May 20, 2019 Gregory R. Songer ATHOL- Gregory Ross Songer, 72, of White Pond Road, died unexpectedly on February 25, 2019 at his winter home in Ft. Meyers, Florida. Born in Westfield on January24, 1947, he was a son of the late Maurice and Gladys (Allard) Songer.
From 1962-1965, Greg was enrolled in the Machinist Program at Greenfield Vocational School. On July 6, 1966, he enlisted in the United States Army and served a tour of duty in Vietnam before his honorable discharge on June 27, 1968. Greg has been married to Karen Stoddard for 32 wonderful years.
In 2010, Greg retired from NRG Services in Ayer where he operated power plant boilers and related equipment as a licensed Steam Foreman 2nd Class. Greg previously worked for Hamilton Standards (1968-9), Leavitt Machine Co. (1969-71), Magnet Corp (1970-76), Ranor Corp (1976-79), Orange Nut and Bolt (1978-82) and Sealpro Inc. (1982-98) before NRG. Greg was a certified Rescue SCUBA diver and former member of the Athol-Orange Frogmen.
He was a lifetime member of the Petersham Gun Club and a lifetime member of 46 years of the Elks Club, most recently the North Ft. Meyers Lodge. After retirement, Greg enjoyed his winter home in Florida with his wife where they made many dear friend.
He enjoyed going to Maine to his camp in Burlington. Most of all, Greg enjoyed his dream home in Athol which he and his wife had built in 1996. He spent many hours working around the home with his excavator as well as working on his apple orchard which he planted with his grandson.
Greg was always ready for a new adventure, a new project, or new destination. He had a passion for ultra light airplanes and enjoyed endless fishing and hunting trips, as well as motorcycle rides with his dear friend, Lenny Crossman. Greg loved people- the more the merrier!
He was always ready to lend a helping hand to anyone who needed it. He was strong, caring, and easy going man who will be sadly missed by so many. Greg is survived by his loving wife, Karen Stoddard, of Athol and Ft.
Meyers, FL; son, Chad Songer and his companion, Judy Reinke Johns, of Athol; brother in law, Brian Stoddard and his wife, Becky, of Athol; sisters in law, Bonnie Maloney and her husband, Kevin, of Connecticut, and Linda Carey and her husband, Michael, of North Carolina; aunts and uncles, Larry and Josephine Songer of Orange and Frank and Marie Songer of Athol; many nieces, nephews and cousins. Besides his parents, Greg was predeceased by a grandson, Joseph R. “Joey” Songer. There are no calling hours.
A memorial service will be held on June 1, 2019 at 1 p.m. at Witty’s Funeral Home, 158 South Main Street, Orange, with Rev. Judy Jones of the Orange United Methodist Church officiating. A dinner will follow at the Athol American Legion, corner of Exchange Street and Pequiog Avenue, Athol.
In lieu of flowers, donations are suggested to the Joseph Songer Scholarship Fund, c/o Athol High School Scholarship Association, P.O. Box 338, Athol, MA 01331-0338 Witty’s Funeral Home, 158 South Main Street, Orange, is directing the arrangements. You may offer your sympathy online at www.
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