, Harrison Werner & Evelyn Werner; many aunts, uncles & cousins.

At Sara’s family’s request there will be no calling hours.  Family & friends are invited to attend a Mass of Christian Burial on Friday at 2:00 PM 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.

Sara’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.

A special thank you to the caring staff at CASA-TRINITY in Dansville for their tireless dedication to those struggling with the disease of addiction.

Michael Anthony Tanner – 61 – of 1246 Maple Court, Hornell, (Town of Hornellsville) died unexpectedly Friday evening (May 3, 2019) at his home.

Born in Batavia, NY on June 26, 1957, he was the son of William & LaRue (Paul) Tanner.

Michael grew up in Oakfield, NY and was a graduate of Oakfield-Alabama High School (class of 1975).  He was a Veteran of the United States Marine Corp, serving his country from Dec, 13, 1976 – Dec. 12, 1980 and again from Nov. 26, 1982 – Nov. 25, 1986.  He was honorably discharged with the rank of Sergeant.

Following his honorable discharge from the US Marines, Michael resided for several years in Mt. Morris, NY and was employed at Sabin Metals in Scottsville, NY.  He later lived in Bath, NY and Avoca, NY and worked at the former Philips Lighting.  He has resided in Hornell since 2010.

Michael had been a member of Grace Bible Baptist Church in Bath.  He was an avid New York Yankee fan, a Buffalo Bills fan and also loved rooting for the Buffalo Sabres.  He also enjoyed collecting sports memorabilia such as sports cards and autographs.

He was preceded in death by his father, William (died Jan. 14, 2014); his mother, LaRue (died Nov. 28, 2012); 2 sisters, Regina Tanner (died July 20, 2018) and Teresa Tanner (died Sept. 9, 2018).

Surviving are 2 brothers, Milton (Deborah) Tanner of Bath, NY and Edward Tanner of Oakfield, NY; 1 nephew, Daniel Eaton of South Corning, NY.

At Michael’s request there will be no calling hours.  A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday (May 11, 2019) at 3:00 PM at the Grace Bible Baptist Church in Bath with Rev Garrett Hall officiating.  Burial will be in the Bath National Cemetery, Bath, NY.

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

Michael’s family request that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in his name be made to either the American Heart Association, PO Box 3049, Syracuse, NY  13220 or to the American Cancer Society. 13 Beech St., Johnson City, NY 13790.

Loretta M. Messina – (85) – formerly of Cream Hill Road, Arkport, NY, died Thursday afternoon (May 2, 2019) at Hornell Gardens where she had resided for the past seven years.

Born in Corning, NY on February 7, 1934, she was the daughter of Henry & Blanche (Sibley) Damon.

Loretta grew up in the Elmira & Amherst areas and attended Kenmore High School and later graduated from Horseheads High School (class of 1951).  In her younger years she enjoyed traveling from Maine to California.  Loretta had been employed as a secretary in the Military Engineering Department of Bausch & Lomb in Rochester.  She later worked as a secretary at Sears in Hornell.

She had been a member of Our Lady of the Valley Parish and a communicant of the former St. Ignatius Loyola Church.  Loretta enjoyed listening to music and playing the lottery (which she enjoyed many “winners” throughout the years.)  Her greatest joy in life was simply spending time with her family and many friends.

Loretta was preceded in death by her former husband, Anthony “Tony” Messina who died in 1996.  She was also preceded in death by 3 sisters, Calista “Chris” Mazzella, Irene Snyder and Catherine Cornish; and her dear friend, Seymour Woodworth.

Surviving are 2 daughters, Pauline Messina and Justine (Chris Rappa) Messina, both of Chambersburg, PA; 1 son, Anthony “Tony” (Patti) Messina of Springwater, NY; 6 grandchildren, Eric (Misty) Grillo, Christy (Jason) Rugh, Robbie (Hope) Cameron, Shawn Cameron, Amera Sagonas & Solena Sagonas; 7 great-grandchildren, Jude, Luciana, Jett, Cadence, Peyton , Cameron & Atley; several nieces & nephews.

The family of Loretta M. Messina will receive friends on Saturday from 11:00 AM until 1:00 PM at the Dagon Funeral Home, 38 Church St., Hornell, NY.  Services will be held at the conclusion of calling hours at1:00 PM with Lynsey Cameron officiating.  Burial will be in St. Ann’s Cemetery.

The Messina family would like to express their sincere gratitude and appreciation to the staff at Hornell Gardens, for the wonderful care and support given to their mother/grandmother during her final days.  Their compassion will never be forgotten.  Thank-you!

Loretta’s family request that memorial contributions in her name be made to Hornell Humane Society, 7649 Industrial Park Road, Hornell, NY  14843 or to the Alzheimer’s  Association, 435 East Henrietta Road, Rochester, NY  14620.  Memorial forms will be available at the Dagon Funeral Home.

Canisteo, New York

Peyton Elizabeth Sexton, infant daughter of Danielle Sexton of 5522 Ordway Lane, Canisteo, was embraced by Angels and taken to Heaven on Friday (April 26, 2019).

Although Peyton was only on earth for one day, she was loved and cherished by her entire family.  She will continue to be loved and will live in the hearts of her of all those that she touched!

Welcoming her at the “Gates of Heaven” are her grandfather, Joseph Sexton; her great-grandfather, John D’Apice; her great-grandmother, Mildred D’Apice who preceded her in death.

Peyton will be sadly missed by her mother, Danielle Sexton; her brothers, Christian Brewer and Brendan Brewer; her grandmother, Johna (Steve Contos) D’Apice of Canisteo; her great-grandmother, Kathy Sexton; her step-great-grandmother, Dolores D’Apice; her aunt, Nikki (Jeffery) Ross of Pittsford; her uncle, Joe Sexton of Port Aransas, TX along with many other relatives.

Private services will be held at the convenience of the family.

Peyton’s family request that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in her name be made to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Golisano Children’s Hospital, 601 Elmwood Ave., PO Box 651, Rochester, NY 14642.

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

Deborah Jane Kellogg (Cartwright), 65, of Chesapeake, VA, formerly of Hornell, passed away Tuesday, April 16, 2019 at Sentara Princess Anne Hospital, Virginia Beach, VA., following a battle with leukemia.

Born in Hornell, NY, she was the daughter of Ruby Helen Kellogg.

Debbie was a graduate of Canisteo Central School.  She was a long-time employee of Morrison Knudsen in Hornell.  More recently she was retired from Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding, Newport News, VA, where she took great pride for many years in working on a variety of our nation’s military warships.

She loved spending time with her family and was an avid card player.  She hosted and attended many family get-togethers.  Debbie could take the worst moment and still keep a smile and make others smile.  She believed life was too short to not enjoy every moment and create as many stories as possible to share.

She was predeceased by her brother, Lonnie Kellogg.

Debbie is survived by three children, Chad Kellogg and his former wife Courtney of Chesapeake, VA, Kara Srednecki (Cartwright) and her husband Dave of Portsmouth, VA, Laura Cartwright of Virginia Beach, VA, and eight grandchildren, Skylar Kellogg and Sean Kellogg of Chesapeake, VA, Julian Anderson of Killeen, TX, Aiden Srednecki, William Srednecki, Kevin Srednecki, Aurora Srednecki and Nathaniel Srednecki all of Portsmouth, VA.  Also surviving are two sisters, Fran Makitra, Chesapeake, VA, Shirley Miller, Hornell, NY, and two brothers, Richard Kellogg of Hornell, NY, and Leslie Kellogg of Florida.

At Deborah’s request there will be no calling hours.  Private graveside services will be held at Rural Cemetery at the convenience of the family.

In memory of Debbie (Cartwright) Kellogg, friends are welcome to stop by and share a memory at the home of Rick and MaryEllen Kellogg, 44 Bennett Street, Hornell, between 4 and 6 pm on Friday, April 26^th, 2019.

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

Mark Duane Green – 58 – of 1905 Hanneman Road, Alfred Station, NY, died early Friday morning (April 19, 2019) at the Hart Comfort House in Wellsville, NY, following a long illness.

Born in Hornell on September 15, 1960, he was the son of Duane & Shirley (Nye) Green.

Mark grew up in Alfred Station and was a graduate of Alfred-Almond Central School (class of 1978).  He had been employed for a time at the former Giant Food Mart in Alfred Station.

For many years Mark resided in California, primarily in the Los Angeles / Long Beach areas.  While living in California, he was employed at a Lawn Care Service and also served as a sales rep for several Office Supply Companies.

Returning to the Alfred Station area about 10 years ago, served as a sales rep for Spectrum of Hornell and also Shorts Oil of Wellsville.

In his younger years, Mark enjoyed playing in several men’s softball leagues both locally and also in California.  He was an avid golfer who enjoyed playing golf courses throughout the area.  As a sports fan, Mark loved rooting for the Baltimore Orioles (MBL) and also the Washington Redskins (NFL).  Having a special love for horse racing, he enjoyed spending “Quality Time” at OTB and visiting racetracks.  He was never afraid to place a friendly wager or two — just for fun!

Mark was preceded in death by his father, Duane A. Green who died July 4, 2013 and also his nephew, Eric Green who died November 18, 2013.

Surviving are his mother, Shirley Green of Alfred Station; 2 brothers, Matt Green & Mike Green, both of Alfred Station; 2 nieces, Elizabeth Shepard & Sarah Green; 2 nephews, Bryce Green & Hoss Coates; his great-niece, Clementine McPhail; 2great nephews, Dewey McPhail and Colton Coates; several aunts, uncles & cousins.

At Mark’s request there will be no calling hours.  Family & friends are invited to attend a Memorial Service on Saturday (April 27, 2019) at 5:00 PM at the Almond Union of Churches with Rev. Charlie Emerson officiating.

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

Mark’s family request that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in his name be made to the Hart Comfort House, 141 East State St., Wellsville, NY 14895 or to the Almond Union of Churches, Main St., Almond, NY 14804.

Paul Michael Nardecchia –  formerly of Hornell, NY, passed away on December 19, 2018 at his home in Fort Bragg, CA.

Born in Hornell on January 21, 1947 at Saint James Mercy Hospital, he was the son of the late Rose (Miele) & Elvidio Nardecchia.

Paul grew up in Hornell and was a graduate of St. Ann’s School (class of 1960) and was a 1964 graduate of the new Hornell High School. He played varsity football for all four years in High School. Paul proudly served in the United States Marine Corp from 1967 through 1972. He was stationed in Camp Pendleton after basic training and received an Honorable Discharge on February 23, 1972

After his discharge from the Marine Corp, Paul worked for United Airlines in Rochester, NY until transferring to Los Angeles, CA and then onto San Francisco, CA. He also worked for TAP Air Portugal while in San Francisco.

Paul received his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Business Administration and Computer Science from the University of San Francisco. He started his own computer consulting business and achieved several awards from pharmaceutical companies for his excellent work.

He loved to travel, was an avid reader and collector of first edition books. Paul loved animals, especially his pure bred beagles, Zach and Zina. He was a very generous and caring person. He loved to take his parents and aunts and uncles on vacation trips to various parts of the world.

After he retired, Paul lived in several Northern California cities until he found his dream retirement location in Fort Bragg, CA., which is a beautiful Pacific coastal community of approximately 7000 people. He absolutely loved it there and they loved him back. He became an integral part of, and a big supporter of that community.  He volunteered at the library, peeled potatoes for 1000 homeless people for their Thanksgiving dinner, helped his neighbors caring for their home and pets, fed wild homeless cats and grew tomatoes like his dad.

In addition to his parents, Paul was preceded in death by two infant brothers, John and Joseph Nardecchia; and one infant nephew, Thomas James Kelsey.

He is survived by one brother, Sebastian (Diane) Nardecchia of Danville, CA; one sister, Dorina (Dennis) Kelsey of Euclid, OH; two nephews, Michael (Michelle) Nardecchia of Rochester, NY, Steven (Jennifer) Kelsey of Wickliffe, OH; three nieces, Marisa (John) Looney of Danville, CA, Kristina (John Moroney) Nardecchia of Pleasanton, CA and Rosemarie (Kevin) Aubin of Lindley, NY; nine great nieces and nephews, Mara (Jason) Caccamise of Syracuse, NY, Maria (Brian Cameron) Nardecchia of Rochester, NY, Marianna and Michael Sebastian Nardecchia of Rochester, NY, Kyle (Breann Danielson) Looney of Fullerton, CA, Katelyn Looney of Charlotte, NC, Ella Looney of Danville, CA and Thomas G. and Zoe Rose Kelsey of Wickliffe, OH; two great-great nieces, Brooklyn Diane Looney and Stella Rose Caccamise; one great-great nephew; Santino Joseph Caccamise;  one aunt, Barbara Nardecchia, of Tonawanda, NY; his Godson, Joseph (Laurie) Nardecchia of Buffalo, NY and several cousins!

At Paul’s request there will be no prior calling hours.  A Memorial Service will be held at a time & place to be announced.

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

Donations in Paul’s memory may be made to:

Camp Rainbow Gold; A charity that provides year round camps, services and college scholarships for children battling cancer. This is a nonprofit that his niece Kristina founded and has helped nurture for two decades. It assures every penny will go toward the children.

216 W. Jefferson St. Boise ID 83702  www.shareyourheartball.org

Mendocino Coast Humane Society. Paul had a love for animals. The Mendocino Coast Humane Society’s mission is: To contribute to a better life for animals and to inspire public awareness of animals’ needs.

19691 Summers Lane, Fort Bragg CA  95437  https://www.mendocinohumane.org

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.