Obituary of Charles Francis

MORGO - Charles Francis, 75, died July 4, 2012 in Oakdale after an illness. A longtime resident of Grand Rapids, he had recently moved to Sayville, NY to be near his daughter and his brother. Born in Shrewsbury, MA, he was the son of the late Charles G. and Antoinette (Bisceglia) Morgo. Mr. Morgo graduated from Boston University with a bachelor's degree in business administration and served in the Army, receiving an honorable discharge. He moved to Malone, N.Y. to work at Tru-Stitch Footwear, a slipper-manufacturing company founded in the 1940s by his then-father-in-law Benjamin Bregman. He served as president of that company, which was a major employer in Malone until it closed in 2000. When Tru-Stitch became a subsidiary of Wolverine World Wide in 1969, he became a vice president of that company, based in Rockford, MI. After working more than three decades in footwear manufacturing, he retired in 1997 in Grand Rapids, MI, where he enjoyed golfing with several friends. A voracious reader and enthusiastic correspondent, he liked to spur debates with family about American politics, finance, and education policy. Family members routinely received annotated clippings of articles and newspaper columns in their mailboxes. He enjoyed watching baseball, especially the Red Sox. He shared that passion with his daughter, Dr. Jennifer Morgo, an orchestra teacher and tennis coach at Sayville Middle School. He traded views on political candidates with his daughter Esther and son-in-law Glenn Diskin, residents of Virginia Beach, VA, and enjoyed hearing about the academic activities of his three grandchildren. His lively intellect will be greatly missed by family and friends. Additional survivors include his brother Jim and sister-in-law Eileen Morgo of Bayport; his brother Andrew and sister-in-law Judy Morgo of Atlanta; and several nieces and nephews. A private memorial gathering will be held at a later date In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his name to gratefulgreys.org or by mailing to Grateful Greyhounds, Inc., PO Box 6098, N. Babylon, NY 11703. Funeral arrangements entrusted to Raynor & D'Andrea Funeral Home, West Sayville