Hugh Fallon

Hugh Fallon passed away peacefully from old age, December 16, 2022.  

Hugh, the son of Viola and Christopher Fallon, was an alumnus of St. Thomas More High School in Philadelphia, Villanova University, and Fordham University, and served in the U.S. Army. He served two stints in the Army including being stationed in post-war Italy, where he explored his interest in history and developed a love of travel. He was grateful for the opportunity to serve and for the education afforded to him through the GI Bill. 

He spent his career at IBM, first in the Research Division, then in the newly formed Advanced Systems Development Division where he worked on projects in text processing, medical clinical decision support, and bank check processing machines. He spent his post-retirement teaching college courses, gardening, traveling, and reading.

He was married his north-star, Ethel (also known as Atell), for 63 years. They were committed to making their community and country a better place. They were active in the Civil Rights Movement, including helping form the Upper Westchester Fair Housing Council in support of the New York Fair Housing law. Hugh served as the group’s President. The council identified cases of discrimination in apartment rentals in the Peekskill area, and the landlords avoided criminal penalties by accepting integration of the apartments. In 1963, Atell joined the MLK March on Washington, while Hugh held down the fort at home.

Hugh was elected to the Lakeland School Board, Shrub Oak, NY, and served as President from 1966 to 1967. He was elected President of the Westchester County School Boards Association and later represented Westchester, Putnam and Rockland counties in the New York State School Boards Association.

Hugh will be remembered for having a book collection that seemed to include a book on everything, each of which he seems to have read at least twice; an active interest in history and politics; and a devotion to family.

Hugh was predeceased by Atell. He is survived by three daughters: Maura and her husband Mark Gau; Siubhan; and Deirdre and her husband Daniel Bird, and their children Hannah and Ryan. He is additionally survived by honorary grandchildren Violet Gau and Vincent Gau. He is also survived by his sisters Elizabeth Ferris and Amy Hales, his brother Peter and Claudette Fallon, and his brother Bernard, and a valued treasure-chest of nephews, nieces, cousins, and friends.

Services will be held Saturday, June 3 at 10:00 a.m. at Old St. David’s Church, Radnor, PA.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions be made to Doctors Without Borders, Catholic Charities, UNICEF, or American Heart Association.

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