Obituary of Eugene Stratton

Eugene Stratton of South Fallsburg passed away on Wednesday, April 6, 2011 at Castle Point Veterans Hospital. He was 88. He was the son of the late Melvin D. and Dorothy G. Stratton, born on October 27, 1922 in Fallsburg, NY. Eugene proudly served his country in the United States Army during WWII as a Second Lieutenant; and he devoted several years of his life protecting his country. He enlisted in the Army in 1943 in Hartford and studied Meteorology for one year in Bowdin College, in Brunswick Maine. He was shipped to different parts of the USA beginning with Nashville, TN and was classified as a Navigator in the Air Corp. From there he was shipped to Sumter, SC and then to Santa Ana for pre-flight school. Upon finishing pre-flight school he went to San Marcos Texas for the second phase of flight school. After he graduated from flight school he proudly made Second Lieutenant as a navigator in Blytheville, Arkansas to drop troop carriers off. He was later discharged in October 1945 in Mitchell Field Long Island and came back to Fallsburg. The next fifty years of his life he dedicated to working for his father and uncle and at Union Local 19 as a carpenter; which he retired from after 50 years of service. He was a member of the VFW & American Legion. He was interested in building or anything that was being built and took much pride in his work. He found enjoyment in many different activities such as hunting and fishing. He was a past member of the Spinning Hunting Club. He loved his family and spent as much time as possible with them. He was a loving husband, father and grandfather who will be sorely missed by his family and friends. He will be most missed for his gifts of courage, gratitude and humility which he has passed on to his loved ones. He is survived by his loving daughters Ellen Stratton and her companion Joseph Cummings at home, Janyne Katz and her husband Stephen of Eden, MD., grandchildren Daniel Katz, and Brandon Hummel, brother Frank and his wife Annette Stratton, nephews Perry and Christopher Stratton, niece Danielle Stratton, and among many of his lifelong friends Nicholas Shabola, Harold Gold and Raymond Stine. He was predeceased by his wife Luba A. Stratton in 2002, three brothers Arthur, Roger, and Walter Stratton. A special thank you is extended from the family to Eugene?s care taker & friend Kathy Graham, Hospice nurse Christine Ferolie; his special friend Joe from Meals on Wheels; Joby David and the staff of the Castle Point Palliative Care Unit; and Orange & Sullivan County Hospice for all their companionate care. Visitation will be held on Saturday, April 9, 2011 at Colonial Memorial Funeral Home, 396 State Route 52 Woodbourne, NY 12788 from 11:00am-1:00pm. A Funeral Service will be held at the funeral home at 1:00pm. Interment will follow at Old Falls Cemetery, Fallsburg, NY. In lieu of flowers donations can be made in his name to Meals on Wheels of Sullivan County. Arrangements were under the direction of Colonial Memorial Funeral Home, for further information please call 845-434-7363 or visit our website at www.colonialbryantfuneralhome.com .