More Obituaries

May 22, 2024 at 11:05 p.m.

To consistently run obituaries of Port Chester and Rye Brook residents of which we learn, we are using the following abbreviated format. We will be glad to run FREE OF CHARGE full obituaries of anyone whose family member requests it and provides the information to us.

Ronald J. Drummond, 78, formerly of Port Chester, died May 16, 2024.

Revving engines and roaring cheers have quieted as Ronnie Drummond, born and raised in Port Chester, crossed his final finish line in Huntersville, N.C.

His pit crew in life—wife Barbara, daughter Renee Drummond, sons Scott and Michael Horn (co-pilot Kelly Horn), and his trusty crew of grandkids, Cole Finocchio, Ryan Horn, Kristen Horn—will forever cherish his memory in the grandstands of their hearts.

Ronnie's entrepreneurial spirit was the fuel that powered ownership to a fleet of successful ventures: M & R Sanitation, Ronnie's Refuse, Rye Refuse, and New England Recycling; he was the kind of man who never idled, always accelerating towards the next challenge.

His need for speed wasn't just a metaphor. From the drag strips of Playland Parkway to the asphalt of Dover, N.Y. and Lebanon Valley, Ronnie's love for cars was more than a hobby; it was a way of life. He raced everything from a fiery red Nova to a fierce, altered dragster, leaving his mark on the quarter-mile and in the hearts of fellow racing enthusiasts.

Even in “retirement,” Ronnie couldn't resist the call of the engine, working with City Carting in Stamford and later turbocharging a small garage business into the high-octane enterprise known as Mad Vapes. His final pit stop in Huntersville kept him close to the circuit racing scene, trading the drag strip for the oval track, and Sundays were reserved for the sacred ritual of race-watching with Barbara.

Ronnie's favorite show was “The Pickers.” He had reverence for history and nature and a soft spot for animals.

Join us for a victory lap to celebrate Ronnie's life Sat., May 25, from 10-11 a.m. at Harvest Time Church, located at 1338 King St., Greenwich, Conn. Wear a splash of checkered flag in his honor, and let's send him off with the fanfare he deserves.

Ronnie Drummond—beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend—may have taken his final bow, but his legacy will keep on zooming through the lives he touched, faster than a Hemi engine on a straightaway. Godspeed, Ronnie. Keep those wheels spinning in heaven!


Patricia (Pat) Ann Irene (Donovan) Ketchabaw, 85, of Clermont, Fla., died peacefully May 15, 2024 at the Cornerstone Mike Conley Hospice House.

She was the beloved wife for 65 years of William (Bill) Ketchabaw; loving mother of Steve Ketchabaw (Sharon); Tricia (Ketchabaw) Elliott (Ross) and DJ Ketchabaw (Melissa); grandmother of Tyler, Jaime, Brian, Evan and Kayla Ketchabaw of Rye Brook; William, Andrew and Mary Elliott and Reagan and McKinley Ketchabaw.

Mrs. Ketchabaw was born in St. Thomas, ON, Canada Feb. 14, 1939 to Gerald B. Donovan and Norma (Priddle) Donovan who predeceased her.

She attended Arthur Voaden Vocational School in St. Thomas and, following graduation, obtained her degree in cosmetology, joined the Ross Street Beauty Salon and subsequently joined with her aunt at the Joy-El Beauty Salon.

She was predeceased by her brother Gerald A. Donovan (Gloria), niece Denise (Donovan) Crooker, father-in-law Harley Ketchabaw, mother-in-law Mary Margaret (Peggy) (Daly) Ketchabaw and brother-in-law Donald J. Ketchabaw.

In 1964 the family moved to London, Ontario; in 1970, they moved to Simsbury, Conn., and in 2013, Pat and her husband relocated to North Carolina and subsequently to Clermont, Fla. in 2017.

She made friends quickly, was always willing to lend a hand, cook a meal, or organize an event and was a talented seamstress, often found at her sewing machine making a new outfit for herself, her daughter, or her grandchildren and impressed her family, especially her children, with her speed-reading skills, reading a book in a day and devouring thousands of books in her lifetime.

Mrs. Ketchabaw was very active in civic and church activities, including a leadership role with Campfire Girls; various board and committee activities, as well as teaching Sunday School at First Church of Christ, Simsbury; member of the Board of Directors at Covenant to Care in Bloomfield, Conn. and membership in the Simsbury Junior Women’s Club; in Florida, she participated in Dress a Girl Around the World, where she put her sewing talents to work sewing sundresses for young girls.

Interment of her remains will be made, at a date to be determined, in the Memorial Garden at the First Church of Christ, Simsbury following a private family memorial service.

Memorial donations to the Masooli Project, PO Box 1001, Simsbury, CT 06070 would be greatly appreciated.



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