"George W. Lagonia Sr. of Spencertown, age 89, passed away on April 6, 2015. He was born December 11, 1925 on Edison Ave. in Throggs Neck, NY. Much of his youth was spent on all of the sand lots in and around the Bronx competing in Baseball and Football. He served in the Navy during WWII on a floating dry dock in both the European and Pacific Campaigns. In 1950 he took up the sport of Prize Fighting, known as "Chips Lagonia", and boxed as a Welterweight. He competed as a professional, which included a bout at the famed Coney Island Velodrome. About this time he took up Snow Skiing which led him to discover a small Rope Tow Ski Mountain known as Catamount. He fell in love with the area and eventually made it his full time residence in 1977. He loved Salt Water Fishing, Horse Racing, Collecting Fine Art, Making Homemade Wine, High School Football, and his greatest passion, cooking Italian Food. This led him to converting an old barn and opening the Firehill Inn Restaurant in Austerlitz. It was a unique place where people gathered to enjoy his take on Southern Italian cuisine, his hospitality and endless pasta. After a short retirement he proclaimed "George is Back" and had a second successful run that he was very proud of.  In his later years he spent winters in North Carolina roaming the beaches and summers in his vegetable garden trying to grow the perfect tomato. He was predeceased by his daughter in 1989, Lisa Robin Lagonia." Condolences may be conveyed at frenchblasl.com