Obituary of Colin D. Storey

Colin D. Storey (“Dee”)

Obituary

Penfield, New York – April 5, 2019 at age 97. Predeceased by beloved wife of 60 years Harriett B. Storey and daughter Suzanne Storey Secor.  Survived by his devoted children, Gregory (Mary Therese) Storey, Deborah (John) Dingess, David (Rhonda) Storey, Thomas (Gillian) Storey, Meg (Otis) Simpson and son-in-law Bruce Secor; brother Douglas Storey; grandchildren Jeffrey (Kristen) Storey, Elizabeth (Justin) Harbinger, Kyle Storey, Paul Secor, Kevin (Stefanie Anderson) Storey, James (Jill) Storey, David Dingess, Johnny (Rachel) Dingess, Glen (Brittany) Storey, Katelyn Storey; and great grandchildren Zachary Harbinger, Tyler Harbinger, Camron Storey, Mariah Storey, Caleb Storey and Harper Storey.

Born in 1921 in South Bend, Indiana, Colin’s family relocated to Syracuse during the Great Depression.  Colin attended Onondaga Valley Academy High School where he was a member of the Onondaga County championship tennis team.  He was attending Syracuse University School of Journalism when World War II began.  Colin enlisted in the Army Air Corps in July of 1942.  After completion of his training, he departed for Europe in November 1944.  Colin and his crew were assigned to the 8^th Air Force, 94^th Bomb Group, 331^st Squadron located at Bury St. Edmunds, England. 

Commanding a B-17G, he flew thirty-five combat missions, primarily over Germany, from December 1944 through April 1945, accumulating 295 hours in combat.  This also included crash landing in Belgium in March 1945 after sustaining severe battle damage to his aircraft.  Colin was fortunate to never lose a member of his crew during the war.  Colin retired from the Air Force Reserve in 1981 as a Lt. Colonel after 30 years of service.  He accumulated numerous service awards including the French Legion of Honor.

After the war, Colin returned to Syracuse and married Harriett in 1945.  He also resumed his education at Syracuse University, where he was also a member of the Sigma Delta Chi and Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternities.  He graduated in 1947 from the journalism school.  Following several initial positions in advertising throughout western New York, Colin joined Gannett Newspaper’s Rochester Democrat and Chronicle as an advertising sales representative.  He later served as the metropolitan advertising manager and then the co-op advertising manager for both the Democrat and Chronicle and Times Union newspapers, and was also a past president of the Gannett Newspaper 25 Year Club.  He retired from Gannett in 1986 after 32 years of service. 

Colin was one of the original founders of the Penfield Little League in the early 1950’s, as well as Boy Scout and Cub Scout Pack Troup 270.  He also served on the Penfield School Board from 1973 to 1976; was a member of the Fairport Veterans of Foreign Wars Post; the Penfield American Legion Braman Post; President of the 94^th Bomb Group Memorial Association; and a member of the Geriatric Pilots Association of Monroe County. Colin was an active member of the Penfield United Methodist Church for 63 years and was a regular at the “Wednesday Guys” meetings.

Colin most enjoyed spending time with his many family members and traveling with his wife, Harriett. 

Calling hours will be held Thursday April 11th, from 4 P.M. to 8 P.M. at Jennings, Nulton & Mattle Funeral Home, 1704 Penfield Road, Penfield, NY 14526.  Funeral services will be the following day, Friday April 12^th, at 10 A.M. at Penfield United Methodist Church, 1795 Baird Road, Penfield, NY 14526, internment to follow at Oakwood Cemetery in Penfield.  To honor Colin’s memory, flowers may be sent to Jennings Funeral Home or memorial contributions may be made to the Memorial Fund of the Penfield United Methodist Church or the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force (Savannah, GA).