North Hornell - Grace Moretti Eagan of 321 Seneca Road, North
Hornell, entered into rest Saturday afternoon (September 23, 2017) at the
Vincent House in Wayland, following a long illness. Born in Hornell, she was
the daughter of Lawrence G. and Lucy (Dininny) Moretti and had been married to
the late Robert E. Eagan. She resided in
Rochester for several years and had also lived in New York City and Rocky Hill,
CT.
Grace grew up in Hornell and was a graduate of St. Ann’s
School, Hornell High School and the former Hornell Commercial Institute. She received her advanced education from the
University of Rochester; the Rochester Institute of Technology; and Queens
College in New York City.
She had been employed at Neisner Brothers, Inc. in Rochester
in several capacities --- the last one as a buyer in New York City, having been
promoted as the first female executive of the chain of 200 stores. Her company was taken over by Ames Department
Stores in Connecticut, where she was appointed Assistant Traffic Manager.
Grace returned to her family in Hornell and immediately took
courses to enter the field of Real Estate with the Lang Agency, Inc. She was active in the Western
Steuben-Allegany Board of Realtors and was selected “Realtor of the Year” in
2005. She subsequently was appointed as
an honorary member after leaving the Lang Agency and retiring.
She served several years on the Curriculum Advisory
Committee of Alfred State College. She
was a charter member and president of the Administrative Professionals in
Rochester for two years; co-president of the St. James Auxiliary; and president
of the Italian-American Women’s Club upon her return to Hornell.
In 2006, Grace was appointed a director of the Hornell
Credit Union. She was a member of the
Ladies of Columbus and volunteered for the American Red Cross. Grace also volunteered at the Erie Railroad
and Toy Museum every week when it first opened and also volunteered in the
later years at McAuley Manor & St. James Mercy Hospital.
She was a member of Our Lady of the Valley Parish and a
communicant of St. Ann’s Church. She was
a member of the St. Ann’s Choir --- beginning while she was in high school at
early morning Mass and in later years with Our Lady of the Valley Resurrection
Choir. Grace was an active reader ---
especially of the news media.
Grace had the distinct honor of being recruited to become
Executive Secretary to Bishop Fulton Sheen after he was appointed Bishop of the
Dioceses of Rochester. She very
respectfully and regretfully had to decline this tremendous honor.
Grace was instrumental in founding a new Catholic Church in
Rocky Hill, CT, where she lived for six years.
She was selected as a Co-Chairperson of the planning board and was
elated that the board accepted her suggestion to name the church “St. Elizabeth
Ann Seton.”
She traveled extensively throughout the United States and
Canada and visited several countries in Europe and Morocco in Africa and also
visited the Shrine of Fatima in Portugal.
The highlight of one of her trips to Italy was having Pope
John Paul II who was driving by in his Pope Mobile and shaking hands with some
of her group.
Grace attended the Belmont Stakes every year and was there
to watch the great horse, Secretariat, win the Triple Crown. She was also present to see the last horse to
win the Triple Crown --- “Affirmed” in 1978.
She and her husband owned horses that raced at Batavia Downs, Buffalo
Raceway and Roosevelt Raceway.
She was preceded in death by three brothers, Francis
Moretti, Raymond Moretti and Donald Moretti; her sister, Angeline Moretti
Hayes; her nieces, Lucianne Moretti and Elizabeth (Hayes) Locke; her nephews,
Larry Moretti, John Moretti and Robert Moretti;
her great-great niece, Layla Rose Callahan; her brothers-in-law, James
O’Connor and Walter Hayes;
sisters-in-law, Shirley Moretti, Marilyn Moretti & Marian Moretti.
Surviving are two sisters, Rose Ann O’Connor and Mary Teresa
Purtell, both of Hornell; several cousins including Lucy Gallese Wiley of
Hornell; and several nieces and nephews.
The family of Grace Moretti Eagan will receive friends on
Wednesday from 4:00-7:00 p.m. at the Dagon Funeral Home, 38 Church St.,
Hornell, NY. A Mass of Christian Burial
will be celebrated on Thursday at 2:00 PM at St. Ann’s Church with burial in
St. Mary’s Cemetery.
Grace’s family would like to extend a special thank-you to
her loving home caregivers, Ella Grimm, Diane Lisi and Bonnie MiKitra, along
with the staff of CareFirst Hospice. We
are also most grateful for the dedication and comfort care given to Grace at
the Vincent House in Wayland.
Grace’s family request that memorial contributions in her
name be made to the Vincent House, 321 Second Ave., PO Box 566, Wayland, NY
14572. Memorial forms will be available
at the Dagon Funeral Home.
