Life-long Tioga County resident, Ronald E. Dougherty, passed away on Nov. 23, 2021. The family received friends on Monday, Nov. 29 at the First Church of the Nazarene in Owego, N.Y., and on Nov. 30 a funeral service was held at St. Patrick’s Church in Owego, with a burial service held shortly after at Maple Grove Cemetery in Candor, N.Y.
To all that knew him, Dougherty will be remembered for his invaluable contributions to Tioga County and its surrounding communities, and as a revered champion of positive change.
“A firm belief he held dearly was that a person should leave their world better than they found it.”
The funeral procession for Ronald (Ron) Dougherty arrives at Maple Grove Cemetery in Candor, N.Y. on Tuesday. (Photo by Wendy Post)
Among his many accomplishments, Dougherty will forever be remembered for his role in county government, and where he stepped into the Tioga County Legislature in 1988 and subsequently became the Legislative Chairman in 1990 until his retirement in 1995. Prior to this period, Dougherty completed a successful 30-year career at IBM in Owego as a functional level manager.
In 2014, the property located at 56 Main St. in Owego, N.Y. was dedicated as the “Ronald E. Dougherty County Office Building,” and in honor of a man with a reputation for leadership, integrity and vision.
Shawn Fahey, of Estey Munroe and Fahey Funeral Home in Owego, guides the procession at Ron Dougherty’s final resting place at Maple Grove Cemetery in Candor, N.Y. on Tuesday, and following services at St. Patrick’s Church in Owego, N.Y., where Ron was a parishioner. (Photo by Wendy Post)
At that time, Dougherty, in an article published in The Owego Pennysaver, remarked, “It’s been a wonderful journey, and I’ve been blessed by working with a lot of great people.”
Martha Sauerbrey, chair of the Tioga County Legislature, recently commented, “When Ron Dougherty retired from IBM in 1987, the dynamics of the county changed significantly. He utilized his talents and built relationships to make Tioga County and beyond a better place through education, government, and community responsibility.”
Dougherty’s notable achievements were far-reaching, and many knew and respected him to include members of the hunting community and members of what is known as the “Squirrel Club”, and knew him as a force to be reckoned with.
According to Jim Raftis, Sr., the Squirrel Club parallels the ROMEO club that meets at Becky’s Diner in Waverly, N.Y. He noted that the group would meet early in the morning for coffee daily; and as far as he knows they are still gathering at the farmhouse on Goodrich Settlement Road.
Pictured is a blanket created by Estey Munroe and Fahey Funeral Home in Owego, N.Y. to commemorate Ronald and Brenda’s 71 years of marriage. (Photo by Wendy Post)
As described by the late Bill Franz, who passed away in August of 2015, the Squirrel Club is an informal gathering of neighborhood gents, otherwise known as a “bunch of nuts,” who get together daily for coffee to solve the day’s and world’s problems.
“It’s the highlight of a retirees morning,” Raftis added to this claim. “They cover things that you won’t read or hear about in the media.”
Mark, from The Fort Miller Service Corp. out of Binghamton, N.Y. delivers the burial vault to the graveside at Maple Grove Cemetery in Candor, N.Y. on Tuesday, and to the site of Ronald Dougherty’s final resting place. (Photo by Wendy Post)
Raftis also talked about Dougherty’s ability to juggle, or manage his time. He recalled attending a Time Management class with Dougherty back-in-the-day at IBM-Owego, and chuckled, “Obviously Ron was very good at managing his time.”
Raftis pointed out that not only did Dougherty manage his time well in regard to his noteworthy public service, but remembers that Dougherty, a devoted family man, expertly juggled getting to events and activities for his children and grandchildren for many years, and one time attended three football games in a single day.
Pictured is a blanket created by Estey Munroe and Fahey Funeral Home in Owego, N.Y. to commemorate Ronald and Brenda’s 71 years of marriage. (Photo by Wendy Post)
The Footprint
One vital project that benefited the county was Dougherty’s guidance in securing the Best Buy facility in Nichols, N.Y. A long-awaited win-win, Dougherty referred to it as a home run for Tioga County. Then with the Tioga County Industrial Agency, Dougherty led efforts to establish the Lounsberry site, which in turn led the way for other future development.
Dougherty will also be remembered for his work in fostering educational excellence for area schools.
At Tioga Central Schools, Dougherty was a 41-year board member, first joining in 1966 and later elected President of the Board in 1968. It was Dougherty who helped lead the 1972 construction of the current Tioga Central High School.
This Memorial is a testament to the faith that Ronald Dougherty had in God, and in his church and family. Provided by Estey Munroe and Fahey Funeral Home in Owego, N.Y.
Dougherty later moved into the role of President of the Broome-Tioga BOCES Board of Education.
BOCES later created the “Ron Dougherty Award,” which is extended to an employee who embodies exemplary service and dedication, as well as the key attributes that were core to Dougherty’s service to area schools and the community.
Furthering his footprint in education, Dougherty was also a founder of the Tompkins Cortland Community College Foundation.
In 2018, Brenda and Ronald Dougherty, pictured, attended a celebration of marriages at St. Patrick’s in Owego. The couple, at the time of this photo, was married for 67 years. (File Photo)
Dougherty held the role of President of REAP, or Rural Economic Area Partnership, was involved in the Owego pool project and MEGA, the Municipal Electric and Gas Alliance, and spearheaded the establishment of the Department of Economic Development and Planning and the creation of the Council of Governments and the Lourdes Hospice Foundation.
In addition, he was a Board of Directors member for Tioga County Soil and Water and the Farm Bureau, the Tioga County Bank Board, and the Board at Guthrie Clinic in Sayre, Pa.
Long time public servant Ronald Dougherty, left, is pictured during a ceremony recognizing him for 30 years of public service on Sept. 17, 2014 that was held at the Hubbard Auditorium, and newly named Ronald E. Dougherty County Office Building, located at 56 Main St. in Owego, N.Y. (File Photo / The Morning Times)
Dougherty was also past Chairman of Tioga County’s Republican Party and a member of Owego Kiwanis and the Elks Lodge. He was the recipient of several awards through the years to include the Tioga County Rural Ministry Award, the New York State Rural Schools Service Award, Tioga County Republican Committee Lifetime Achievement Award, and NYS School Board Member of the Year, among others.
Family, Faith, and Friends
Many individuals feel that Dougherty helped make Tioga County a better place to live in, and also a better place to raise a family.
A 1950 graduate of Candor High School and the Class Salutatorian, Dougherty grew up on his family’s farm and then married his high school sweetheart, Brenda, in December of 1950.
The Dougherty’s were regular attendees at the annual Valentine’s Day Anniversary Mass and luncheon held at St. Patrick’s in Owego for couples married for 50 or more years.
On one of these occasions, Dougherty was asked what kept the couple going strong after six-plus decades, and his reply was, “Faith, family, and friends.”
The Dougherty’s were blessed with 11 children. A son, Ronald Jr., and a great-grandson, Odin, predeceased him. His wife, ten children, 29 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren, along with extended family members and dear friends, survive Dougherty.
Daughter Colleen Anderson shared about her father, “He was a great man who loved life and was upbeat and positive,” and added, “Although he did not have enough money to go to college himself, it was a passion of his life to send his children to college.”
Pictured is the sign that sits in front of the Tioga County Office Building in Owego, N.Y. that bears Ronald Dougherty’s name. The building was named in honor of Dougherty in 2014. (Photo by Wendy Post)
Anderson continued, “My father had a great respect for education and was determined to see his children attend college, and nine out of ten of us did.”
Dougherty’s son, Terry, described his father’s ambitions, stating, “For dad, ventures in community service were always about bringing people together for a common purpose, with passion and intention, and all for the betterment of others, and especially those most vulnerable and in need. That is his most important legacy for current and future generations.”
Regarding family, Terry shared that his father was always intimately engaged in the lives of his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, and remarked, “He modeled responsible citizenship by demonstrating personal virtues and values such as integrity, strong work ethic, empathy, social awareness, and civic engagement.”
Terry continued, “My father rose from very humble beginnings to accomplish great things in his life and he never forgot where he came from. He also knew that his success was largely the result of teamwork and collaboration with others,” concluding, “My father lived a very robust and full life, largely for the express purpose of serving others. He was a man of the people. Our family is extremely appreciative of the tremendous outpouring of support we have received from so many in the local community and surrounding areas.”
Jeffrey Galens of Blessed-Trinity Parish, incenses the casket at St. Patrick’s Church in Owego as a sign of reverence, and then states, “In peace, let us take our brother to his final resting place.” (Photo contributed by Jim Raftis, Sr.)
The Final Resting Place
At Maple Grove Cemetery in Candor, N.Y., the final resting place for Ronald Dougherty, a procession on Tuesday arrived around noon from St. Patrick’s Church in Owego. Once there, a tent that covered the vault where Dougherty’s coffin rested and where the service took place kept things dry, as snow was falling at a heavy pace.
His grieving wife of 71 years was directly behind the hearse, and was led to the graveside by family members. The director of the Estey Munroe and Fahey Funeral Home placed a blanket they made that commemorates Brenda and Ron’s 71 years of marriage on Brenda’s lap to keep her warm, while graveside services were led by Father Jeffrey Galens of Blessed-Trinity Parish and St. Patrick’s Church.
Ronald’s wife Brenda is comforted by her family during Tuesday’s graveside service at Maple Grove Cemetery in Candor, N.Y. On her lap, and keeping her warm, is a blanket created by Estey Munroe and Fahey Funeral Home in Owego, N.Y. to commemorate Ronald and Brenda’s 71 years of marriage. (Photo by Wendy Post)
The services, according to Shawn Fahey from the funeral home, were very well attended.
“He was quite well known and touched a lot of lives,” said Fahey.
And summing it up best, as Jim Raftis Sr. so aptly put it, “Ron Dougherty’s footprint is all over Tioga County.”
To read the full obituary and view the funeral services at St. Patrick’s Church in Owego, visit https://emfaheyfuneralhome.com/tribute/details/1152/Ronald-Dougherty/obituary.
(Wendy Post, Owego Pennysaver editor, contributed to this story.)
I’m proud to have known and grown up with Ron in the hills and valley of lovely Catatonk … where neighbors knew, laughed and helped each other. The school bus made a circle around the hill and picked up the majority of the Candor’s sports team on the way. So many memories! Ron was a star at that time and continued to be one his entire life. When Brenda transferred to Candor High School, Ron was quick to see who he wanted … and wasted no time in making his move. Best choice, ever!! He will be greatly missed by so many~