Pauline Mae Vangorder Piccirillo

Pauline Mae VanGorder Piccirillo, survived by her two daughters, Linda Piccirillo Hinckley and Karen Piccirillo Kelly, died at Shem Creek Nursing and Rehab in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, on Monday, October 25th, 2021, at the age of 93. Pauline was healthy but abruptly suffered multiple strokes, which blinded her and caused her death a few weeks later. Family was with her holding her hand when she passed peacefully. She enjoyed life to the fullest, and in the end, she was singing New York, New York, by Frank Sinatra with Linda and Karen.

Pauline was born April 27th, 1928, in Hornell, New York, to her parents, Fred VanGorder and Eva (Bradley) VanGorder. She attended the Hornell City School System and met her future husband, Joseph Nicholas Piccirillo. Pauline was 13, and Joe was 17. This was love at first sight, but World War II was continuing, and Joe joined the United States Navy in November 1942 as Pauline waited for his return. She graduated from Hornell High School in 1945, and Joe was Honorably Discharged in December 1945. Pauline and Joe married on August 21st, 1946, and moved to Brockport, New York, where Joe enrolled in the State University of New York at Brockport, while Pauline worked in Rochester, New York, in the Clerical Office of Clapp’s Baby Food. After Joe graduated, they returned to Hornell, where Joe accepted a Physical Education position in the school system.

Pauline was a stay-at-home mom who was very involved in her daughters’ lives. She sewed most of their clothes, and during the summers, she kept the family close as she drove Linda and Karen to Joe’s jobs to have a family lunch, as he worked several jobs each summer. Pauline was a member of the First Presbyterian Church and sang in the choir. She was a member of Home Bureau, where women gathered to plan and participate in town activities. Pauline was the leader of Blue Bird and Campfire groups for both Linda and Karen. Pauline was an involved mom who followed her two daughters’ swimming and track careers throughout the school years! She also ran a physical fitness class for women with Joe, as they did this to reflect the role of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness of 1963 as President Kennedy endorsed. She always looked forward to family time on Sundays with visits to both parents so the girls would have a meaningful relationship with their grandparents. Weekends were set aside for family and household activities, the usual family Sunday drive, and most activities were done as a family. Pauline and Joe were involved in Square and Round Dancing and traveled throughout New York State and Canada to compete in dancing while involved in several clubs for leisure with other Hornell couples. Pets were always special to Pauline, as her last two cats, Theo and Rumple, just made her days.

Pauline worked part-time as a bookkeeper at Goodyear until she decided to attend college. She entered the State University of New York at Geneseo in 1968 and graduated in 1972 with the distinction of Summa Cum Laude honors. What made her graduation special was she graduated with Linda, who earned Magna Cum Laude honors. Pauline entered Alfred University after graduation from Geneseo. She received with honors a two-year Master’s degree in School Psychology and a Master’s of Education in nursery, kindergarten, and grades 1-6th. Pauline then accepted a position with the Board of Cooperative Educational Service in Spencerport, New York, where she worked with and tested Special Needs Students. She cared deeply and emotionally for her students and enjoyed working with the entire BOCES staff for twenty years.

During the summers, Pauline and Joe took on the venture of starting a little league baseball program in the inner city of Rochester, New York, called Genesee Valley Little League. Together, they often picked up the kids, found sponsors to provide uniforms and equipment, maintained the baseball field, coached the team as well as drove them home. Their grandson, Shawn, also participated in this league. Pauline and Joe were quite a team. Additionally, dining out was a frequent pastime, as well as traveling to see their daughter Karen in Florida, California, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

When Pauline retired, they moved to Chester, Virginia, and later moved to North Charleston, South Carolina, for warmer weather. Pauline and Joe were inseparable, as they went everywhere together and spent a great deal of time with their grandchildren and eventually their great-grandchildren. Summers were full of their grandkids, Shawn, Scott, and Kristin, where they spent summers swimming, traveling, motor-homing, and just playing all kinds of sports as a family. Pauline and Joe traveled to watch Shawn, Scott, and Kristin play baseball, tennis, golf, hockey, swimming, and softball. Additionally, they watched their great-grandson, Grant, thrive in baseball from a young age to the present in college. They recorded every sports event. When travel was not possible, they watched on video their four other great-grandchildren playing their sports: Jackson playing basketball, Kaley performing in many areas of dance, and Bryce and Logan playing hockey. Pauline was proud of all their accomplishments.

Pauline was a loving mom, a super grandma and great-grandma, and a person who would do anything to help others. Additionally, for twenty years, she and Joe cared for her mother. Pauline lived a wonderful life and is admired, loved, and missed by all who knew her.

In addition to her two daughters, Linda, who lives in Chester, Virginia, and Karen, who lives in Holly Springs, North Carolina; Pauline is survived by three grandchildren, Shawn Michael Harris, Scott Anthony (Christina) Kelly, and Kristin Jenai (Brad) Geiger; five great-grandchildren; Grant Joseph Harris, Jackson Douglas Geiger, Kaley Mae Geiger, Bryce Edward Kelly, and Logan Patrick Kelly; sister-in-law Donna Piccirillo Flaitz, nephews Robert (Lori) Flaitz, Joseph (Meg) Flaitz, and niece Nikki (William) Harkenrider. Her California family includes niece Lori Lacy Panther, nephew Lee Lacy, great-nephew Mario Esquer ( Patricia), great-nieces Natalie Acosta (Enrique), and Jessica Esquer.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Fred and Eva VanGorder, her husband Joseph Nicholas Piccirillo, sister Betty Jean VanGorder Lacy, sister-in-law, Betty Piccirillo Robinson, brother-in-law, Harry Piccirillo, brother-in-law, Samuel Lacy, brother-in-law, Robert Flaitz, son- in-law Duncan Philip Hinckley, granddaughter-in-law Alison Harris, nephews Larry Lacy, Joji Lacy, and niece Kim Lacy Esquer.

The Funeral service will be held in Chester, Virginia, at J.T. Morriss and Son Funeral Home on January 12, 2022, at 10 am. For those of you who are unable to attend and wish to watch the service or leave condolences, please go to www.jtmorriss.com and click on obituaries at the top of the page, scroll down and search Pauline Mae VanGorder Piccirillo. A gathering will take place at Linda’s home following the service.

Donations are appreciated to the Hornell Area Humane Society, located at 7649 Industrial Park Rd, Hornell, NY 14843 or www.hornellanimalshelter.org and Tunnel to Towers Foundation located at 2361 Hylan Blvd, Staten Island, NY 10306 or at t2t.org, which supports the military, police, firefighters, and their families.