CANISTEO/HORNELL-Dana M. Sawczyszyn, 60, of 28 Green St., Canisteo, died unexpectedly Friday, August 9, 2019 at his home.
Born in Blossburg, PA on August 19, 1958, he was the son of Michael & Ola (Simons) Sawczyszyn.
Dana grew up in the Hornell-Arkport area and attended Arkport Central School. He later earned his General Education Degree (GED) from the University of Albany.
For many years, Dana served as office manager for Ed Degnan, Attorney-at-Law in Canisteo. Along with his duties as office manager, he often worked with clients, served important papers & filed legal documents. He also owned & operated Four Season Animal Damage Control, carefully trapping & releasing wildlife that had moved their way into homes and businesses.
Dana was an avid outdoorsman and loved hunting, fishing & trapping. He was a member of the New York State Tri-County Trappers Association for several years, holding official offices within that time.
On February 14th, 1996, Dana married Rhonda Aultman on a live segment of the Brother Wease Morning Circus radio show on WCMF-FM/AM with 26 other couples. They were married for 23 years before Rhonda passed away on March 25th, 2019 following a long illness.
One of Dana’s hobbies was smart gambling. He spent many hours researching gambling techniques and traveled to various casinos and cities to utilize his knowledge. Cities and casinos Dana visited with Rhonda included Atlantic City, Turning Stone Casino, Salamanca, Hamburg, Batavia, Niagara Falls, Nichols & Monticello.
Dana was a very compassionate man who enjoyed simply spending time talking & laughing with his many friends. He will be missed by them, as well as by the many “feline friends” he provided care for.
Surviving Dana is his daughter, Sarah (Jason) Platt of Suffern, NY. Also surviving are Brenda Lee (Danielle) Miller and Michael Mosher; and from the Rauber, McDaniel and Sawczyszyn families–multiple siblings, several cousins, and many beloved nieces and nephews.
At Dana’s request there will be no calling hours, but family & friends are invited to a “Farewell Toast” on Sunday, August 18th at 2:00 pm at Kanakadea Park, where stories of Dana will be shared in honor of his memory.
Funeral arrangements are in the care of the Dagon Funeral Home, 38 Church St., Hornell, NY.
Dana’s family request that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in his and Rhonda’s name be made to: The Wilmot Cancer Center, 601 Elmwood Ave, Rochester, NY 146422.
To leave an online condolence or share a memory, visit www.dagonfuneralhome.com.
