Page 20 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • January 30, 2013 Obituaries Richard Thornton Gregg of Mahwah died Jan. 21. He was 89. He was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II. He grew up in Hackensack and attended local schools before transferring to Mount Hermon School in Massachusetts, graduating in 1941. He graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1947. He was active in the manufacture and sale of railway wagons throughout the world with the Gregg Company, Ltd., residing both in Belgium and the United States. While in Belgium, he was active in the business service and temporary personnel business, with the International School of Belgium, and Saint Andrew’s Church. On his return, he became active in the Van Ost Institute (now part of Vantage Healthcare). He was president of the United States Chapter of the International Bond and Share Society. He was a member of the Second Reformed Church of Hackensack, where he served in various capacities. He was a member of American Clan Gregor Society, and the Clan Gregor Society, Western, USA Chapter. He was chairman of the Gregg Company, Ltd., of Hackensack. He is survived by his sister-in-law Louise L. Gregg of Keene Valley, New York, his nieces and nephews Susan Gregg of Mahwah, Juliette Latimer of Ramsey, Janet DeBlasio of Saint Petersburg, Florida, Dorothy Jansen of Alameda, California, M. Gregg Elliot of Chesapeake, Virginia, and Richard Elliot of Virginia Beach, Virginia. He is also survived by eight great-nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his siblings Mary (Frath) H. Elliot and William K. Gregg, and his nephew J. F. Elliot IV. Arrangements were made by G. Thomas Gentile Funeral Service in Hackensack. Memorial donations may be made to Northfield Mount Hermon School in Mount Hermon, Massachusetts, Second Reformed Church of Hackensack, Valley Hospital of Ridgewood or Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack. Christopher S. La Grotteria of Midland Park died Jan. 22. He was 82. He was a residential home builder and was involved in residential and commercial construction for the past 60 years. He was self-employed in commercial property management. He is survived by his children Salvatore C. La Grotteria of Franklin Lakes, Lee Record of Florida, New York, Margaret Briscione of Oceanport, 12 grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. He is also survived by his sisters Margaret Finocchiaro of Oradell and Louise Gieling of Franklin Lakes, and his dear friend Nancy Barone. He was predeceased by his son Michael. Arrangements were made by Vander Plaat-Caggiano Funeral Home in Fair Lawn. Memorial donations may be made to Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation at www.pulmonaryfibrosis.org. Lily Lee of Ridgewood has died. She was 49. She was a U.S. Air Force veteran. She was a 1981 graduate of Ridgewood High School, and graduated from Cornell Richard Thornton Gregg University in 1985, with the ROTC Air Force. She was the general manager of food service at Sharp Electronics in Mahwah for 24 years. She is survived by her mother Shui Sum Yee Lee, and her brother Albert. She was predeceased by her father On Lee. Arrangements were made by Feeney Funeral Home in Ridgewood. Elizabeth “Betty” Frances McDonagh of Glen Rock died Jan. 19. She was 84. She was secretary to the vice president of General Foods in New York City for many years. She was a parishioner of Saint Catharine R.C. Church in Glen Rock, and was a volunteer with the Valley Hospital Auxiliary at Kurth Cottage. She is survived by her children Anne Marie Gillmore and Mary Elizabeth McGuire, four grandchildren, and her siblings Terence McGuiness and Carol Finn. She was predeceased by her husband Thomas, and her siblings Mary Bongo and Thomas McGuiness. Arrangements were made by Feeney Funeral Home in Ridgewood. Memorial donations may be made donations to Center for Dementia Research, Nathan Kline Institute, 140 Old Orangeburg Road, Orangeburg, NY 10962, Attention: Ralph Nixon, M.D., Ph.D. Robin Mitchell, nee Wagoner, of Midland Park died Jan. 11 in Sacramento, California. She was 56. She is survived by her brother David of Florida, and her sister Wendy of New Jersey. Michael D. O’Shea of Wyckoff, formerly of California, and Glen Rock, died Jan. 19. He was 44. He was a special agent with the DEA in the New York office. Previously, he was an officer with the police departments in Los Angeles and Glen Rock. He is survived by his wife Tina (nee Smith) O’Shea of Wyckoff; his children Jack, Carly, and Colin; his siblings Eileen Theriault of Westport, Connecticut, Timothy Jr. of Hopkinton, Massachusetts, Kathleen O’SheaLauber of Norwalk, Connecticut, and Robert of Wyckoff; and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents Timothy J. and Margaret Mary O’Shea. Arrangements were made by Vander Plaat Funeral Home in Wyckoff. Memorial donations may be made to the Pietro Maugeri Foundation, www.pietrofoundation.org, in care of the Wyckoff YMCA, 691 Wyckoff Avenue, Wyckoff, NJ 07481. Josephine Palladino of Wyckoff died Jan. 19. She was 95. She was a parishioner of Saint Elizabeth R.C. Church in Wyckoff, and a member of its Rosary Society and the Bereavement Committee. She is a former parishioner of Saint Bonaventure R.C. Church in Paterson, where she was a member of the Rosary Society and of the Third Order of Saint Frances. She is survived by her husband of 72 years, Joseph of Wyckoff, her daughters Mimi Gioia and Anne Ames, both of Wyckoff, Diane Palladino of East Kingston, New Hampshire, and Joan Andriani of Franklin Lakes, 10 grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren. Arrangements were made by Vander Plaat Funeral Home in Wyckoff. Memorial donations may be made to Hospice of Hackensack University Medical Center, 25 East Salem Street, Hackensack, NJ 07601 or Alzheimer’s Association, P.O. Box 96011, Washington, DC 2009-6011. William H. von Dreele of Allendale, formerly of New York City, died Jan. 19. He was 88. He was a U.S. Army of World War II. He was raised in Roselle, where he graduated from Abraham Clark High School in 1942. He completed his degree at Middlebury College and went on to earn a master’s degree from New York University. Before retiring in 1979, he worked as a writer in the communications department at IBM for 25 years. He contributed political verse to “National Review,” and his verse was later published as a book, “If Liberals Had Feathers, Gee, What a Hunter I Would Be” and “There’s Something about a Liberal.” In 1991, he was commissioned by William F. Buckley Jr. to write new interludes for Camille Saint-Saen’s “Carnival of the Animals” to replace the original verse written by Ogden Nash. The premiere of the musical work took place in Stamford, Connecticut with Buckley narrating. After retiring from IBM, he was invited to contribute verse to “The Litchfield County Times” and the “New York Observer.” In 1997, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters by Middlebury College in recognition of his writings. He is survived by his sister Elizabeth von Dreele of Allendale. Arrangements were made by C.C. Van Emburgh Funeral Home in Ridgewood. Memorial donations may be made to the Dell Ridge Health Center, 532 Fairview Avenue, Paramus, NJ 07652. Francis X. Watson of Glen Rock died Jan. 20. He was 80. He was a U.S. Air Force veteran. He attended Saint Peter’s College. Before retiring in 1995, he worked for Brooks Brothers in Paramus for many years. He was a parishioner of Saint Catharine’s Parish in Glen Rock. He is survived by his wife Theresa (nee: Gantter), his children Mary Crawford, Sharon Goodyear, Gary Watson, and Lori Patel, and seven grandchildren. He was predeceased by his son Glenn. Arrangements were made by Feeney Funeral Home in Ridgewood. Memorial donations may be made to Saint Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 Saint Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105. Robert Wurtz of Ridgewood, formerly of Paramus, died Jan. 23. He was 92. He was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II. He was a graduate of Hackensack High School and of Rutgers University. Before retiring, he worked as a mechanical engineer for Foster Wheeler in Clinton. He was a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and a 25-year volunteer with the Paramus Blood Bank. He is survived by his nieces Carol Wurtz Brown, Judith Wurtz, and Lynn Wurtz Carroll, his nephew William Wurtz, and many great-nieces and nephews. Arrangements were made by Vander Plaat Memorial Home in Paramus. Memorial donations may be made to the Paramus Blood Bank, 970 Linwood Avenue West, Paramus, NJ 07653. William H. von Dreele Elizabeth Frances McDonagh Robin Mitchell Michael D. O’Shea Francis X. Watson Christopher S. La Grotteria Josephine Palladino Robert Wurtz Lily Lee