Published: 10/4/04

Gailand Wood

MORRISONVILLE — Gailand W. Wood, 55, of Morrisonville, died Sunday, Oct. 3, 2004, at his residence.

He was born in Plattsburgh on April 4, 1949, the son of Warren and Genevieve (Farrell) Wood. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps. during the Vietnam War and was employed as a heavy equipment mechanic for Wilson’s John Deere for many years and later was self-employed from 1986 until he became disabled in 1997.

Mr. Wood was a seasoned race-car driver and was well known in the area. He drove car #79 until he retired in 1997. He was a member of the Champlain Valley Classic Cruisers Club.

Mr. Wood is survived by his wife, Linda (Gonyea) Wood, by a son, Timothy, and his parents, Warren and Genevieve Wood of Riverview. Four sisters and three brothers-in-law survive him: Sharon and Clifford Longtemps of Riverview; Bonnie Maggy and her companion Jerzy Pawlowski of Altona; June and John Smith of Saranac; and Shelly and James Luczak of Redford. He is also survived by his brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Donald and Susan Gonyea of Plattsburgh, Gerald and Sally Gonyea of Schuyler Falls, Clarence and Sandy Gonyea of Mooers, Beverly Heneghan and companion, Ray Lee, of Morrisonville, Theresa and Wesley Mooney of Morrisonville, Wayne and Debbie Gonyea of Morrisonville and several nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.

A sister, Deborah Wood, and a special brother-in-law, Clifford Heneghan, died earlier.

Calling hours will be on Tuesday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at the O’Neill-Redden-Drown Funeral Home in Plattsburgh. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at noon Wednesday from St. Alexander’s Church in Morrisonville. Interment will follow in the parish cemetery. Memorial donations may be offered to the family.

Dr. Gordon J. Arquit

ITHACA — Dr. Gordon J. Arquit, 79, a native of North Lawrence and a retired chemist with British Oxygen Corp., died Thursday, Sept. 30, in Enfield, N.Y.

He was 79.

The son of the late Orville J. and Roxanne Sweeney Arquit, he was born March 3, 1925, in North Lawrence.

Gordon was valedictorian of North Lawrence High School (now St. Lawrence Central) Class of 1941, where he was active in sports and music. In his youth he was a communicant of St. Lawrence Roman Catholic Church and for many years served as an altar boy.

In 1942, he graduated from ATI in Canton where he was a member of Alpha Theta Gamma. In March 1943, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served in the Pacific Theater. Following his honorable discharge in 1946, he entered St. Lawrence University, studied for one year at Syracuse University and graduated from St. Lawrence in 1949. In the fall of 1949, he entered Cornell University and received his doctorate in June 1952. In the fall of 1952, he returned to Cornell where he completed a post doctorate degree in 1956.

He was employed by AIRCO (an industrial gases and products company) for most of his career. Starting as a bench chemist, he retired as executive vice-president for Research and Development after the company was acquired by British Oxygen Corp. of London. During his career, he was responsible for pioneering work in the area of polymerization and obtaining several patents, most notably in the area of anesthesiology.

On Nov. 12, 1948, Dr. Arquit married Nora Constance Harris in Immaculate Conception Church in Ithaca with the Rev. John Maloney officiating.

Gordon was a pilot for over 50 years, and for many years he was called upon as a major in the Civil Air Patrol for search and rescue missions in the Adirondacks because of his vast knowledge of the terrain. He was a member of the Dryden American Legion Post, the Ithaca VFW Post, the American Chemical Society, and several honor societies at St. Lawrence University.

Survivors include his wife, Nora C. Harris Arquit, at home; one son, Kevin J. Arquit, Esq., and his wife, Margi, of Harrison, N.Y.; two daughters, Christine Arquit, Esq., of Washington, D.C. and Candy Sue Arquit Martel and her husband, Dr. Ronald Leo Martel, of Bellingham, MA; eight grandchildren: Benjamin Foster Arquit, Samuel Butler Arquit, Katherine Harris (Katie) Arquit, Robert James (Jamie) Arquit, Trevor J. Martel, Cullin R. Martel, Taryn Elisabeth Martel and Kara Martel; several cousins in Massena and many nieces and nephews.

A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2004, at 10 a.m. in the St. Lawrence Catholic Church in North Lawrence. The Rev. Stephen Gratto will officiate.

Burial will be in St. Peter’s Cemetery, Brushton.

Memorial contributions may be made to the SPCA of ones choice or the St. Lawrence Central School Scholarship Fund, North Lawrence.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the Harris Funeral Home, Railroad Ave., Roscoe, NY.

CATHERINE M. LYONS, 88, of Fort Covington Street, Malone, died Sunday morning, Oct. 3, 2004, at the Alice Hyde Nursing Home, where she had been a patient since Aug. 12, 2004.

Born in Malone on Nov. 11, 1915, she was the daughter of the late Roderick and Cora (Murphy) Carrier.

Calling hours will be Tuesday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at the Bruno-Desnoyers Funeral Home in Malone. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 6, at St. Joseph’s Church in Malone. Burial will follow in the parish cemetery on Lake Titus Road, Malone.

Memorials may be made to the North Country Association for the Visually Impaired, 301 Main St., P.O. Box 1338, Lake Placid, NY 10946 or to St. Joseph’s Church, Malone, or to the Malone Callfiremen and Rescue.

TIMOTHY J. THOMPSON, 50, of Ticonderoga, died Saturday, Oct. 2, 2004, at his residence.

He was born May 13, 1954, in Ticonderoga.

Calling hours will be Tuesday from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the Wilcox & Regan Funeral Home, 11 Algonkin St., Ticonderoga. American Legion Post 224 of Ticonderoga will conduct a service at 10:30 a.m. at the Funeral Home. A funeral service will follow at 11:30 a.m. Burial will be in the family plot of the Valley View Cemetery of Ticonderoga.

LUCILLE C. GROGAN, 86, formerly of Phillips Court, Lyon Mountain, died on Saturday, October 2, 2004, at Meadowbrook Nursing Home, Plattsburgh, where she had been a patient since October 2000.

Calling hours will be held Tuesday, Oct. 5, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at the Lyon Mountain Funeral Home, also known as St. Bernard’s Convent.

Arrangements are with the Chateaugay Funeral Home; a complete funeral notice will be published in Tuesday’s paper.

LILLIAN L. McDONALD, 82, of Plattsburgh, died Sunday, Oct. 3, 2004, at CVPH Medical Center in Plattsburgh.

Arrangements are incomplete and will be announced by the Brown Funeral Home in Plattsburgh.

DOROTHY ELLEN SMITH, 93, of Margaret Street, Saranac Lake, died Friday, Oct. 1, 2004, at her home.

Born in Saranac Lake on June 11, 1911, she was the daughter of John and Margaret (Brewster) O’Neil.

Calling hours will be held at the Fortune-Keough Funeral Home, Inc., on Tuesday from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. A Bible vigil service will take place Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. A Mass of Christian burial will take place on Wednesday at 11:15 a.m. at St. Bernard’s Church with the Rev. Kevin McEwan officiating. Burial will follow in St. Bernard’s Cemetery in Saranac Lake.

LUCIA LAPORTE, 52, of Town Line Road, West Chazy, died unexpectedly on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2004, at CVPH Medical Center in Plattsburgh.

Arrangements were incomplete Sunday and will be announced by the Brown Funeral Home in Plattsburgh.

FRANCIS PILLER, 86, of Burnt Hill Road, Saranac, died Sunday, Oct. 3, 2004, at CVPH Medical Center.

She was born in Long Island City on March 18, 1918, daughter of the late Jerry and Anna (Suchanik) Sedlack.

Calling hours will be Tuesday, Oct. 5, from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Brown Funeral Home in Cadyville. A funeral service will be held Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2004, at a time to be announced, from the Saranac Methodist Church in Saranac. Burial will follow in Saranac Independence Cemetery.

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Press-Republican, 170 Margaret St., P.O. Box 459, Plattsburgh, NY 12901

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