Mary Elizabeth Patti – (92) – formerly of Church St., Hornell, died Monday afternoon (April 8, 2019) at Elderwood of Hornell Nursing Facility where she had resided for the past 2 ½ years.

A native & life resident of Hornell, she was born May 12, 1926, and was the daughter of Mark & Anna (Joyce) Loree.

Mary attended North Almond Valley School through the 6^th grade, at which time she transferred to Arkport Central School, graduating in 1944.  In 1945 she enrolled in St. James School of nursing where she graduated in 1948, having earned her New York State Registered Nurse’s License.

From 1949 – 1951, she was employed as evening supervisor and night supervisor at St. James Mercy Hospital.  On June 7, 1951, she was married to Dr. C.E. Patti.

Since 1952, Mary has been a member of the St. James Women’s Board where she served as president for 2 ½ years.  For 9 years she was a member of the St. James Mercy Hospital Board of Directors and has served as hospital historian since 1972.  She was a member and past president of the Steuben County Medical Society Auxiliary.

In her younger years, Mary volunteered her time as Boy Scouts Leader and also Camp Fire Leader.  She was active in the Hornell American Red Cross, serving as co-chairman of its board of directors.  In the 1970s, she began teaching Red Cross Home Nursing in Hornell and also the Southern Tier Rochester Red Cross, teaching fellow registered nurses home nursing care, child care and disaster procedures.  She continued teaching these courses until 1990 when her ailing husband required more time & care.

Mary began playing piano in grade school and while attending nursing school, played the organ in the St. James Hospital Chapel at the daily 6:00 AM (Latin) Mass.  It was also during her nursing school days that she began crocheting & making quilts, a passion that she enjoyed her entire life.  She took great pride in making beautiful quilts for her children & grand-children.  These quilts have become family heirlooms, treasured by her family.

Mary will also be remembered for making her delicious home-made soups, again, sharing with family & friends.  Throughout the years, family celebrations for any & all occasions were held at her home at 16 Church Street, sometimes with more than 30 people (family & friends) for dinner.

When Mary turned 80 years young, her children & grandchildren surprised her with a birthday party and gave her a most cherished gift — a trip to Rome, Italy and an audience with Pope Benedict.  It was a thrill of a lifetime!!

Mary was preceded in death by her husband, Dr. C.E. Patti; her daughter, Camille D’Angelo; her brothers, Paul Loree and Mark Loree; her daughter-in-law, Lynne Patti; her son-in-law, Judge Thomas Higgins; two sisters-in-law, Hazel Loree and Dee Loree.

Surviving are her children, JoAnn (Richard) Argentieri of Hornell, Dr. James Patti of Okatie, SC, Judge Philip (Pauline) Patti of Raleigh, NC, William (Lorraine) Patti of Bath and Anne Marie Higgins of Syracuse; her brother, Thomas Loree of Dansville; sister-in-law, Emma Loree of Hornell; her son-in-law, Charles D’Angelo; 14  grandchildren, 29 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great-grandchildren; along with many nieces & nephews.

The family of Mary Elizabeth Patti will receive friends on Monday from  3:00 PM  –  5:00 PM at the Dagon Funeral Home, 38 Church St., Hornell, NY.  A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday at10:00 AM at St. Ann’s Church with burial in St. Ann’s Cemetery.

Mary’s family request that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in her name be made to St. Ann’s Academy, PO Box 446, Hornell, NY 14843.  Memorial forms will be available at the Dagon Funeral Home.

Savona, NY

Martha L. Herron – 89 – a resident of Brookdale Senior Living Facility in Ithaca, died Monday morning (April 1, 2019) at Elderwood of Hornell.

Born in Hester, OK, she was the daughter of Earnest & Virgie (Kelly) Click.

Along with her husband, Robert, she served as a teacher for DODDS (Department of Defense of Dependence Schools).  Throughout the years they resided in many locations, including England, Turkey, Spain, Japan & California.  They retired in 1990.

Martha was preceded in death by her husband, Robert C. Herron who died February 22, 2018.

Surviving are two sons, Calvin (Elaine) Herron of Reno, NV and David (Muriel) Herron of Savona.

At Martha’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.

William H. “Bill” Bacon – 73 – of 170 East Ave., Hornell, died unexpectedly Thursday afternoon (March 28, 2019) at his home.

Born in Hornell on May 21, 1945, he was the son of Frederick & Mildred (Hann) Bacon.

Bill grew up in Hornell and attended Hornell High School.  He was a veteran of the US Navy, serving his country during the Vietnam era.

He had been employed for several years for the City Hornell Department of Public Works, working primarily as a member of the road crew.  For over 25 years, he was employed at Kraft Foods in Avon, working on the production line.  He retired about 10 years ago.

Bill was an avid hunter & fisherman.  He loved fishing in both lakes & streams and also loved being outdoors hunting deer.  He was very family oriented and was always there to lend a helping hand to both family & friends.  He will be sadly missed by everyone that had the pleasure of knowing him!

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his longtime partner & companion, Carol Feenaughty who died November 19, 2017; 3 brothers, Jeff Bacon, Charles Bacon and James Bacon.

Surviving are 8 “Children”, Kathy Weldy of Buffalo, Sharlene Kemp of Hornell, Larry (Kris) Feenaughty of Hornell, Patricia (Tim) Callahan of Canisteo, Mike (Lynda) Feenaughty of Nashville, TN, Karen (Don Ward) Booth of Hornell, Joe Jackson of Canisteo and Ronald (Priscilla) Feenaughty of Almond; 5 brothers, Roy (Debbie) Bacon, Ron (Wanda) Bacon, Larry (Diane) Bacon, Richard (Donna) Bacon and Philip (Joan) Bacon; 1 sister, Elaine Bacon; his sister-in-law, Debbie Bacon; 37 grandchildren; 69 great-grandchildren; many nieces & nephews.

At Bill’s request there will be no calling hours.  Private services with military honors will be held at the Dagon Funeral Home, 38 Church St., Hornell, NY at the convenience of the family.  Interment will be in the Bath National Cemetery, Bath, NY.

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

Jeffrey L. “Jeff” Pearl – (55)– of 213 East Ave., Hornell, died Thursday morning (March 28, 2019) at his home,  following a long illness.

Born in Hornell on November 30, 1963, he was the son of Leon & Anna (Rogers) Pearl.

Jeff grew up in Jasper, NY and was a graduate of Canisteo Central School (class of 1981).  Following his high school graduation, he enlisted in the US Army serving his country from 1981-1984.  While in the Army, Jeff was primarily stationed at Fort Hood, TX.

Following his honorable discharge from the US Army, Jeff moved to the Canisteo area and has resided in Hornell since 1987.

Employed as a bartender for most of his adult life, Jeff tended bar for several years at the Hornell VFW and later at the Hornell Eagles Club.  For 13 years, he served as a bartender at Muhleisen’s Restaurant in Almond and most recently at AMVETS in Hornell.  He retired in 2017.

Jeff had been a member of the Hornell American Legion and also the Hornell AMVETS. He was an avid comic book collector, having more than 20,000 comic books in his collection.  He also enjoyed collecting rare coins.

He enjoyed watching football on TV and was a die-hard Minnesota Vikings fan.  He also loved watching the TV show, Jeopardy.  Along with his wife, Ginger, Jeff loved spending time at Sugar Creek Glen Campground in Poages Hole Dansville.  They also loved going to the annual hill climb at Poages Hole in celebration of their anniversary.

Jeff was married on August 17, 1991to the former Ginger Preston who survives.  Also surviving are 2 daughters, Natasha (Michael) Fires of Dansville and Kari (Matt Mills) Pearl of Dansville; 3 brothers, Alan Pearl of Lake Whales, FL, William Pearl of Hornell and Tim Pearl of Hornell; 2 sisters, Denise (John) Pilling of Mansfield, PA and Grace Heckman of Jasper; his granddaughter, Teagen Fires; several nieces & nephews.

At Jeff’s requests there will be no calling hours.  A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, (April 6, 2019) from 1:00 PM  – 5:00 PM at the AMVETS on the Broadway Mall in Hornell where family & friends will have the chance to share stories about Jeff.  Also, if possible, everyone is encouraged to wear the color purple as it was Jeff’s favorite color.

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

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

Leo F. Crosby – 77 – of 7477 Seneca Road, Hornell, died Monday afternoon (March 25, 2019) at Elderwood at Hornell Nursing Facility, following a long illness.

Born in North Hornell on July 30, 1941, he was the son of Leo & Rose (Generalli) Crosby.

Leo grew up in Hornell and attended Hornell High School.  He had been employed for a time at the former Erie Lackawanna Railroad as an electrician apprentice.

Residing in Rochester, NY for nearly 40 years, Leo had been employed as a truck driver for Fay’s Drug Store and later as a bus driver for the Fairport School System.  For many years, he owned his own Taxi Cab business in the Rochester area.  Originally he owned & operated 3 cabs and primarily worked in conjunction with the Rochester airport.  He eventually owned & operated Fairport Taxi and operated throughout the entire Rochester area.  He moved back to Hornell about 9 years ago.

Leo enjoyed watching sporting events on TV — especially baseball (LA Dodger Fan), football & basketball.

In addition to his parents, Leo was preceded in death by his brother, Thomas P. Crosby.

Surviving are 3 brothers, William Crosby of Hornell, Kevin (Lisa) Crosby of Hornell and Michael Crosby of Louisville, KY; 1 sister, Mary Ellen O’Brien of Hornell; several nieces, nephews, great-nieces & great-nephews.

At Leo’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. 

Leo’s family request that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in his name be made to Make A Wish Foundation, 4742 North 24^th St. (suit 400), Phoenix, AZ   85016  or to St. Jude Children’s Hospital, PO Box 1000 – Dep’t 300, Memphis, TN 38148.

Rhonda S. Sawczyszyn – 54 – of 28 Green St., Canisteo, died early Monday morning (March 25, 2019) at Highland Hospital in Rochester, following a long illness.

Born in Hornell on April 13, 1964, she was the daughter of Raymond & Marjorie (Wing) Aultman.

Rhonda grew up in the Hornell – Arkport area and attended Arkport Central School.  Throughout the years, she resided in several locations, including Hornell, Arkport, Florida and had lived in Canisteo for the past 8 years.

She had been employed for a time at Sugar Creek in Canaseraga and had also worked in the Housekeeping Department of St. James Mercy Hospital.

Rhonda enjoyed “Therapy Gambling” and loved playing the slots in various casinos.  Over the years, she and her husband, Dana, visited many casinos in various cities, including Atlantic City, Turning Stone Casino, Salamanca, Hamburg, Batavia, Niagara Falls, Nichols and Monticello.

She was preceded in death by her father, Raymond Aultman.

Rhonda was married on February 14, 1996 to Dana Sawczyszyn who survives.  Also surviving are her step-daughter, Sarah (Jason) Platt of Suffern, NY; her mother, Marjorie McDaniel of Canisteo; her siblings, Tammy (Stephen) Rauber of Canisteo, Richard (Polly) McDaniel of Canisteo, Ray Aultman of Canisteo, Melissa Hammond of Canisteo, Angela Aultman; her step-brothers & step-sisters, Peggy (Cheech) Miles of Canisteo, Chip McDaniel of Rochester and Laurie McDaniel of Canisteo; several nieces & nephews.  Although Rhonda did not have any biological children, she considered her nieces, nephews & her many day-care children her own children whom she loved and adored!

At Rhonda’s request there will be no calling hours.  A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday at 4:00 PM at the United Methodist Church of Canisteo.

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

Rhonda’s family request that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in her name be made to
Wilmont Cancer Institute, C/O Strong Memorial Hospital, 601 Elmwood Ave., Rochester, NY  14642.

Stephen E. “Scottie” Scott – 65 – of 4652 Fox Rd., Avoca, NY (Louck’s Pond), died unexpectedly on Wednesday (March 20, 2019) at his home.

Born in Buffalo, NY on May 25, 1953, he was the son of Marvin & Roberta (Davis) Scott.

Scottie’s early years were spent in Highland Springs, VA and his teen years in Avoca, NY where he graduated from Avoca High School (class of 1972).  He resided in Fairfield, IL for several years, returning to Avoca about 40 years ago.

He had been employed for over 26 years by the Village of Avoca, retiring about 15 years ago as Supervisor of Avoca Public Works.

Scottie had been a member of the Bath Moose Lodge and also the Bath Elks Lodge.  In his younger years, he enjoyed hunting & fishing.  Throughout the years, Scottie was an avid gun collector.

Surviving are 2 daughters, Ashley (Chad) Miles of Hornell and Brandi (Martin) Miller of Avoca; 1 sister, Kathy (Roy) Tibbs of Millerstown, PA; 4 grandchildren; 2 nephews & 1 niece.

At Scottie’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 day and time to be announced.

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

Carol Jean Pascoe – (77) – formerly of 378 Seneca Rd., North Hornell, died Monday afternoon (March 18, 2019) at Elderwood at Hornell Nursing Facility, following a long illness.

A native & life resident of Hornell, she was born August 6, 1941, and was the daughter of Howard & Marion (Peck) Pascoe.

Carol was a graduate of Hornell High School (class of 1959).  She had been employed for 55 years in many capacities at WLEA / WCKR Radio stations, retiring in 2014 as Traffic Manager.

She was a member of Our Lady of the Valley Parish and a communicant of St. Ann’s Church.  Carol enjoyed drawing, horseback riding, losing her lipstick, watching too many crime shows and, oddly enough — the Bee Gees.

Carol was married on January 19, 1979 to Jim McKay who died January 13, 1980.  She was also preceded in death by her parents; 1 brother, Howard Pascoe; 7 sisters, Mary Waight, Francis Stratton, Marcia Gentile, Nancy Emerson, Betsy Joseph, Helen Weyand and Marta Gardner.

Surviving are her son David (Kayla) of Crystal, MN, her grandson, Henry Pascoe; 2 sisters, Alice (Earl) DeRienzo of Canandaigua, NY and Linda Barnes of Clyde, NY.

The family of Carol Jean Pascoe will receive friends on Sunday from 3:00 PM until 6:00 PM at the Dagon Funeral Home, 38 Church St., Hornell, NY.  A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Monday at 10:00 AM at St. Ann’s Church with burial in St. Mary’s Cemetery.

Carol’s family request that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in her name be made to either St. Ann’s Academy, PO Box 446, Hornell, NY 14843 or to The Memory Care Program of the University of Rochester Medical Center, C/O Betsy Henner, Office of Gift & Donor Records, 300 East River Road, P.O. Box 270032, Rochester, NY   14627.Memorial forms will be available at the Dagon Funeral Home.

Ethel J. Houghtaling – 77 – of 5175 Route 436, Dansville, NY died Monday morning (March 18, 2019) at St. James Mercy Hospital, following a brief illness.

Born in Austinburg, PA on May 18, 1941, she was the daughter of Wilson & Florence (Giles) Potter.

Ethel grew up in the Hornell – Canisteo area and attended Canisteo Central School.  At the age of 17, she married Merle E. Houghtaling.  Throughout the years, Ethel & Merle resided in several locations, primarily in the New York State / Pennsylvania areas.

She had been employed for a time as a forklift operator at the former A&P Plant in Horseheads and later served as a driver & circulation manager at the Hornell Evening Tribune.  More recently, Ethel was employed as a certified Nursing Assistant (CAN) at the Livingston County Center for Nursing & Rehabilitation in Mt. Morris, NY.

Ethel enjoyed crocheting and throughout the years made beautiful Afghans which she gave to family members.  She also enjoyed playing video games on the computer & play station.  However, her greatest enjoyment in life was simply spending time with her family.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Merle E. Houghtaling who died October 8, 2006; her son, Kevin Houghtaling; her daughter, Dawn Marie Houghtaling; her brother, Dwayne Potter; her sister, Barbara Potter.

Surviving are 3 sons, Brian (Carol) Houghtaling of Wellsboro, PA, Richard (Sherri) Houghtaling of East Stroudsburg, PA and Mike (Penny) Houghtaling of Arkport, NY; 1 daughter, Robin (Mark) Newcomb of Dansville; 3 brothers, Harold Potter of Elkland, PA, John (Connie) Potter of Florida and Rocky Potter of Florida; 2 sisters, Eleanor (Alfred) Tombs of Harrison Valley, PA and Belva (Danny) Wilcox of Elmira, NY; 12 grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; 1 great-great-grandson; several nieces & nephews.

The family of Ethel J. Houghtaling will receive friends on Saturday from 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM at the Dagon Funeral Home, 38 Church St., Hornell, NY. Funeral & committal services will be held at the conclusion of calling hours at 3:00 PM with Deacon Robert McCormick officiating.  Burial will be in Greenwood Cemetery, Greenwood, NY.

Ethel’s family request that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in her name be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital, St. Jude Children’s Hospital, PO Box 1000, (Department 300), Memphis, TN  38148.  Memorial forms will be available at the Dagon Funeral Home.

James R. “Jim” Rechichi – 75 – a resident of Hornell Gardens, died early Tuesday morning (March 12, 2019) at St. James Mercy Hospital where he was taken by Hornell City Ambulance.

Born in Hornell on March 18, 1943, he was the son of Joseph & Teresa (Mahoney) Rechichi.

Raised Catholic, Jim had been a communicant of St. Ann’s Church.  Throughoutthe years, he resided in several locations, including Newark, NY, Rochester, and Hornell.

Jim loved music and was an enthusiastic New York Yankee fan.  He also loved collecting model cars.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by 2 brothers, Joseph Rechichi and John Rechichi; his sister, Marie O’Dell; 2 brothers-in-law, Larry Dunn and Francis O’Dell.

Surviving are his sister, Margare Dunn of Arkport; 2 sisters-in-law, Joanne Rechichi Kame of Arkport and Judy Rechichi of Hornell; several nieces & nephews.

There will be no calling hours.  A private graveside service will be held at the convenience of the family.

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

Jim’s family request that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in his name be made to either St. Ann’s Academy, PO Box 446, Hornell, NY 14843 or to the Cerebral Palsy Foundation, 3 Columbus Circle, 15th Floor, New York, NY 10019