Thomaston- Michael E Martone, Sr, 94, formerly of 164 Hickory Hill Road, passed away on Sunday, August 25th after a brief illness. Michael was born in Waterbury on March 3rd 1919, the youngest of five children. He worked on a farm on Spindle Hill Road in Wolcott as a youth. It was there he developed his love of the land, animals, and especially the pigeons that were owned by the farmer he met as a youth. He attended Wilby High School and joined the army at the beginning of World War II. Soon after joining the army he saw a notice looking for applicants with experience handling pigeons for the Signal Corps. He did join the Signal Corps, but pigeons were utilized for only a short time thereafter. He was then chosen as one of two soldiers from the Signal Corps to work in general Eisenhower's headquarters, which he did until the conclusion of the war. On February 9th 1946, he married Frances M. Dunn of Naugatuck whom he had met in 1938 while ice skating.They were sweethearts from that day forward, before, during, and after the war. They raised five children, Michael Jr., James, Patricia, David, and Daniel. He is survived by them, along with nine grandchildren. Frances passed away in 2007 after a marriage of 62 years and a relationship of 69 years. Michael continued to live in Thomaston until 2011 and then moved to Cheshire where he lived until his passing. He was vice president for manufacturing for the Drawn Metal Tube Co. in Thomaston, where he worked for decades, side by side with his childhood friend Peter Byrnes, also of Thomaston, they met as teenagers and their friendship lasted for 80 years. His love for pigeons was rekindled in the 1950s when he started to raise Birmingham Roller Pigeons. With his skill and passion for his hobby, he became one of five master breeders in the United States. He was a hard-working, creative man of simple tastes, who loved life, but most of all loved his wife and family.At heart, he was a farmer who loved the land, the animals, gardening, and nature. He especially enjoyed singing and would spend his days humming and singing along, no matter what he was doing. He treated everyone with warmth and kindness. He saw the good in everyone and people were immediately comfortable in his presence. He was an ardent Red Sox fan and enjoyed playing cards of all sorts as well as cribbage. The door to his and his wifes home was always open to everyone, a warm and sociable gathering place, the center of which was their love for each other. He was a gentle, beautiful man with a smile on his face, a twinkle in his eye, and a song in his heart.He will be missed dearly by all who were fortunate enough to have known him. Arrangements: A mass of Christian burial will be held on Monday, September 2, at 11:00 A.M. St. Thomas Church in Thomaston. Burial will be private. There are no calling hours. Arrangements are in the care of the Lyons Funeral Home 46 High St. Thomaston. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Michael and Frances' name to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund at http://www.ocrf.org/

Service Information A service summary is not available